Diet taboos for pulmonary heart disease

The most important things to avoid are high-salt foods, fatty foods that are heavy in oil and sweetness, and foods that are easy to produce gas in excess. At the same time, alcohol must be strictly limited. Do not blindly eat foods such as ginseng and deer antlers that are high in temperature and tonic. You must also avoid drinking water in one go.

Don’t believe it. I met an old patient, Uncle Zhang, in my outpatient clinic last week. He had just been discharged from the hospital after an acute exacerbation in the cold weather. His family felt that he needed to be replenished, so they specially stewed the old hen with ginseng. He ate two large bowls of soup and meat. That night, he was so breathless that he couldn’t lie down, and his lower limbs became swollen again. He hurriedly came for a review early in the morning and wondered, "Why am I still getting sick after I have taken good nutrition?" ”

In fact, the problem lies in the bowl of soup in the first place - Laohuo soup itself dissolves a lot of purines and fats in meat, and a lot of salt is added to enhance the flavor. Uncle Zhang's salt intake in this meal directly exceeded the recommended amount by more than twice. Most patients with pulmonary heart disease are accompanied by right heart insufficiency, and the body's ability to excrete sodium is much worse than that of ordinary people. Eating too much salt can easily lead to water and sodium retention. The already overburdened heart has to pump more blood. In mild cases, the lower limbs will be swollen and the breath will be aggravated. In severe cases, it can directly induce acute heart failure, which is no joke. It should be mentioned here that it does not mean that you should not touch salt at all. For patients with stable symptoms and no edema, the daily salt intake should be controlled within 5 grams. If edema or heart failure has already occurred, the daily salt intake should be reduced to 3 grams. And don’t forget to count the invisible salt - salt is added to pickles, sauced meats, candied fruits and even ordinary noodles sold in the market. Don’t just look at the salt spoon for cooking and ignore these invisible pitfalls.

As for why you can’t eat food that’s too oily or too sweet? The thick layer of oil in Uncle Zhang's bowl of soup is also an "accomplice". Patients with cor pulmonale suffer from long-term hypoxia, and their gastrointestinal tract is always in a state of congestion, so their digestion ability is much weaker than that of ordinary people. Eating fat, sweet and rich foods such as pork belly, sugar water, and fried foods is not only difficult to digest and prone to food accumulation, but also contributes to dampness and phlegm production. People who have been coughing and expectorating all year round suddenly have more phlegm that blocks the airway, making it difficult to breathe, which in turn increases the burden on the lungs. Of course, we don’t want everyone to be vegetarian. You can eat high-quality proteins such as lean pork and beef tenderloin, steamed freshwater fish, and boiled eggs. Steaming, stewing, and stewing only requires less oil. You also need to pay attention to the method of nutritional supplements.

At this point, someone must ask, is it true that soy products, sweet potatoes, carbonated drinks and other gas-producing things should not be touched in one bite? In fact, there have been different opinions in this industry. Some guidelines recommend strict dietary restrictions because excessive gas production will cause abdominal distension, push the diaphragm upward, and prevent the lungs from fully relaxing, which will aggravate breathing difficulties. However, many patients I have met have good digestive functions. They usually eat a piece of steamed sweet potato and drink less than half a cup of sugar-free sparkling water without feeling bloated. On the contrary, soy products can supplement the absorption of high-quality protein, which is much better than eating those heavy oil soups. There is no need to apply one-size-fits-all. To put it bluntly, it depends on your body's reaction. If you don't feel bloated or have trouble breathing after eating, it's absolutely fine to eat a small amount. If you feel uncomfortable after eating, then stay away and don't be obsessed with standards.

Oh, by the way, many people ask if they can drink less alcohol to activate their blood vessels? Don't believe this rumor. After alcohol enters the body, it will speed up the heart rate, which is equivalent to giving another whip to the already spinning and exhausted heart. It will increase the oxygen consumption of the heart, which may cause panic and suffocation in mild cases, or directly induce arrhythmia in severe cases. It is purely causing trouble for yourself. As for ginseng, velvet antlers, longan and other foods that are very warm and tonic, unless your doctor specifically says you can eat them, don’t try them blindly. Nine times out of ten, eating them will cause dry mouth, phlegm, internal heat, and constipation. If you are in the stage of acute attack and coughing up yellow phlegm, eating them will only aggravate the infection. If you really need to supplement nutrition, eating a boiled egg every day and drinking a cup of warm milk are more reliable than any other supplements.

Finally, let me give you a small detail from my clinical summary. When drinking water, don’t guzzle it all at once. Just drink 100-200 ml at a time and sip slowly. If you drink one or two liters at once, the blood volume will rise in a short time, and the heart will not be able to bear it, which can easily induce asthma and edema. If you have difficulty swallowing, don't eat food that is too hard or too dry. If it gets choked in the lungs and causes aspiration pneumonia, it will be more than worth the loss. It's okay to cook some thick porridge or soft noodles and eat them slowly.

In fact, there really aren’t that many rules and regulations when it comes to diet. The core principle is just one: don’t put extra burden on your heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Eating is comfortable for you, and you don’t suffer from increased breathlessness, edema, or phlegm cough after eating. This is more effective than any hard standard. If you are really not sure whether you can eat something, just ask the attending doctor casually when you go for a review next time. Don't make unnecessary mistakes by wondering on your own.