What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a pathological condition related to the respiratory system of the body. Pneumonia results in decreased oxygen to reach the various parts of the body causing them difficulty in functioning normally and if left untreated may lead to serious life threatening complications. Some of the symptoms of Pneumonia are fever, severe chest pain, shortness of breath, lethargy, loss of appetite, persistent cough productive of phlegm, and persistent headaches.
These symptoms of pneumonia may be variable and depend on how severe the condition is in an individual but Loss of Appetite is the most common symptom of pneumonia along with difficulty breathing and productive cough. In fact, the symptom of loss of appetite may continue despite recovering from pneumonia in few people. In this article we will read about what causes loss of appetite after pneumonia, how much time does it take to recover from loss of appetite after pneumonia, its effects and some home remedies for it.
What Causes Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia?
Loss of Appetite may be a symptom of Pneumonia but it is seen that this condition persists even after the patient has been treated. Researchers are still not able to pinpoint as to why an individual experiences Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia but have come up with certain factors which may be responsible for it.
Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia may cause the patient to eat less and less food leading to severe weight loss and affecting the overall health of the patient and making the patient malnourished.
Prolonged Antibiotic Treatment Can Cause Loss of Appetite After Pneumonia: The main factor responsible for Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia is said to be prolonged use of strong antibiotics for treatment of Pneumonia. Antibiotics when used for a long period of time affect the taste buds and the patient feels the food as tasteless which makes the food that much more undesirable and the patient refuses to eat.
Metabolic Changes Causing Loss of Appetite After Pneumonia: Another leading cause for Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia is the metabolic changes that occur during the disease course. These metabolic changes affect the appetite of the patient causing the patient not to eat.
Medications to Treat Symptoms of Pneumonia Can Cause Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia: Some of the symptoms caused by pneumonia like severe chest pain and the medications administered to treat those are also responsible for Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia.
Psychological Factors Can Cause Loss of Appetite After Pneumonia: People suffering from Pneumonia often tend to go into depression due to the disease condition and the long recovery period that it has in which the patient is basically on bed rest and sedentary. This depression can also cause a lack of desire to eat food and effectively cause Loss of Appetite and weight loss after Pneumonia.
The degree of Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia is variable and differs from individual to individual and depends on the severity of the condition, the overall health of the patient, the age of the patient, and any other comorbidities of the patient. Once the condition is completely treated, the appetite of the patient may gradually return back to normal as and when the patient recovers.
How Much Time does it Take to Recover From Loss of Appetite After Pneumonia?
Recovery period differs from individual to individual and depends on various factors. Elderly people suffering pneumonia will take longer to recover due to their compromised immune state as a result of their age and hence their appetite will take more time to come back to normal. In children and young adults, appetite may come back to normal within a span of a few days to maximum a couple of weeks whereas in the elderly population this may take a few months to completely recover and get back their normal appetite.
What are the Effects of Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia?
Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia can significantly impact a patient’s life. Due to inadequate intake of food there will be loss of muscle mass and of course unintentional weight loss. Malnourishment is another thing to worry about for people who have Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia and the patient becomes a classic case of inviting other health problems.
Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia can also cause electrolyte imbalance in the body which may further need treatment so that the electrolyte balance is maintained. People suffering from Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia also need a strong support system, especially those who are aged as they need complete bed rest and if there is not a good support system then they may become depressed causing further Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia.
Home Remedies to Treat Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia
There are also some simple home remedies which one can utilize to overcome Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia. These home remedies have shown to be quite effective in treatment of Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia. Some of the home remedies are:
Garlic: This has several qualities in it that are very useful for overall health of an individual. When an individual is suffering from Pneumonia, he or she can take a couple of cloves of garlic everyday. This will not only speed up the recovery process but also help with Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia. If you find it tough to eat garlic cloves, you can also use garlic juice which is readily available in the market or garlic mixed with some ginger and make a paste of it and use it in food. This not only gives taste to the food but also is an effective home remedy to improve appetite and overall recovery process from Pneumonia.
Honey: Taking a bit of honey with warm water is a useful home remedy to improve digestion and once the digestive system is working fine then in no time Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia can be cured.
Smaller Meals: It is important to eat to make the body function and prevent complications. Even if you find food tasteless, you can add some flavors like cinnamon, coriander, mint, oregano in your food and try and eat two to three small meals a day. This will not only help the overall nutritional status of the body but also help recover from Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia. Make sure that you try and eat different kinds of foods and not repeat the same food throughout the day. Once the appetite starts to return and you feel the food more tasteful then the quantity of the food can be increased over a period of time.
Yogurt: Yogurt contains healthy bacteria and reduces the after effects of antibiotics and hastens the recovery from Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia making it an effective home remedy.
Heating Pad: This can be used as a simple home remedy to provide relief from chest pain and also makes breathing easier during the disease course. It also helps in the recovery from Pneumonia. One can use a heating pad in the area of the chest for 15-20 minutes two to three times a day for optimum results. Once the pain starts to calm down and breathing becomes easier the appetite starts to come back as well.
Exercise: Try and move around a bit once you have recovered from the condition so that the muscles do not become stiff. A bit of exercise will also help in digestion and make you feel hungry and help in getting rid from Loss of Appetite after Pneumonia.
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