Erysipelas dietary taboos

It is clear that foods, alcohol and alcohol-containing drinks, and "inflammatory foods" that are high in sugar, oil, and highly irritating can cause allergies. Most of the other so-called "food taboos" must be judged based on personal physique, and there is no unified standard answer.

Last week, I met a young man who worked on the Internet in the clinic. The erysipelas on his left calf was 80% gone, and the red spots were almost gone. I wanted to celebrate with a friend and went to have a meal of thirteen-spice crayfish with ice beer. That night, his calf was burning and swollen, and his body temperature jumped to 39.2 degrees. I came to the emergency room overnight and the inflammation index on the reexamination was higher than the first time. To put it bluntly, it is stepping on the red line of dietary taboos and adding fuel to the inflammation that was about to subside.

First, let’s talk about the most common allergenic foods that everyone may trip up. The essence of erysipelas is dermal lymphatic inflammation caused by Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus infection. During the attack period, the entire immune system is in a "stress state". Even normal food may induce allergic reactions at this stage. For example, many people have no problem eating mangoes, pineapples, and seafood on a daily basis. However, eating them during an attack will aggravate skin redness, swelling and itching and delay recovery. The cognition of Chinese and Western medicine is basically the same on this point, and there is no controversy.

As for the taboo on "fabrication" that is so popular on the Internet, it has actually always been a controversial point in clinical practice. Many older generations say that you should not touch eggs, chicken, beef, or even onions, ginger, and garlic. If you touch them, they will relapse. However, from the perspective of modern medicine, as long as you do not have allergic or uncomfortable reactions when eating these foods, it is beneficial to eat them in moderation during an attack. After all, high-quality protein is the raw material for immune cell synthesis. If you dare not eat anything, your nutrition will not keep up, and the inflammation will heal slowly. I have seen many patients strictly abstain from food for half a month and only dare to drink white porridge with vegetables every day. As a result, the inflammation is not cured, but instead they become dizzy, dizzy and hypoglycemic. It is really unnecessary.

However, it is indeed recommended to avoid eating foods that are high in sugar, oil and highly irritating during an attack. There was a retired aunt who had just recovered from erysipelas. Her children felt sorry for her because she was ill and didn't eat well, so she bought a whole Musang King durian to supplement her. She ate two small pieces. The next day, the affected area was swollen and shiny, and she was in so much pain that she couldn't walk. Such high-sugar hot fruits, as well as heavy-fat and spicy hot pot, fried skewers, and milk tea, will increase the body's inflammatory response level, which is equivalent to "holding back" the immune cells that are in contact. If you can bear it, it is not too late to eat it again.

There is another uncontroversial hard taboo: you must not touch alcohol, whether it is liquor, beer, red wine, alcoholic drinks, or glutinous rice. Don’t take it seriously. On the one hand, alcohol will dilate peripheral blood vessels and accelerate the spread of inflammation. Erysipelas that is originally limited to the calf may spread upward after drinking alcohol. ； On the other hand, most erysipelas treatments use cephalosporin antibiotics, which can cause a disulfiram reaction when combined with alcohol. In severe cases, it can even lead to shock. This is really no joke.

In fact, the dietary taboos for erysipelas are not as complicated as what is said on the Internet. The core is just not to put any burden on the body. During the attack period, eating more fresh vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C, paired with some non-allergenic high-quality protein is better than anything else. If you are really greedy, it is perfectly fine to eat a piece of light steamed pork ribs or drink a cup of warm freshly squeezed juice. There is no need to force yourself to the point where you dare not eat anything, as it will be more gain than loss.