Patient K, 41 years old, milling machine operator. He was admitted to the clinic with complaints of bloating, gas retention, nausea, single vomiting, and loose stools. In the emergency room, the patient is examined by a surgeon. From the anamnesis: I fell ill 3 days ago, the temperature rose to 38.4, and shortness of breath appeared. Treated with home remedies. Abuses alcohol, appendectomy 2 years ago.
Objectively: the patient’s condition is moderate. There is shortness of breath (number of respirations - 24 per minute), cyanosis of the lips. Temperature 37.6, pulse 96 per minute, rhythmic. Blood pressure 90/60 mm. rt. Art. Lungs - vesicular breathing, somewhat weakened in the lower parts, no wheezing. Heart - tones are moderately muffled. The abdomen is symmetrically swollen, moderately tense; On palpation there is slight pain. The liver and spleen are not enlarged. Bowel sounds are sharply weakened.
Intestinal obstruction was suspected, the patient was sent to the emergency surgery clinic, where this diagnosis was excluded. The patient was diagnosed with meningeal signs and with a diagnosis of Meningitis, the patient was transported to the neurological department. After 4 hours, the patient died due to symptoms of cardiovascular failure. An autopsy revealed bilateral lower lobe (lobar) pneumonia. There is no evidence for intestinal obstruction or meningitis.
What mistakes were made in the diagnosis and management of this patient?
Symptoms indicating surgical and neurological pathology are overestimated. No targeted exclusion of therapeutic diseases has been carried out. Patients in serious condition should not be transported from medical institution for the sake of consultation with doctors of related specialties.
Apparently, the doctors of this medical institution were not sufficiently informed about the nature and course of pneumonia in people who abuse alcohol.
The clinical features of pneumonia in alcohol abusers include an atypical onset, a more severe course, pronounced polymorphism, weakly limited foci, a tendency for the process to spread over several lobes of the lung, and frequent abscess formation. Characteristic is; extremely rapid development in some patients of various complications, which in some cases mask the symptoms of the underlying disease, which causes diagnostic difficulties. Such “masks” are cerebral, cardiac, and abdominal variants of the course of pneumonia.
14/10/2016Diseases of the respiratory system due to alcoholism are not only more severe, but often result in death. Alcohol is toxic to every organ and system. Lung damage in people with alcoholism is observed 3-4 times more often than in those who do not abuse alcohol. About 5% of the alcohol entering the human body is released when breathing through the lungs. That is why, when communicating with a person who has consumed alcohol, we hear the characteristic smell of alcohol, “fumes.” Ethanol itself and its breakdown products have a detrimental effect on the mucous membrane lining the bronchi and on the lung tissue itself.
Why do alcoholics often suffer from bronchitis and pneumonia?
The protective functions of the body of alcoholics are reduced; the immune system does not provide a proper response to bacteria and viruses entering the body. Therefore, even a banal acute viral infection in persons with alcohol addiction often turns into inflammation of the bronchial mucosa - bronchitis, and in the absence of proper treatment - into inflammation of the lung tissue, pneumonia.
Pneumonia among alcohol abusers is 4-5 times more common than among non-drinkers. In this case, the disease is severe, takes a protracted course, complications are often added, which can even cause death.
Pneumonia in alcoholics is often aspiration. When vomiting due to excessive alcohol consumption, vomit enters from the esophagus and stomach into the respiratory tract and into the lungs. In this case, an area of the lung tissue becomes inflamed, and aspiration pneumonia develops. Her treatment is long and her recovery is slow.
How to protect a person with alcoholism from lung diseases?
- Taking care of the health of the respiratory system should begin with treating alcoholism. Quitting drinking alcohol is the first condition for restoring the body's defenses.
- To increase immunity, people who have been drinking alcohol for a long time are recommended to take vitamin complexes, which necessarily include vitamin C, B and magnesium.
- If symptoms of upper infections appear respiratory tract You should consult a therapist and do not delay treatment to prevent the development of complications.
Chronic alcohol abuse leads to the destruction of proteins that protect lung tissue from being soaked with liquid, reduces the content of antioxidants and weakens immune defenses. All these processes are united by the term “ alcoholic lung».
Causes of death from pneumonia in alcoholics
One of the reasons for the severity and uniqueness of lung damage in alcoholism is that 5% of alcohol is excreted through the lungs. The products of alcohol metabolism also enter there, which apparently leads to cell damage. The main mechanism leading to lung damage in alcoholism is the exacerbation of bronchopulmonary infection as a result of inhibition of the body's protective properties. This was convincingly shown in animal experiments. At the same time, both experimentally and clinically, alcoholics, compared with non-drinkers, have been found to have a higher sensitivity to certain types of bacterial flora. The effect of alcohol is associated with inhibition of phagocytosis, decreased antibody formation, easier penetration of bacterial flora into the respiratory tract, disruption of leukocyte migration, as well as the function of the ciliated epithelium and the properties of mucus-secreting cells. A higher incidence of chronic nonspecific pulmonary diseases (CNLD) (bronchiectasis, pneumosclerosis, emphysema) has been noted in alcoholics. This is associated to a greater extent with exacerbations of bronchopulmonary infection, as well as with a direct damaging effect on proteins and metabolic disorders in the lungs. Most alcoholics are also heavy smokers. This partly explains the high incidence of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumosclerosis, bronchiectasis, and frequent respiratory infections.
Before the advent of antibiotics, alcoholics most often suffered from pneumonia caused by pneumococcus.
Recently, alcoholics have become much more likely to experience pneumonia caused by gram-negative bacteria, primarily Klebsiella.
Alcoholism is of particular importance in the occurrence of complications of pneumonia. Abscess formation of pneumonia in alcoholics is steadily increasing. With alcoholism, pneumonia occurs with more high temperature, severe respiratory failure, signs of damage to the central nervous system(CNS), abdominal pain, acute heart failure, collapse. A more severe course of pneumonia is accompanied, in addition to leukocytosis, by a neutrophil shift, and by aneosinophilia. The course of pneumonia in alcoholics is characterized by resistance to antibiotics and the need for repeated changes. During delirium, patients with alcoholism die from pneumonia in 80% (of which in 1/3 of cases - from lobar). In this case, lobar pneumonia, as a rule, preceded delirium, and focal pneumonia complicated its course in approximately 15% of patients.
Aspiration pneumonia remains common among alcoholics.
In vomiting as a result of disease of the esophagus or stomach, aspiration of gastric contents, including alcohol, can lead to very rapid spread of the inflammatory process to the periphery of the lung, which may resemble the development of pulmonary edema of cardiac origin, although the damage is usually unilateral. In these cases, it is advisable to combine antibiotics with corticosteroids. Reversal of pneumonia occurs slowly, leading to thickening of the peribronchial tissue.
Lung abscess occurs most often (60-75%) in men.
If a lung abscess occurs, the following patient management tactics are recommended. First of all, bronchoscopy is advisable to exclude a tumor, foreign body and to aspirate the contents of the abscess for the purpose of conducting bacteriological examination. Then penicillin is prescribed at a dose of 10-20 million units per day until the signs of exacerbation of pulmonary infection decrease and stabilize.
Pulmonary tuberculosis, like other lesions of an infectious nature, occurs more often in alcoholics than in the general population.
Pleural effusion occurs in alcoholism for various reasons.
It may be caused by heart failure in alcoholic cardiomyopathy. In liver cirrhosis, ascitic fluid can enter the pleural cavity through the diaphragm, forming hydrothorax. Postmortem examination in these cases reveals a defect in the diaphragm associated with increased intra-abdominal pressure.
Lung lesions are observed in 15-30% of patients with alcoholic pancreatitis. The most typical symptoms are the appearance of pleural effusion, as well as atelectasis. The effusion is usually left-sided. It can be in the nature of exudate and transudate and is sometimes hemorrhagic, containing an increased amount of lipase and amylase. Rare reason effusion - rupture of the esophagus as a result of sudden vomiting after drinking large amounts of alcohol. In this case, sharp pain occurs in the epigastrium. Subcutaneous emphysema on the neck and left-sided pleural effusion develop. Such patients require emergency surgery.
Impaired respiratory function in alcoholism can occur in various ways and is not always associated with noticeable morphological changes in the lungs.
The mismatch between ventilation and perfusion plays a significant role in the development of hypoxemia in cirrhosis.
Indicators of external respiration in liver cirrhosis are usually close to normal, with the exception of those in patients with severe ascites. However, these disorders are usually associated with smoking, since after paracentesis the changes in breathing were insignificant.
Thus, alcoholics are prone to such common lung diseases as Chronical bronchitis, bronchiectasis, pneumonia, lung abscess, aspiration pneumonia, tuberculosis. Alcohol affects phagocytosis, immunological mechanisms and pulmonary clearance. Gas exchange disorders in alcoholics are associated not only with lung diseases, but also with changes in circulation.
Good day! My name is Khalisat Suleymanova - I am a herbalist. At the age of 28, I cured myself of uterine cancer with herbs (read more about my experience of recovery and why I became a herbalist here: My story). Before being treated traditional methods described on the Internet, please consult a specialist and your doctor! This will save your time and money, since the diseases are different, the herbs and treatment methods are different, and there are also concomitant diseases, contraindications, complications, and so on. There is nothing to add yet, but if you need help in selecting herbs and treatment methods, you can find me at my contacts:
- the human body must be completely healthy, especially the liver;
- alcohol must be natural, preferably dry red wine;
- the dose should not exceed the permissible level - for men 20 ml of alcohol, for women 10-15 ml per day.
In another case, alcohol acts exclusively as harmful substance. It leads to intoxication of the body and changes in all organs and systems.
Alcohol for pneumonia
During treatment for pneumonia, the attending physician categorically prohibits alcohol and nicotine. The fact is that treatment must be prescribed with the mandatory use of antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy should never be mixed with alcohol, because this is fraught with serious consequences.
Side effects due to mixing alcoholic drinks, for example, vodka for pneumonia is expressed:
- Liver problems. They arise against the background of a double blow: on the one hand, an antibiotic, and on the other, alcohol. Both drugs break down in the liver, so they load it, and it works twice as fast, the organ wears itself out.
- Treatment may be ineffective due to the ability of alcohol to reduce the body’s sensitivity to various substances.
- The combination of even small doses of alcohol with an antibiotic causes enormous damage to the immune system. This state of immunity can provoke a bunch of complications from pneumonia.
Some people ask whether it is possible to drink beer if you have pneumonia. They cite clinical results that beer has enormous benefits. This information is not entirely true. Truly natural beer does not pose a threat to a healthy person in normal doses. However, if we talk about pneumonia, with mandatory treatment with antibiotics, then there can be no talk of drinking any alcohol.
A case was described in which a patient was treated for pneumonia in a hospital for three weeks. After completing the course of antibiotic therapy and obtaining good results, he was discharged home. That same evening he was taken to the hospital by ambulance, with severe signs of intoxication. As it turned out, upon arriving home the man took liberties and drank a glass of beer.
The result was immediate - severe stress on the liver and severe intoxication of the body.
The question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol after pneumonia should be discussed with the attending physician, however, it is not advisable to drink alcohol for another three days after the end of the course of therapy.
How does alcohol affect the lungs and can you drink if you have pneumonia? Expert advice
Every adult knows that alcohol has a negative effect on the body, especially if consumed in large quantities. But few people know that drinking alcohol can lead to the development of a disease such as pneumonia.
In addition, drinking alcohol during illness can not only aggravate the patient’s condition, but also contribute to the rapid progression of pneumonia and lead to the development of complications.
Characteristic effects of alcoholic drinks on the body
Regardless of the amount drunk, as well as the strength of the alcoholic drink, Alcohol consumption negatively affects the human body. The only exceptions are therapeutic doses of certain types of drinks and only for specific people, for example, when it is necessary to stimulate the production of gastric juice with the help of alcohol.
In all other cases, alcohol is truly harmful, and the more it is drunk at one time, the more harm it causes. We are talking about toxic poisoning of the body with ethanol, which is part of every alcoholic drink, as well as damage by alcohol breakdown products.
All the symptoms of alcohol poisoning in the body show that alcohol negatively affects a lot of organs in our body:
- Digestive system – when drinking alcohol, especially strong alcohol, the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract is damaged to a certain extent, and the production of gastric juice also increases and digestion is disrupted.
- The cardiovascular system– alcohol promotes vasodilation and also destroys blood cells, disrupting the function of transporting oxygen throughout the body. Addiction to alcohol provokes the development of arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, coronary disease heart, heart failure.
- Brain and central nervous system– the effect of alcohol is most pronounced in relation to these structures. For this reason, when drinking alcohol, a person becomes dizzy, coordination of movements is impaired, and a feeling of euphoria appears. Alcohol is often called a neuron killer, a phrase that fully explains its effects on the brain and central nervous system.
- Liver and kidneys– these organs suffer no less, since they are responsible for neutralizing ethanol and alcohol breakdown products, as well as removing toxins from the body. The consequences of alcoholism often include cirrhosis of the liver, kidney and liver failure and other pathologies.
Much depends not only on how much alcohol a person drinks at one time. Perhaps even more important is how often strong drinks are consumed, because alcoholism causes the most serious harm to the body.
Why does the disease develop in patients with alcoholism?
Listed above are the organs and systems that suffer most from alcohol abuse. As you can see, the lungs and respiratory system do not have the above mentioned points, but this does not mean that alcohol does not harm them.
In this case, the decisive role is played by the duration and severity of addiction to alcohol. In other words, the risk of developing pneumonia increases mainly in people with alcoholism, it is called “alcoholic pneumonia”. Features of the occurrence of pneumonia in alcoholics:
- 5% of all alcohol consumed by a person is excreted through the lungs. This means that alcohol breakdown products also enter this organ, at least along with the bloodstream. Of course, this leads to gradual damage to the lungs at the cellular level.
- Chronic alcoholism in relation to the development of pneumonia is dangerous because it contributes to the destruction of proteins that perform the function of protecting lung tissue from being soaked in liquid.
- Excessive alcohol consumption leads to inhibition of the phagocytosis process. At the same time, the formation of antibodies is reduced and the risk of penetration and consolidation of pathogenic microorganisms in the lungs increases. It is also worth noting that this disrupts the functions of the ciliated epithelium in the respiratory organ, as a result of which its protective functions suffer and it becomes more vulnerable.
- Systematic alcohol abuse “hits” the entire body, reducing defenses. In such cases, the immune system is unable to fight pathogenic bacteria and viruses, which can trigger the development of pneumonia.
- If alcoholism leads to the development of other diseases in the body, including chronic ones, this also adversely affects its condition. A striking example is inflammatory processes in the liver.
All of the above makes clear the connection between alcoholism and the development of pneumonia. Pneumonia that develops in patients with alcoholism often occurs with complications, and the nature of the disease in most cases is severe.
Can I drink during and after treatment?
During the period of treatment for pneumonia, drinking alcohol is contraindicated not only because alcohol lowers the body's defenses. There are at least a couple more serious reasons for this:
- Drinking alcohol during treatment aggravates the course of the disease and provokes the formation of adhesions in the lungs.
- In most cases, pneumonia is treated with antibiotics; as is known, such drugs are incompatible with alcohol. This is explained increased load on the liver, as well as a decrease in the effectiveness of the drug when combined with alcohol.
Drinking strong drinks after recovery, small doses periodically are acceptable after 1-2 weeks. However, in this case we are talking about ordinary cases diseases. The absence of contraindications does not apply to people who suffer or have suffered from alcohol dependence.
Features of aspiration pneumonia
Separately, it is worth mentioning this type of disease as aspiration pneumonia, which in most cases occurs in newborns and alcoholics. The fact is that people suffering from alcoholism are more likely than others to encounter the problem of nausea and vomiting, including in an unconscious state or during sleep.
Aspiration pneumonia is a toxic lung injury, provoked by the penetration of stomach contents into the lower respiratory tract, oral cavity and nasopharynx, including vomit.
This can happen not only during vomiting, the cause of which is ethanol poisoning of the body. A predisposing factor is pathologies of the esophagus, which often develop with alcohol abuse.
Conclusion
To summarize, it remains to say that Alcohol abuse can lead to the development of pneumonia. It is also important to realize that people with alcohol addiction are more susceptible to pneumonia. Such patients require special attention and treatment in a hospital setting. As for drinking alcohol during the treatment of pneumonia, any alcohol is contraindicated until complete recovery.
Pneumonia in alcoholics. Causes of death from pneumonia in alcoholics.
Chronic alcohol abuse leads to the destruction of proteins that protect lung tissue from being soaked with liquid, reduces the content of antioxidants and weakens immune defenses. All these processes are combined with the term “alcohol lung.”
Causes of death from pneumonia in alcoholics
One of the reasons for the severity and uniqueness of lung damage in alcoholism is that 5% of alcohol is excreted through the lungs. The products of alcohol metabolism also enter there, which apparently leads to cell damage. The main mechanism leading to lung damage in alcoholism is the exacerbation of bronchopulmonary infection as a result of inhibition of the body's protective properties. This was convincingly shown in animal experiments. At the same time, both experimentally and clinically, alcoholics, compared with non-drinkers, have been found to have a higher sensitivity to certain types of bacterial flora. The effect of alcohol is associated with inhibition of phagocytosis, decreased antibody formation, easier penetration of bacterial flora into the respiratory tract, disruption of leukocyte migration, as well as the function of the ciliated epithelium and the properties of mucus-secreting cells. A higher incidence of chronic nonspecific pulmonary diseases (CNLD) (bronchiectasis, pneumosclerosis, emphysema) has been noted in alcoholics. This is associated to a greater extent with exacerbations of bronchopulmonary infection, as well as with a direct damaging effect on proteins and metabolic disorders in the lungs. Most alcoholics are also heavy smokers. This partly explains the high incidence of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumosclerosis, bronchiectasis, and frequent respiratory infections.
Before the advent of antibiotics, alcoholics most often suffered from pneumonia caused by pneumococcus.
Recently, alcoholics have become much more likely to experience pneumonia caused by gram-negative bacteria, primarily Klebsiella.
Alcoholism is of particular importance in the occurrence of complications of pneumonia. Abscess formation of pneumonia in alcoholics is steadily increasing. With alcoholism, pneumonia occurs with a higher temperature, severe respiratory failure, signs of damage to the central nervous system (CNS), abdominal pain, acute heart failure, and collapse. A more severe course of pneumonia is accompanied, in addition to leukocytosis by a neutrophil shift, also by aneosinophilia. The course of pneumonia in alcoholics is characterized by resistance to antibiotics and the need for repeated changes. During delirium, patients with alcoholism die from pneumonia in 80% (of which in 1/3 of cases - from lobar). In this case, lobar pneumonia, as a rule, preceded delirium, and focal pneumonia complicated its course in approximately 15% of patients.
Aspiration pneumonia remains common among alcoholics.
In vomiting as a result of disease of the esophagus or stomach, aspiration of gastric contents, including alcohol, can lead to very rapid spread of the inflammatory process to the periphery of the lung, which may resemble the development of pulmonary edema of cardiac origin, although the damage is usually unilateral. In these cases, it is advisable to combine antibiotics with corticosteroids. Reversal of pneumonia occurs slowly, leading to thickening of the peribronchial tissue.
Lung abscess occurs most often (60-75%) in men.
If a lung abscess occurs, the following patient management tactics are recommended. First of all, bronchoscopy is advisable to exclude a tumor, foreign body and to aspirate the contents of the abscess for the purpose of conducting bacteriological examination. Then penicillin is prescribed at a dose of 10-20 million units per day until the signs of exacerbation of pulmonary infection decrease and stabilize.
Pulmonary tuberculosis, like other lesions of an infectious nature, occurs more often in alcoholics than in the general population.
Pleural effusion occurs in alcoholism for various reasons.
It may be caused by heart failure in alcoholic cardiomyopathy. In liver cirrhosis, ascitic fluid can enter the pleural cavity through the diaphragm, forming hydrothorax. Postmortem examination in these cases reveals a defect in the diaphragm associated with increased intra-abdominal pressure.
Lung lesions are observed in 15-30% of patients with alcoholic pancreatitis. The most typical symptoms are the appearance of pleural effusion, as well as atelectasis. The effusion is usually left-sided. It can be in the nature of exudate and transudate and is sometimes hemorrhagic, containing an increased amount of lipase and amylase. A rare cause of effusion is rupture of the esophagus as a result of sudden vomiting after drinking large amounts of alcohol. In this case, sharp pain occurs in the epigastrium. Subcutaneous emphysema on the neck and left-sided pleural effusion develop. Such patients require emergency surgery.
Impaired respiratory function in alcoholism can occur in various ways and is not always associated with noticeable morphological changes in the lungs.
The mismatch between ventilation and perfusion plays a significant role in the development of hypoxemia in cirrhosis.
Indicators of external respiration in liver cirrhosis are usually close to normal, with the exception of those in patients with severe ascites. However, these disorders are usually associated with smoking, since after paracentesis the changes in breathing were insignificant.
Thus, alcoholics are prone to such common lung diseases as chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, pneumonia, lung abscess, aspiration pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Alcohol affects phagocytosis, immunological mechanisms and pulmonary clearance. Gas exchange disorders in alcoholics are associated not only with lung diseases, but also with changes in circulation.
Help-Alco.ru
Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have a cold, pneumonia, or acute respiratory viral infection?
Everyone suffers from a cold from time to time, and illness often occurs on holidays and weekends. But there are also more serious infectious and viral diseases: influenza, ARVI, pneumonia (pneumonia). How does alcohol affect a sick body: helps, harms, or passes without a significant difference compared to healthy person?
Before drinking alcohol when you are sick, you need to understand that alcohol poisons the body and reduces its ability to fight the cause of the disease. In most recipes and advice, alcohol acts primarily as a way to relieve symptoms, but not to cure the disease.
In very rare cases, alcohol can still have a positive effect, but such situations are few, and the positive harm does not always exceed the negative from toxic poisoning. Alcohol lowers immunity, which increases the severity of the disease and slows down the healing process.
Alcohol for colds
Alcoholic drinks (pure, with pepper, with honey) are considered a folk remedy against colds and ARVI. It is believed that drinking a small amount of alcohol in the evening will allow you to wake up healthy in the morning and feel much better. Is this really so and is the positive effect of alcohol on colds confirmed, or is it better to abandon this method of self-medication?
Negative aspects of treatment
The opinion that alcoholic drinks warm you up and can prevent colds is wrong. After drinking alcohol, small vessels and capillaries on the skin dilate, and blood flows to it. Heated skin gives a feeling of warmth; after a large amount of alcohol it always becomes hot. In reality, it is not the entire body that warms up, but only the top layer of skin. From the surface of the body, heat is quickly released into the surrounding space, and the body temperature begins to drop sharply.
Due to excessive heat transfer from the surface of the skin and misleading sensations about heat, it is extremely dangerous to drink alcohol outside during freezing temperatures. A person does not notice how the heat leaves, still feeling the heat coming from inside and outside. Hypothermia occurs very quickly, which can be fatal. There is no need to talk about the positive effects of strong drinks under such conditions.
However, you can still drink a small amount of alcohol to warm up, but only in a warm, heated room. And only if, until the alcohol has evaporated from the blood and sobered up, being on the street or even long-term movement in the cold is not planned. The minimum period required for complete and safe elimination of a reasonable dose of alcohol is 3-4 hours.
If this time will be spent in the warmth, you can drink a glass to relax and feel warmer faster. In a warm room, increased heat transfer in the body will not cause harm and will not allow you to catch a cold. In such a situation, you can drink alcohol when you have a cold. The main thing is not to exceed the amount you drink of 1-2 glasses and not to be in the cold while intoxicated.
Important: For colds and acute respiratory viral infections, alcohol does not have any effect on viruses, but only weakens the immune system. You can drink alcohol when you have a cold, but in small quantities and not in cold air. Alcohol in large quantities should not be used until complete recovery -
Do not interfere with the body’s fight against the disease. You should remember that medications are incompatible with alcohol; cold medications are no exception to the rule.
When is alcohol not harmful?
A small amount of alcohol when you have a cold can help. The key word here is “small”, that is, no more than 1-2 glasses of strong alcohol. It’s even better to limit yourself to one - this will be enough to warm you up after the cold.
In small quantities, alcoholic drinks help dilate blood vessels enough to ensure sufficient blood flow to all internal organs. At the same time, 50 grams of cognac, for example, will not cause severe harm to the liver and other organs. However, with increasing dosage, the blood vessels on the surface of the skin will dilate too much. A person becomes confident that he is warming up, although in fact he is losing heat - as was already written above.
It is much healthier to drink other drinks that will help you warm up and come to your senses:
- Hot tea with lemon;
- Hot tea with raspberries or raspberry jam;
- Milk with honey is naturally also hot or very warm.
Red wine helps prevent colds.
At the same time, in exceptional cases, alcoholic drinks can really provide serious assistance in the fight against colds. Research shows that 1-2 glasses of red wine per day halve the risk of contracting a cold during the cold season. Beneficial properties are manifested thanks to antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dry red wines.
But you can get help about red wine only if certain conditions are met:
- Firstly, it implies the absence of other alcoholic beverages in parallel with the consumption of wine.
- Secondly, for a therapeutic effect, the recommended dosage of 1-2 glasses per day must be observed. It is best to drink this amount in the evening with dinner - in this case, the wine will also contribute to good sleep.
- Thirdly, the positive properties are noticeable only after prevention for a certain period of time. Wine will not help a person who is already sick, and alcohol abuse will worsen the course of a cold.
Drinking 1 glass of strong alcohol or 1-2 glasses of wine in the evening helps you fall asleep quickly. This quality is useful for colds, because unpleasant symptoms often interfere with sleep. Again, you should not get carried away with such “sleeping pills,” as addiction may begin to develop over time. Over time, it will take more and more alcohol to "sleep" and the temporary relief will turn into alcoholism.
Alcohol for the flu
If you have the flu, drinking alcohol may make you feel temporarily better, but this is not the case. By the morning, the symptoms that subsided during the evening intoxication will return again, intensified and along with a hangover. In addition, as is the case with flu shots, alcohol reduces immunity. The flu is much more severe, increasing the already high chance of developing severe complications during and after the illness.
During the flu, doctors advise patients to drink a lot for a reason. The liquid cleanses the body, supplies it with vitamins, and removes toxins and viruses along with urine. Alcohol interferes with the absorption of fluid into the body, causing severe dehydration.
During the flu, dehydration is dangerous for several reasons:
- The initial diuretic effect is quickly replaced by a prolonged lack of moisture in the body. Viruses are no longer excreted in the urine and begin to accumulate in the body.
- The intensification of a viral disease against the background of decreased immunity and poor health makes almost any treatment ineffective.
- High fever and excessive sweating during illness will do double harm to an already dehydrated body.
Conclusion: Drinking alcohol when you have the flu is prohibited. A severe course of the disease and the development of dangerous complications are possible. Drinking alcohol, especially in large quantities, should be postponed until complete recovery. It is advisable to consult a doctor before starting to drink.
Alcohol during and after pneumonia
When treating pneumonia (pneumonia), you should not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is incompatible with antibiotics that are used to treat pneumonia. Smoking is generally not recommended until pneumonia has been treated.
The following are possible side effects when drinking alcohol with pneumonia:
- Microscopic adhesions form in the lungs. To get rid of this, you should buy rubber balls and inflate them regularly - naturally, after the end of treatment of the disease. Naturally,
Smoking is a problem here, as is alcohol. - Serious liver problems due to incompatibility of pneumonia medications (antibiotics) with alcohol. It is possible to develop critical conditions up to liver failure.
- Refusal of medications in favor of alcohol will lead to treatment becoming ineffective. Uncontrolled pneumonia can easily result in death.
Alcohol after pneumonia can be used as usual. However, complete recovery does not occur when symptoms cease to be noticeable. Recovery must be confirmed by a doctor, who will also remove the treatment. After that You should wait at least 2-3 days before drinking alcohol so that the body gains some strength, and the liver processes the remnants of antibiotics and other drugs with which conflicts are possible.
Conclusion: Even with irregular consumption, a significant amount of alcohol has a strong impact on the immune system, weakening it. Because of this, the treatment of pneumonia is more difficult,
complications may develop. With chronic alcoholism, a significant decrease in immunity leads to the fact that the risk of contracting pneumonia becomes several times higher than that of a non-drinker.
Is it possible or impossible to drink alcohol after pneumonia?
Inflammation of the lungs leads to disruption of the functioning and integrity of the alveoli, so treatment requires costs, both financial and time, which is associated with a number of certain limitations. Compliance with the treatment regimen and subsequent rehabilitation will speed up recovery from the disease and help avoid complications and relapses.
The article will discuss whether it is possible to drink alcohol after pneumonia, what is the effect of ethanol on the body in this case, and whether there is a connection between the frequency of drinking strong drinks and pneumonia.
Recovery after illness
People with weakened immune systems and whose health is compromised for certain reasons are most susceptible to pneumonia. Therefore, the infection develops quickly with hypothermia, a cold, or contact with a sick person (see Is it possible to get pneumonia: is pneumonia contagious).
Some synthetic or natural chemically active components can cause deterioration of the immune system, for example, medications or ethanol, which also contributes to a decrease in resistance to respiratory diseases.
- elderly people;
- persons with COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- sick diabetes mellitus;
- those whose immunity and respiratory system diseases are weakened due to genetic or congenital pathology;
- recently operated patients;
- patients with cardiovascular diseases;
- persons addicted to alcohol.
The most likely route of infection is airborne droplets after contact with an infected person, but with weak immunity, microbes in the respiratory tract begin to multiply, their number exceeding the permissible critical level, which leads to the development of the disease and the occurrence of pathological processes in the lung tissue.
The primary symptoms are similar to a common cold or respiratory infection, with the difference that in the first case, as a rule, the body temperature rises significantly above 38 degrees. Symptoms are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Main symptoms of pneumonia:
Pneumonia is classified according to:
- degree of severity: light, medium, heavy;
- duration: acute, prolonged without complications or with their presence;
- localization: focal, lobar;
- side of the lung tissue lesion: right-sided, left-sided, two-sided (read more here).
The duration of treatment usually ranges from 15 to 25 days, provided that the disease proceeds without complications and adequate therapy.
The development of pneumonia is divided into several stages depending on the processes occurring in the lungs:
- The flushing stage is observed in the first 24 hours of disease development. During this period, the alveoli are intensively filled with blood and fibrinous exudation;
- Red liver stage. Lung tissue becomes dense and appearance resembles the liver due to the fact that a huge number of red blood cells are concentrated in the alveoli. The duration of this period is up to three days;
- Stage of gray hepatization. At this time (3–6 days), the blood cells concentrated in the lung tissue disintegrate, and leukocytes are sent to the alveoli, which accumulate there in large numbers;
- Resolution stage. Lung tissue is restored to its original state.
The effects of alcohol on the body
Regardless of the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the drink, it affects the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, cardiovascular and other body systems, causing various diseases or exacerbating existing ones. Strong drinks cause a decrease in the body's defense systems, so drinking alcohol during illness is extremely undesirable.
Note! Since alcohol inhibits the functioning of the body’s immune system, its use in case of bacterial or viral diseases strongly not recommended.
In addition to the direct effect on the body, the harm of ethyl alcohol can be due to interaction with medications, which is especially dangerous for health. Each drug has instructions that usually contain a warning about the dangers of compatibility between alcohol and this medicine, but even if there is no strict prohibition, it should be taken into account that perhaps clinical studies of this kind have not been conducted.
It is also important to remember that in addition to the main active ingredient, the drugs contain accompanying components that can react with ethanol.
The effect of alcohol on the risk of pneumonia
As medical practice and statistics show, pneumonia and alcohol are concepts that quite often go side by side with each other. Special studies by Danish doctors showed that men who drank frequently were eight times more likely to suffer from lung damage than those who drank alcohol rarely, and in the first case the disease proceeded with complications for health and life.
The direct effect of ethanol on lung tissue is minimal, but it is a cause of other diseases. First of all, the cardiovascular system and liver suffer, if they are disrupted, the effectiveness of the immune system decreases. Cells cannot reach sites of inflammation in a timely manner, and their effectiveness decreases.
Ethanol is removed from the body not only through the excretory system. About 5% in a vapor state passes through the lungs during breathing, which aggravates the course of pneumonia due to the death of lung tissue cells due to the harmful effects of alcohol metabolites.
Along with weakened protective functions of the body, chronic alcoholism reduces resistance to microorganisms that cause the development of lower respiratory tract diseases.
Alcoholic drinks in this case have the following negative effects:
- the receptor-recognition apparatus of cells becomes less sensitive to proteins of viruses and bacteria;
- the lysis of pathogens by phagocytes is weakened;
- defense mechanisms are not adequate due to reduced antibody production and decreased immune response;
- migration of monocytes to foci of inflammation is difficult and slow;
- catarrh of the upper respiratory tract (disruption of the ciliated epithelium of the bronchi due to which the evacuation of harmful agents does not occur).
Important. If you often drink alcoholic beverages, it disrupts protein synthesis in cells or its destruction, which leads to the stop of biological pumps and the lung tissue is more quickly saturated with liquid. In case of pneumonia, this significantly complicates the course of the disease.
In normal medical practice, the doctor experiences difficulties in treating people addicted to alcohol, since in most cases these patients are also heavy smokers. Therefore, as a rule, COPD of the second and even third degree in this case is chronic and is the basis not only for the development of pneumonia, but also bronchitis, emphysema, respiratory and other respiratory diseases.
Until antibacterial drugs began to be used in medical practice, most alcoholics suffered from frequently recurring chronic pneumonia, caused by the pneumococcal bacterium. Today, when pneumonia is detected in this group of people, a decrease in resistance is observed in relation to gram-negative pathogens, among which the microbe Klebsiella is in first place.
Diagnosing pneumonia in alcoholics can be quite difficult since complications can be masked by the presence of other diseases with similar symptoms. For example, such “masks” are the cerebral, cardiac, and abdominal course of the disease.
Features of symptoms in people who are partial to alcoholic beverages are as follows:
- initial stages appear atypically;
- the degree of the disease is characterized by severe severity;
- the symptoms do not have clear features because they are ambiguous;
- the lesions are poorly expressed, there may be several of them, often both lobes of the lungs are affected;
- frequent abscess formation.
Separately, we should dwell on the effect of alcohol on the manifestation of complications if consumed during pneumonia. Recently, quite often cases of abscess formation with pneumonia in people who abuse alcohol have begun to be recorded.
They are characterized by:
- the course of the disease with high fever;
- symptoms of central nervous system dysfunction;
- respiratory failure;
- colic in the epigastric region;
- lesions of cardiac activity.
In advanced or extremely complex cases, stable leukocytosis and a decrease in the number of eosinophils are observed. Antibiotic therapy turns out to be weak because due to frequent exacerbations and changes in types of drugs, pathogenic microflora becomes resistant, developing resistance to drugs of this kind.
Pay attention. Persons who abuse alcohol and often suffer from pneumonia can end their lives precisely because of this disease.
Treatment with antibiotics
Diseases of the respiratory tract, especially those as complex as pneumonia, require the administration of antibacterial therapy, which inhibits synthetic processes in microorganisms, preventing their further spread.
Depending on the principle of action, drugs can be divided into certain groups:
- Penicillins, cephalosporins– prevent the formation of cytoplasmic supra-membrane formations due to blocking of synthetic processes, have bactericidal properties;
- Polymyxin, amphotericin– at the molecular level they affect the cytoplasmic processes of the cell, disrupt the integrity of the plasmalemma, which leads to lysis of the bacterium;
- Tetracyclines. They block the protein synthetic activity of the bacterial cell at the DNA level, making division impossible. This group is also called bacteriostatic antibiotics.
Antibiotics should be taken as a course (which is emphasized by the specialists giving consultations in the video in this article) depending on the type of strain and its sensitivity. If this condition is violated, there is a high probability that the bacteria will develop resistance and further treatment will be ineffective.
TO negative aspects Antibacterial therapy should include the inability to use the same drug several times in a row, a detrimental effect on the beneficial intestinal microflora that provides immunity and a number of side effects on certain organs and systems, for example, the liver. Therefore, drinking alcohol both during treatment and immediately after it will increase the negative effect of antibiotics on the body, while reducing their effect.
Important. Ethanol can weaken the effect of antibiotics in the treatment of pneumonia or completely neutralize it for a certain time, so you should stop drinking alcohol.
When treating pneumonia, antibiotics work as follows. In the first days after starting treatment, bacterial cells stop dividing, which means their reproduction stops.
The same result is expected if antibiotics of a similar group are used at short intervals. Therefore, when prescribing medications, they should be alternated and prescribed by a qualified doctor.
Side effects of antibacterial therapy and alcohol
When prescribing antibiotics, the doctor pursues the main goal - to destroy the bacterium that causes pneumonia as quickly and effectively as possible. At the same time, beneficial bacteria and human symbionts suffer, and for some organs the substances of drugs can be toxic.
Therefore, it is not possible to avoid side effects, and if you drink alcohol at the same time, the side effects may intensify, especially in terms of intoxication of the body. In order for the intestinal microflora to suffer as much as possible, probiotics and preparations containing strains of beneficial microcultures of single-celled organisms are prescribed.
You should not drink alcohol immediately after the end of treatment, since the concentration of antibiotics in the blood can remain for several days, and there are also drugs that maintain their antimicrobial properties for a week, for example, the drug “Sumamed”, shown in the photo below. Table 2 shows the main side effects of antibacterial therapy.
Table 2. Side effects antibiotic treatment:
Negative manifestation | Short description | Characteristic image | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dysbacteriosis | Disruption of the natural balance of microbiota in the intestines, resulting in diarrhea or constipation. To eliminate it, taking probiotics, drugs with beneficial strains, and consuming fermented milk products is recommended. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Liver disorders | The liver cleanses the blood. Antibiotics contain toxic substances for hepatocytes. Therefore, for the speedy self-healing of the organ, it is recommended to refrain from drinking alcohol during the first time after recovery. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kidney diseases | Approximately 80% of the contents in the drug are excreted through the kidneys, so if immunity is reduced or there are signs of renal failure, then a toxic effect on the organs of the excretory system when taking antibiotics is guaranteed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CNS depression | There is evidence that antibiotics can slow down the functioning of synapses - intercellular contacts neurons, and it is not possible to reduce this negative effect. That is why some inserts write that it is not advisable to drive a car or, for example, that the drug reduces attention. By the way, drowsiness is also a manifestation of this kind. If you drink alcohol, the situation will get worse. | A week after the end of taking medications, up to 98% of all substances entering it will be removed from the body, but already on the fourth day the concentration will decrease and therefore interactions with ethyl alcohol or its derivatives will not cause intoxication. But despite this, the use of alcoholic beverages should be postponed for a preferably longer time because:
In addition to curing the underlying disease, there may be complications that do not make themselves felt at first. Be that as it may, after completing a course of antibacterial therapy, the body needs time to restore and normalize physiological processes, so it is advisable to eat right and adhere to a healthy lifestyle. The greatest role in this aspect is played by proper rehabilitation, which will not only help restore lost strength, but also improve health, significantly reducing the risk of getting sick again. RehabilitationThe term rehabilitation means a set of measures (inpatient or outpatient) aimed at eliminating the disease and normalizing functional processes in the body at the same level, as well as complete restoration of working capacity. In this regard, the timing of the start of rehabilitation procedures plays a significant role - the earlier they are carried out, the less will be needed for the recovery period, and the risks of complications are minimized. To do this, it is important to ensure the following:
In fact, the entire rehabilitation package of measures can be divided into two conditional periods. The first begins on the third or fourth day (if the temperature drops to low-grade levels) and lasts up to 15 days, while the patient strictly adheres to established mode. The second, in fact, is what most ordinary people mean by general concept rehabilitation, here the patient is recommended to follow a certain diet, various procedures, gymnastics, daily routine, and the like are prescribed. The second period is usually spent at home, in a sanatorium or a specialized rehabilitation center. At this time, the negative consequences of the disease and antibiotic therapy are eliminated. Rehabilitation procedures in a hospital setting usually involve:
Sanitary resort treatmentRehabilitation can take place both at local resorts and at sea health resorts. The best option is the coast of the Caucasus; Crimea is in second place in the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The price at domestic resorts is quite reasonable, and the quality of preventive measures is at a decent level.
You can visit sanatoriums all year round, but the most favorable period is considered to be from May to October, when the swimming season is open. In institutions, patients undergo various physiotherapeutic procedures depending on the diagnosis; they are given dietary nutrition, inhalations, and so on. The sea air, saturated with the evaporation of coniferous trees, which predominate in the areas where sanatoriums are located, is especially useful. The use of pulsed currents will help reduce stagnation in the lung tissue, providing increased lymph flow and blood circulation, which guarantees more quick release from residual effects. In the case when pleurisy develops simultaneously or as a complication during the rehabilitation process, it is recommended to use the procedure of electrical stimulation of the diaphragm, which will eliminate the pathology while reducing the likelihood of the formation of adhesions in the lungs, which is especially important if the patient has coughed heavily. Sanatoriums actively use various types radiation, this is especially true for patients with severe allergic syndrome or asthmatic component. In addition to the procedures described, applications of warm ozokerite and paraffin in the area of localization of inflammation of the lung tissue, balneological measures, therapeutic exercises, counseling of a psychotherapeutic nature and others have proven themselves well. GymnasticsThe use of therapeutic exercises reduces congestion and helps remove phlegm, which has a beneficial effect on the patient’s recovery. After completion of the acute phase of the disease, it is first recommended to perform the complex breathing exercises, and then move on to full-time exercise therapy. It is good to maintain a certain rhythm with periodic changes in breathing and physical exercise, for example, in the morning and evening, but at the same time change the technique of their implementation. It is advisable to do physical exercise in the fresh air or in a ventilated area. It is especially good during the rehabilitation period and not only to move more on foot, lead an active lifestyle and spend time in nature or in a clean recreational area. Proper nutrition useful both in treatment and in the rehabilitation process. Antibacterial therapy has a significant negative effect on the beneficial intestinal microflora, and the excretory system is subject to serious stress, so you should not create conditions for the body to do additional work. In order for all efforts to be directed towards fighting the disease, you should eat easily digestible food with low-fat protein and fermented milk products. The diet should contain plant foods rich in microelements and vitamins, preferably in fresh because heat treatment neutralizes most of it beneficial properties. It is advisable to replace sugar with honey.
Table 3 shows products that are desirable to consume during pneumonia and during the recovery period.
|
Inflammation of the lungs leads to disruption of the functioning and integrity of the alveoli, so treatment requires costs, both financial and time, which is associated with a number of certain limitations. Compliance with the treatment regimen and subsequent rehabilitation will speed up recovery from the disease and help avoid complications and relapses.
The article will discuss whether it is possible to drink alcohol after pneumonia, what is the effect of ethanol on the body in this case, and whether there is a connection between the frequency of drinking strong drinks and pneumonia.
People with weakened immune systems and whose health is compromised for certain reasons are most susceptible to pneumonia. Therefore, the infection develops quickly with hypothermia, a cold, or contact with a sick person (see).
Some synthetic or natural chemically active components can cause deterioration of the immune system, for example, medications or ethanol, which also contributes to a decrease in resistance to respiratory diseases.
- elderly people;
- persons with COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- patients with diabetes mellitus;
- those whose immunity and respiratory system diseases are weakened due to genetic or congenital pathology;
- recently operated patients;
- patients with cardiovascular diseases;
- persons addicted to alcohol.
The most likely route of infection is airborne droplets after contact with an infected person, but with weak immunity, microbes in the respiratory tract begin to multiply, their number exceeding the permissible critical level, which leads to the development of the disease and the occurrence of pathological processes in the lung tissue.
The primary symptoms are similar to a common cold or respiratory infection, with the difference that in the first case, as a rule, the body temperature rises significantly above 38 degrees. Symptoms are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Main symptoms of pneumonia:
Pneumonia is classified according to:
- degree of severity: light, medium, heavy;
- duration: acute, prolonged without complications or with their presence;
- localization: focal, lobar;
- side of the lung tissue lesion: right-sided, left-sided, two-sided (read more).
The duration of treatment usually ranges from 15 to 25 days, provided that the disease proceeds without complications and adequate therapy.
The development of pneumonia is divided into several stages depending on the processes occurring in the lungs:
- The flushing stage is observed in the first 24 hours of disease development. During this period, the alveoli are intensively filled with blood and fibrinous exudation;
- Red liver stage. The lung tissue becomes dense and resembles the liver in appearance due to the fact that a huge number of red blood cells are concentrated in the alveoli. The duration of this period is up to three days;
- Stage of gray hepatization. At this time (3–6 days), the blood cells concentrated in the lung tissue disintegrate, and leukocytes are sent to the alveoli, which accumulate there in large numbers;
- Resolution stage. Lung tissue is restored to its original state.
The effects of alcohol on the body
Regardless of the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the drink, it affects the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, cardiovascular and other body systems, causing various diseases or exacerbating existing ones. Strong drinks cause a decrease in the body's defense systems, so drinking alcohol during illness is extremely undesirable.
Note! Since alcohol inhibits the body's immune system, its use in case of bacterial or viral diseases is strongly discouraged.
In addition to the direct effect on the body, the harm of ethyl alcohol can be due to interaction with medications, which is especially dangerous for health. Each drug has instructions that usually contain a warning about the dangers of compatibility between alcohol and this medicine, but even if there is no strict prohibition, it should be taken into account that perhaps clinical studies of this kind have not been conducted.
It is also important to remember that in addition to the main active ingredient, the drugs contain accompanying components that can react with ethanol.
The effect of alcohol on the risk of pneumonia
As medical practice and statistics show, pneumonia and alcohol are concepts that quite often go side by side with each other. Special studies by Danish doctors showed that men who drank frequently were eight times more likely to suffer from lung damage than those who drank alcohol rarely, and in the first case the disease proceeded with complications for health and life.
The direct effect of ethanol on lung tissue is minimal, but it is a cause of other diseases. First of all, the cardiovascular system and liver suffer, if they are disrupted, the effectiveness of the immune system decreases. Cells cannot reach sites of inflammation in a timely manner, and their effectiveness decreases.
Ethanol is removed from the body not only through the excretory system. About 5% in a vapor state passes through the lungs during breathing, which aggravates the course of pneumonia due to the death of lung tissue cells due to the harmful effects of alcohol metabolites.
Along with weakened protective functions of the body, chronic alcoholism reduces resistance to microorganisms that cause the development of lower respiratory tract diseases.
Alcoholic drinks in this case have the following negative effects:
- the receptor-recognition apparatus of cells becomes less sensitive to proteins of viruses and bacteria;
- the lysis of pathogens by phagocytes is weakened;
- defense mechanisms are not adequate due to reduced antibody production and decreased immune response;
- migration of monocytes to foci of inflammation is difficult and slow;
- catarrh of the upper respiratory tract (disruption of the ciliated epithelium of the bronchi due to which the evacuation of harmful agents does not occur).
Important. If you often drink alcoholic beverages, it disrupts protein synthesis in cells or its destruction, which leads to the stop of biological pumps and the lung tissue is more quickly saturated with liquid. In case of pneumonia, this significantly complicates the course of the disease.
In normal medical practice, the doctor experiences difficulties in treating people addicted to alcohol, since in most cases these patients are also heavy smokers. Therefore, as a rule, COPD of the second and even third degree in this case is chronic and is the basis not only for the development of pneumonia, but also bronchitis, emphysema, respiratory and other respiratory diseases.
Until antibacterial drugs began to be used in medical practice, most alcoholics suffered from frequently recurring chronic pneumonia, caused by the pneumococcal bacterium. Today, when pneumonia is detected in this group of people, a decrease in resistance is observed in relation to gram-negative pathogens, among which the microbe Klebsiella is in first place.
Diagnosing pneumonia in alcoholics can be quite difficult since complications can be masked by the presence of other diseases with similar symptoms. For example, such “masks” are the cerebral, cardiac, and abdominal course of the disease.
Features of symptoms in people who are partial to alcoholic beverages are as follows:
- the initial stages appear atypically;
- the degree of the disease is characterized by severe severity;
- the symptoms do not have clear features because they are ambiguous;
- the lesions are poorly expressed, there may be several of them, often both lobes of the lungs are affected;
- frequent abscess formation.
Separately, we should dwell on the effect of alcohol on the manifestation of complications if consumed during pneumonia. Recently, quite often cases of abscess formation with pneumonia in people who abuse alcohol have begun to be recorded.
They are characterized by:
- the course of the disease with high fever;
- symptoms of central nervous system dysfunction;
- respiratory failure;
- colic in the epigastric region;
- lesions of cardiac activity.
In advanced or extremely complex cases, stable leukocytosis and a decrease in the number of eosinophils are observed. Antibiotic therapy turns out to be weak because due to frequent exacerbations and changes in types of drugs, pathogenic microflora becomes resistant, developing resistance to drugs of this kind.
Pay attention. Persons who abuse alcohol and often suffer from pneumonia can end their lives precisely because of this disease.
Treatment with antibiotics
Diseases of the respiratory tract, especially those as complex as pneumonia, require the administration of antibacterial therapy, which inhibits synthetic processes in microorganisms, preventing their further spread.
Depending on the principle of action, drugs can be divided into certain groups:
- Penicillins, cephalosporins– prevent the formation of cytoplasmic supra-membrane formations due to blocking of synthetic processes, have bactericidal properties;
- Polymyxin, amphotericin– at the molecular level they affect the cytoplasmic processes of the cell, disrupt the integrity of the plasmalemma, which leads to lysis of the bacterium;
- Tetracyclines. They block the protein synthetic activity of the bacterial cell at the DNA level, making division impossible. This group is also called bacteriostatic antibiotics.
Antibiotics should be taken as a course (which is emphasized by the specialists giving consultations in the video in this article) depending on the type of strain and its sensitivity. If this condition is violated, there is a high probability that the bacteria will develop resistance and further treatment will be ineffective.
The negative aspects of antibacterial therapy include the inability to use the same drug several times in a row, a detrimental effect on the beneficial intestinal microflora that provides immunity, and a number of side effects on certain organs and systems, for example, the liver. Therefore, drinking alcohol both during treatment and immediately after it will increase the negative effect of antibiotics on the body, while reducing their effect.
Important. Ethanol can weaken the effect of antibiotics in the treatment of pneumonia or completely neutralize it for a certain time, so you should stop drinking alcohol.
When treating pneumonia, antibiotics work as follows. In the first days after starting treatment, bacterial cells stop dividing, which means their reproduction stops.
The same result is expected if antibiotics of a similar group are used at short intervals. Therefore, when prescribing medications, they should be alternated and prescribed by a qualified doctor.
Side effects of antibacterial therapy and alcohol
When prescribing antibiotics, the doctor pursues the main goal - to destroy the bacterium that causes pneumonia as quickly and effectively as possible. At the same time, beneficial bacteria and human symbionts suffer, and for some organs the substances of drugs can be toxic.
Therefore, it is not possible to avoid side effects, and if you drink alcohol at the same time, the side effects may intensify, especially in terms of intoxication of the body. In order for the intestinal microflora to suffer as much as possible, probiotics and preparations containing strains of beneficial microcultures of single-celled organisms are prescribed.
You should not drink alcohol immediately after the end of treatment, since the concentration of antibiotics in the blood can remain for several days, and there are also drugs that maintain their antimicrobial properties for a week, for example, the drug “Sumamed”, shown in the photo below. Table 2 shows the main side effects of antibacterial therapy.
Table 2. Side effects of antibiotic treatment:
Negative manifestation | Short description | Characteristic image |
Dysbacteriosis | Disruption of the natural balance of microbiota in the intestines, resulting in diarrhea or constipation. To eliminate it, taking probiotics, drugs with beneficial strains, and consuming fermented milk products is recommended. | |
Liver disorders | The liver cleanses the blood. Antibiotics contain toxic substances for hepatocytes. Therefore, for the speedy self-healing of the organ, it is recommended to refrain from drinking alcohol during the first time after recovery. | |
Kidney diseases | Approximately 80% of the contents in the drug are excreted through the kidneys, so if immunity is reduced or there are signs of renal failure, then a toxic effect on the organs of the excretory system when taking antibiotics is guaranteed. | |
CNS depression | There is evidence that antibiotics can slow down the functioning of synapses - intercellular contacts between neurons, but it is not possible to reduce this negative effect. That is why some inserts write that it is not advisable to drive a car or, for example, that the drug reduces attention. By the way, drowsiness is also a manifestation of this kind. If you drink alcohol, the situation will get worse. |
A week after the end of taking medications, up to 98% of all substances entering it will be removed from the body, but already on the fourth day the concentration will decrease and therefore interactions with ethyl alcohol or its derivatives will not cause intoxication.
But despite this, the use of alcoholic beverages should be postponed for a preferably longer time because:
- the liver needs time to recover, and ethanol is harmful to it;
- weakened immune system;
- increased likelihood of exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- the intestinal microflora is disturbed, so the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract may malfunction.
In addition to curing the underlying disease, there may be complications that do not make themselves felt at first. Be that as it may, after completing a course of antibacterial therapy, the body needs time to restore and normalize physiological processes, so it is advisable to eat right and adhere to a healthy lifestyle.
The greatest role in this aspect is played by proper rehabilitation, which will not only help restore lost strength, but also improve health, significantly reducing the risk of getting sick again.
Rehabilitation
The term rehabilitation means a set of measures (inpatient or outpatient) aimed at eliminating the disease and normalizing functional processes in the body at the same level, as well as complete restoration of working capacity. In this regard, the timing of the start of rehabilitation procedures plays a significant role - the earlier they are carried out, the less will be needed for the recovery period, and the risks of complications are minimized.
To do this, it is important to ensure the following:
- relieve the inflammatory process in the localized area, eliminate the pathogen;
- return the lung to its original state with restoration of its function at full strength;
- carry out a number of preventive procedures aimed at preventing the development of complications;
- create favorable conditions for restoring and strengthening the body’s immune system.
Periods
In fact, the entire rehabilitation package of measures can be divided into two conditional periods. The first begins on the third or fourth day (if the temperature drops to low-grade levels) and lasts up to 15 days, while the patient strictly adheres to the established regimen.
The second, in fact, is what most ordinary people mean by the general concept of rehabilitation, here the patient is recommended to follow a certain diet, various procedures, gymnastics, daily routine, and the like are prescribed. The second period is usually spent at home, in a sanatorium or a specialized rehabilitation center. At this time, the negative consequences of the disease and antibiotic therapy are eliminated.
Rehabilitation procedures in a hospital setting usually involve:
- physiotherapeutic treatment;
- physical gymnastics;
- massages;
- prescription of medications and folk remedies;
- vitamin therapy and immunotherapy;
- following a certain diet.
Sanitary resort treatment
Rehabilitation can take place both at local resorts and at sea health resorts. The best option is the coast of the Caucasus; Crimea is in second place in the treatment of pulmonary diseases.
The price at domestic resorts is quite reasonable, and the quality of preventive measures is at a decent level.
Note. People who frequently suffer from respiratory diseases or COPD are recommended to undergo annual sanatorium-resort treatment on the sea coasts of the Caucasus and the mountainous Crimea.
You can visit sanatoriums all year round, but the most favorable period is considered to be from May to October, when the swimming season is open. In institutions, patients undergo various physiotherapeutic procedures depending on the diagnosis; they are given dietary nutrition, inhalations, and so on. The sea air, saturated with the evaporation of coniferous trees, which predominate in the areas where sanatoriums are located, is especially useful.
The use of pulsed currents will help reduce congestion in the lung tissue, providing increased lymph flow and blood circulation, which guarantees faster disposal of residual effects.
In the case when pleurisy develops simultaneously or as a complication during the rehabilitation process, it is recommended to use the procedure of electrical stimulation of the diaphragm, which will eliminate the pathology while reducing the likelihood of the formation of adhesions in the lungs, which is especially important if the patient has coughed heavily. In sanatoriums, the use of various types of radiation is actively used, this is especially true for patients with severe allergic syndrome or an asthmatic component.
In addition to the procedures described, applications of warm ozokerite and paraffin in the area of localization of inflammation of the lung tissue, balneological measures, therapeutic exercises, counseling of a psychotherapeutic nature and others have proven themselves well.
Gymnastics
The use of therapeutic exercises reduces congestion and helps remove phlegm, which has a beneficial effect on the patient’s recovery. After completing the acute phase of the disease, it is first recommended to perform a set of breathing exercises, and then move on to full-fledged exercise therapy.
It is good to maintain a certain rhythm with periodic changes in breathing and physical exercises, for example, in the morning and in the evening, but at the same time change the technique of their implementation. It is advisable to do physical exercise in the fresh air or in a ventilated area.
It is especially good during the rehabilitation period and not only to move more on foot, lead an active lifestyle and spend time in nature or in a clean recreational area.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition is useful both during treatment and during the rehabilitation process. Antibacterial therapy has a significant negative effect on the beneficial intestinal microflora, and the excretory system is subject to serious stress, so you should not create conditions for the body to do additional work.
In order for all efforts to be directed towards fighting the disease, you should eat easily digestible food with low-fat protein and fermented milk products. The diet should contain plant foods rich in microelements and vitamins, preferably fresh, because heat treatment neutralizes most of its beneficial properties. It is advisable to replace sugar with honey.
Please note that with pneumonia, patients are recommended to eat as many natural bee products as possible, which not only helps speed up recovery and strengthens the immune system, but also significantly relieves the burden on the digestive system.
Table 3 shows products that are desirable to consume during pneumonia and during the recovery period.
Product type | Characteristic | Visual image |
Bouillon | In the first days of the disease, the patient has no appetite due to elevated temperature, so unsaturated broths will be useful, and this will also relieve the digestive system somewhat. | |
Lean meat | Beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit and other types of meat are useful for severe illnesses because the body needs protein. You should not eat fatty varieties, such as pork or goose meat, as they are difficult to digest and contain a lot of cholesterol. | |
Fish and seafood | All types of fish are sources of valuable, easily digestible protein and fatty acids, which contain a lot of vitamin A and E, which helps strengthen the immune system and is important for the epithelium of lung tissue. Seafood contains iodine, which is also beneficial for the body. |
|
Dairy and fermented milk products | From this group, fermented milk products are especially useful because they contain the microflora necessary for the intestines, which is of great importance for the gastrointestinal tract during antibiotic therapy. | |
Plant food | Fresh vegetables and fruits are the most valuable sources of microelements and vitamins; therefore, during periods of illness and rehabilitation, it is advisable to consume them as much as possible without heat treatment. | |
Juices, teas, decoctions, fortified compotes | During illness, you should drink more fluids. The best option in this case would be fortified drinks made from natural ingredients. | |
Cereal porridge, pasta | Porridges contain a lot of fiber and carbohydrates, so they are good for the gastrointestinal tract and are very satiating. | |
Bee products | The consumption of bee products is not only desirable, but also recommended for diseases of the upper or lower respiratory tract, provided that the patient is not allergic to them. |
The purpose of prescribing a diet for pneumonia is to provide protective mechanisms and maintain them at the proper level. To do this, you should not eat spicy, fatty or salty foods.
It is advisable to reduce the amount of fried and sweet foods. It is recommended to drink as much fluid as possible.
You should drink at least two liters of pure mineral water every day. Meals should be divided into several doses - optimally six times a day in small portions.
It is advisable to steam or boil food that requires heat treatment, and, if possible, eat plant foods raw. It is strictly prohibited to drink alcohol no earlier than two weeks after stopping taking medications.
Preventive methods
After suffering from pneumonia, in order to prevent recurrence of the disease, it is recommended to adhere to specific and nonspecific preventive measures.
In the first case, this is vaccination against certain strains that cause pneumonia; in the second, this is a set of measures aimed at preventing the development of the disease:
- normalized work schedule, without overload and with rest breaks;
- ensuring the flow of fresh air into the room, constant periodic ventilation;
- wet cleaning indoors, especially with large concentrations of people;
- avoiding contact with sick people;
- proper and balanced diet rich in fortified foods;
- hardening;
- avoiding sudden fluctuations in body temperature (overheating or hypothermia);
- active healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, giving up bad habits;
- timely treatment of respiratory diseases;
- undergoing regular medical examinations and annual fluorography.
You should definitely take care of the health of your gastrointestinal tract since most of our immunity depends on its condition. It is important to prevent the development of dysbiosis by consuming probiotics and fermented milk products containing cultures of beneficial bifidobacteria.
Conclusion
Treatment of pneumonia is carried out using antibacterial therapy, which causes a significant blow to the intestinal microbiota, weakens the immune system, and negatively affects the functioning of the excretory system, especially the kidneys, as well as the liver. Therefore, drinking alcoholic beverages is undesirable both during the hour of treatment and during the rehabilitation period.
In addition, 5% of ethanol and its breakdown products are excreted through breathing through the lungs, which aggravates the pathological processes of pneumonia. People who are addicted to alcohol get sick eight times more often, and there are frequent cases of death among people belonging to this category.
Thus, summing up what has been said, we can draw an obvious conclusion - if you have pneumonia, you should not drink alcohol, and also for at least a week after complete recovery.