Typhoid is a common bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. This disease spreads through the ingestion of contaminated foods mainly. Along with different symptoms such as a headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and high fever, typhoid may also cause hair loss. Every year almost 30 million people are affected by this disease and nearly half of these typhoid affected patients complain about mild to heavy hair loss.
Does Typhoid Fever Cause Hair Loss?
Hair loss among typhoid affected patients is quite normal. According to the doctors, this is not avoidable for those patients who have been complaining about hair loss. There are several reasons behind this problem when Salmonella typhi bacteria attack the human body:
- Diarrhea is a common symptom of typhoid. This flushes out lots of essential nutrients in the body along with the bacteria. Nutrients like proteins, minerals, and vitamins are the building blocks of hair. So, our entire body including hair does not get the essential nutrients. It causes weakening of cuticles leading to hair fall.
- Typhoid causes a severe problem in the intestinal tract. Due to which the body may lack the essential vitamin called biotin. This vitamin is one of the major constituents of hair. Hair growth may be hindered due to the absence of biotin.
- In typhoid, a long dose of high-power antibiotic is to be taken for which the patients may experience hair fall as a side-effect.
- In many cases, patients complain about regular hair fall even 1-2 years after typhoid.
Home Remedies for Hair Fall Due to Typhoid
Hair fall in typhoid can be reversed at home. There are some good home remedies with stronger positive effects on the body. Typhoid patients feel very weak after the end of the treatment. Some of these home remedies can revitalize the body once again while feeding effective nutrients to the hair.
Here are some easy to adopt but effective home remedies to reverse the hair fall due to typhoid fever:
- Diet: Good and nutritious diet is mandatory and an excellent home remedy for healthy hair. After typhoid, the body lacks several essential ingredients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. During the treatment procedure, a patient needs to follow a certain diet with more carbohydrates, fibers, and fluids. Physicians ask to eat easily digestible foods with less protein and fats so that the digestive system does not get disturbed. After completing the antibiotic course, when the doctor advises to start a normal diet, the patient needs to reside on wholesome foods that are full of protein, vitamins and minerals. Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium, Biotin, and Ascorbic acid are essential for healthy hair. So, these ingredients should be in daily diets along with an adequate quantity of proteins as a home remedy for hair loss due to typhoid. Leafy, green vegetables, juicy fruits like orange and sweet lemon, soya, yogurt, lentils, whole grains, and egg should be in the daily diet of a patient after fully recovering from typhoid fever.
- Oiling Hair: Hair care should be a priority for a person who has just recovered from typhoid. Along with a good diet, external nourishment is equally important. Moisture of coconut oil, castor oil, and sesame oil is to be made and applied daily on hair at least an hour before bath as a home remedy for hair loss due to typhoid. The mixture of these oils provides multiple benefits such as all basic minerals and vitamins for hair and adequate moisture. On regular use, this oil mixture can strengthen hair cuticles on the scalp, prevent hair fall, and alleviate hair growth.
- Using Hair Mask: A homemade hair mask can be applied once or twice a week for more nourishment and better cleansing of hair. The mask is to be made with one egg, milk, castor oil, olive oil, green tea, gooseberry, and chamomile. It should be kept for 1-2 hours before cleansing with a mild shampoo.
- Using Homemade Conditioner: A mixture of one full lemon, three tablespoons of rosemary tea, and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar can be used as conditioner occasionally after using the above-mentioned mask and shampooing the hair thoroughly. This home remedy for hair loss can also be used any other time as well.
Precautions for Protecting the Hair from further Damage
Just nourishing the hair and eating proper diet is not enough. The immune system of the body gets disturbed which needs some extra attention to get back the healthy hair and body:
- Long exposure to the direct sunlight and pollution outside can damage the hair. These should be avoided as much as possible.
- Water and fluids should be taken in adequate quantities.
- Hair drier should not be used to dry hair, it can severely damage hair.
- It is not advisable to use any kinds of hair dye for at least 12 months after the treatment.
Conclusion
Hair fall is a common problem among the typhoid patients. Some patients cannot get rid of the issue because they do not pay adequate attention to it. Some simple home remedies and wholesome diet can stop hair fall due to typhoid within a month. If necessary, some food supplements can also be used as per doctor’s advice to keep the body fit and stop hair fall.
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