What should I do if Parkinson’s patients have poor appetite?

What should Parkinson’s patients do if they have poor appetite and don’t want to eat?

Loss of appetite, difficulty chewing and swallowing, and constipation are the most common digestive system symptoms of Parkinson's disease patients. Long-term weight loss and malnutrition will worsen the condition. Therefore, the nutritional diet of Parkinson's patients is an issue that requires long-term attention.

Reasonable dietary therapy is one of the auxiliary treatments for Parkinson's disease. Through dietary adjustment, the patient's physical condition can be maintained in a good state, and drug treatment can also achieve good results.

Why do Parkinson's patients need to pay attention to their diet?

Most Parkinson's patients are elderly people. The basal metabolism of the elderly is lower, and the total demand for heat energy gradually decreases. However, when Parkinson's patients have obvious tremors, consumption increases and the heat energy required is often higher than that of normal people of the same age.

Some Parkinson's patients have symptoms of tremors in the lips and tongue muscles, which affect their chewing and swallowing functions. In addition, muscle stiffness, bradykinesia, and autonomic dysfunction caused by the disease lead to decreased gastrointestinal motility and poor absorption function, making patients prone to symptoms such as constipation and malnutrition.

In addition, Parkinson's patients may experience loss of appetite due to hand tremors, difficulty eating, or depression, which is also a major factor affecting eating, leading to insufficient intake and malnutrition. Timely measures should be taken to treat Parkinson's patients' loss of appetite.

How should Parkinson's patients pay attention to their diet?

Parkinson's disease patients need a balanced intake of protein, but the timing should be reasonable. Although broad beans contain nutrients that can prevent Parkinson's disease, they are not enough to replace the standardized treatment of drugs. Green tea and coffee have certain neuroprotective effects, but too much is as bad as too little. In the nutritional strategy for Parkinson's disease, the law of balance should be mastered. Neither should we give up eating for fear of choking, nor should we over-supplement.

The diet should be light and easy to digest, easy to chew, swallow and absorb, with less salt, less oil and low protein. The intake of fat and fiber should be appropriately increased. Avoid tobacco, alcohol and irritating foods such as coffee, strong tea, chili, mustard, etc.

What should I do if I have poor appetite and don’t want to eat?

Parkinson's disease patients not only have some basic dietary principles in life, that is, to maintain the diversity of food and the nutrition of dietary fiber, the meals should also be as colorful, fragrant and delicious as possible. At the same time, on the basis of not affecting health, patients should also try to choose their favorite foods and dishes. (When eating high-protein foods, you should pay attention to the interval with taking medicine. Usually, you can eat protein foods one and a half hours after taking medicine, so as not to conflict with the efficacy of the medicine. You can eat fish and other protein foods for dinner.) If you can't eat a lot at one meal, you can also eat small meals. In addition to arranging 3 meals a day, you can also have 2-3 snacks. Choose carbohydrate-based snacks such as biscuits, cakes, cookies, etc.

It is best to place snacks where the patient can see and reach them easily, so that the patient can eat them easily. Eat with your family in a relaxed environment and harmonious atmosphere to promote appetite and enjoy the food. You can listen to some light music while eating, as it helps to promote appetite.

Patients who are taking levodopa for the first time may experience nausea after taking the medicine. It is recommended to eat half an hour after taking the medicine, so that the medicine can be better absorbed and the effect on eating can be reduced. You can drink some fruit juice while taking the medicine, and drinking ginger juice can also relieve nausea and vomiting.

Depression or medication may cause loss of appetite. If you suffer from long-term depression and loss of appetite, you should take necessary medication under the guidance of a doctor.

In short, Parkinson's patients should first pay attention to a balanced diet and try to diversify their daily food to ensure that they can take in enough nutrients. Secondly, Parkinson's patients can eat small meals frequently. Some patients feel full after taking a small amount of food, and they generally eat very slowly and feel tired. Eating small meals frequently can help reduce symptoms such as dizziness associated with postprandial orthostatic hypotension. Parkinson's patients need to be reminded that diet, like all other treatments, is also personalized. With the help of professional doctors, combined with your own condition and situation, according to the above principles, develop the most suitable diet strategy for yourself. I believe that it will definitely improve Parkinson's symptoms and improve the quality of life.