What should I do if I eat irritating food after surgery

Irritants are foods that are rich in nutrients but also have stimulating properties that can induce certain diseases. When treating certain diseases, doctors will specifically advise people not to eat irritants in their daily diet as they will affect recovery. When suffering from certain serious diseases, surgery is a better option. Some people accidentally eat irritating foods and worry about serious consequences. So, what should I do if I eat irritating foods after surgery? Let’s take a look below.

The theory of hair-raising food is not credible

The traditional practice is to prohibit patients from eating irritating foods after surgery, on the grounds that irritating foods will affect wound healing. After searching, Chunyujun found that the definitions of irritating foods vary greatly and there is no unified statement. Most of the information classifies condiments such as coriander, onion, and ginger, seafood such as fish, shrimp, and crab, and meat such as beef, mutton, chicken, and duck as irritating foods. Some even classify fruits such as apples, oranges, and plums, as well as the milk and eggs we often eat as irritating foods.

In fact, there is no scientific evidence to prove that foods classified as allergic foods will affect wound healing. On the contrary, meat and seafood, which are rich in high-quality protein, are exactly what postoperative patients need. Prohibiting the consumption of these "irritating foods" will greatly limit the types and diversity of the patient's food, leading to a lack of protein and energy. The patient is prone to malnutrition, which is not conducive to postoperative recovery.

Soft and watery food is not conducive to recovery

Some people, after surgery, regardless of which part of the body was operated on, eat porridge, soft noodle soup, and drink soup without eating meat, because they think such food is easy to digest and absorb. In fact, foods with a lot of soup can easily occupy stomach volume and limit the intake of energy and protein. Always eating foods with a lot of soup will not easily meet the nutritional needs of postoperative patients.

Malnutrition poses a serious threat to postoperative patients

In our country, due to insufficient awareness and lack of guidance, the proportion of malnutrition among surgical patients is very high, about 20% to 80%. The probability is even higher for patients aged ≥ 65 years, patients with malignant tumors, patients with gastrointestinal diseases, and patients with pathological obesity. Malnutrition not only delays recovery time, but also damages the physiological functions of organs, increases the patient's overall medical expenses, and affects the patient's quality of life, which deserves attention.

Dietary points that postoperative patients should pay attention to

For people who cannot eat independently after surgery and are at risk of severe metabolic disorders, the Clinical Nutrition Department will provide parenteral nutrition support or enteral (that is, intravenous) nutrition support. Most other surgical patients can resume a normal diet relatively quickly. What to eat after resuming a normal diet? The best practice is to consult a clinical nutritionist to develop a nutritional plan based on your actual situation and specific type of surgery. If this condition is not met, when you arrange your own diet, you must remember to consume enough protein.

Postoperative patients are in a state of stress, trauma or infection, and their protein decomposition increases. Due to the need for wound healing, acute phase protein synthesis increases, and the demand for essential amino acids will increase accordingly. Therefore, postoperative patients' demand for protein, especially high-quality protein, is much higher than that of the general population. Ordinary people only need 0.8-1.0g/kg of protein per day, but postoperative patients need 1.5-2.0g/kg of protein.