Contents
General description of the disease
Doctors call silicosis of the lungs an occupational, chronic disease resulting from prolonged inhalation of dust, which contains free silicon dioxide.
Read also our dedicated article Nutrition for the lungs.
Causes of silicosis
The disease most often affects people whose field of activity is associated with various mines, rocks and sand (drillers, miners, woodcutters, miners, quarry workers, stone carvers). Also at risk are workers in foundries (sandblaster, chipper, rod makers) and those associated with the production of refractory materials and ceramics.
Symptoms of silicosis
At the initial stage of the disease, a cough and pain in the chest area appears. When performing physical labor, shortness of breath is observed. Over time, the cough intensifies, phlegm appears, shortness of breath is more and more often tormented, breathing becomes hard, moist wheezing appears.
If treatment is not started at this time, the cough will torment constantly, blood will be present in the sputum, the skin will turn pale, and cyanosis of the mucous membranes will begin.
Types of silicosis
- 1 Chronic simple silicosis – it is the most common and is a consequence of exposure to dust on the human body for decades. It is asymptomatic and benign;
- 2 Acute silicosis, or chronic progressive silicosis – is the result of intense exposure to dust over several months or years.
Healthy foods for silicosis
In the treatment of silicosis, hardening of the body, walking in the fresh air, increasing its defenses and proper balanced nutrition play an important role.
- Patients with silicosis should definitely get food with a high protein content, as it improves immunity and the protective properties of the body well. These include eggs, cottage cheese (you can use kefir for better assimilation), cheese, poultry (chicken, turkey), beef (especially stewed), liver (stewed or liver pate), fish (especially tuna, sardines, anchovies , mackerel, mullet), soybeans, Brussels sprouts, cereals, lentils.
- Also, with silicosis, it is important to eat foods containing lipotropic substances (methionine, choline), as they have a beneficial effect on the liver. Lipotropics are found in chicken eggs, beef, lean fish and seafood, low-fat cottage cheese, soybeans, milk and dairy products, unrefined vegetable oil, buckwheat, green peas.
- People with silicosis should eat foods high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), as it is a versatile antitoxic substance. Ascorbic acid is found in citrus fruits, black currants, bell peppers, sea buckthorn, kiwi, honeysuckle, Brussels sprouts and white cabbage, as well as broccoli, strawberries, viburnum, spinach and rose hips.
- In addition, it is useful to consume easily digestible carbohydrates, which are the main carriers of energy, namely: sugar and products with its content, honey, baked goods, chocolate, confectionery, jam).
- For a balanced diet, it is useful to eat fats, but you should avoid fried foods, and give preference to natural fats (butter, olive oil, unrefined sunflower oil).
- It is useful to drink 1.5-2 liters of liquid per day. It can be fruit and berry and vegetable juices, tea (with the addition of milk), weak coffee.
- Also especially important during this period is the use of berries, vegetables and fruits in boiled, baked or raw form, as they saturate the body with vitamins and microelements.
- We must not forget about the use of cereals in the form of cereals and soups (buckwheat, oatmeal, barley, rice, millet), as they enrich the body with useful substances and microelements and improve intestinal motility.
- With silicosis, it is useful to consume all types of nuts (pistachios, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds), dried apricots, wheat, spinach, sorrel, prunes, barley groats, oatmeal, viburnum, pike-perch, salmon, eel and squid. They are sources of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that neutralizes the action of free radicals on skin cells and increases the body’s defenses.
- Doctors also recommend consuming more buckwheat, apricot, cherries, rose hips, black currants, lettuce leaves, and citrus zest, as they contain vitamin P, which has an antioxidant effect and helps with intoxication.
- In addition, vitamin A increases the body’s defenses and is an antioxidant. It is found in beef and chicken liver, feta cheese, processed cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, butter, sweet potato, seaweed and broccoli, as well as in eel meat.
Folk remedies for silicosis:
Silicosis is an incurable disease, but its progression can be stopped by preventing contact with dust and helping the body to regain its strength.
- 1 Pour 200 g of soybeans with water and leave for 24 hours. Then pass them through a meat grinder and squeeze the juice from the resulting gruel. Add 10 g of sugar to it. Drink the resulting mixture for 7 days, 100 ml. The use of this medicine saturates the body with a large amount of energy.
- 2 Mix 20 g of aloe gruel twisted in a meat grinder with 30 g of badger fat, add 10 g of cocoa and 5 ml of brandy. Drink the resulting mixture on an empty stomach 1 time per day. If desired, you can drink it with water.
- 3 Also, instead of tea, you can brew and drink 3 times a day, 250 ml of a decoction from a mixture of motherwort leaves and chicory roots.
- 4 You can also boil the barley in milk by adding a little pork lard. Then you need to put it in the oven and, adding milk if necessary, wait until the barley is completely boiled. Drink 50 ml three times a day.
- 5 Healers also claim that the following method helps: smoking a cigarette from a mixture of 3 heads of coarsely chopped and dried garlic, ground into powder and mixed with powder from dried leaves of coltsfoot with the addition of small leaves of peppermint. On their assurances, the improvement occurs after the first time.
Dangerous and harmful products in silicosis
- It is not advisable for people with silicosis to drink strong coffee (weak coffee is allowed in moderation) due to the caffeine content.
- Smoked and semi-smoked, as well as spicy and salty foods, as they increase blood pressure and contribute to the accumulation of toxins in the body.
- Alcoholic drinks and smoking, as they have a toxic effect on the body.
- Fast food, chips, sugary carbonated drinks are also harmful, as they lead to obesity and obesity. In addition, they reduce the body’s defenses.
Attention!
The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!