Typhoid and its fever are usually intestinal infections caused by bacteria called salmonella typhosa. It is usually contracted by food or milk contamination. Food, milk or water is contaminated by intestinal matter from some animal. It can happen to adults but largely is found in children. A persistent fever is the main symptom of typhoid and can be accompanied by headaches, nausea and vomiting. Acute symptoms can even lead to abdominal disturbances like ulcers, in extreme cases. Managing the diet for typhoid patients is crucial in the recovery process as it is largely an intestinal infection and can aggravate if proper care is not taken.
Typhoid treatment includes antibiotics and diet control. Main antibiotics used to cure typhoid are chloramphenicol, ampicillin or ciprofloxacin. These antibiotics are best prescribed by a doctor and it is essential that you do not self medicate especially if you have a previous attack of typhoid. There are even vaccines available for typhoid but since this is a communicable disease, you do not need the vaccine unless you are travelling to an area which has an incidence of typhoid.
Typhoid cures and treatment includes a course of antibiotics and some basic care that you can take at home. The typhoid diet includes certain foods that you can eat and should eat when you are affected by this condition. The aim is to maintain good digestion. So the typhoid fever diet includes well-cooked, soft, even mashed and sieved food. Bland, semi-solid foods like soft rice with curd, rice pudding or custards are good.
The food that you can eat when affected by typhoid fever includes strained vegetable soups, boiled rice, soft-cooked eggs, buttermilk and softened soda crackers. The aim is not to tax the patient’s digestive system. So this food is given in small meals, at every two to three hours until the typhoid symptoms are controlled.
You should avoid foods like whole grains, whole wheat flour, raw vegetables and fruit, vegetables that are strong on digestion like cabbage, capsicum and turnip and spicy food. While the fever persists, you need to give an easily digestible but carbohydrate rich meal to make up for all the lost energy. Once the fever breaks, then you need to slowly shift to a protein rich but still easily digested meal.
Typhoid diet for children, like in adults, should consist largely of a liquid diet. Children who eat meat tend to contract this disease. In children, in particular, a diet of diluted orange juice for the first few days is known to help in the recovery process. Milk, barley and fruit juices are also particularly beneficial for children. As the child gets better, you can start the child on soft boiled vegetables or vegetable soup for better nourishment. Coconut water and rice gruel are also very good during typhoid.
Taking basic precaution can prevent a relapse which tends to be severe. It is necessary that you always boil your drinking water when affected by this condition. For some time after the typhoid attack, you should properly boil your drinking water. Milk should also be boiled or pasteurized. You should avoid eating outside, especially food available by the roadside where the hygiene could be suspect.
There are some home remedies for typhoid but if these remedies fail to manage the symptoms, you should consult a doctor. The diagnosis of typhoid is best done by a doctor. Home remedies for typhoid fever are simple to execute. Hot water and honey can help someone suffering with typhoid fever. While giving honey and water together, it is also important not to parallely give solid food too. Another home remedy is cloves boiled in water and then, that water given to the person suffering from typhoid. Drinking juices of apples and sweet limes are known to help typhoid patients. It is always necessary that one speaks to their doctor about their symptoms one experiences and the treatment methods one is using when affected by the condition.
answered by G M