Symptoms of acne (acne)
- Increased oiliness of the skin of the face and head (increased sebum production);
- Small or large red rash;
- The appearance of white ulcers;
- Soreness of the skin in the areas of the rash;
- Scars and pigmentation after acne heals.
In the first stage, acne affects only certain areas of the face - most often the forehead, cheeks and chin. In the future, acne spreads to the neck and chest areas. At the third stage, ulcers and acne increase in size, covering increasingly large areas of the skin, and after healing they leave large scars.
How to treat acne
As you understood from the previous block, there are many reasons for the appearance of acne. You can treat the external manifestations of acne as much as you like, but until the true cause of their appearance is found, all measures taken will only bring a temporary effect. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor promptly, even at the first stage of the disease.
But you should understand that no doctor can just look at you, immediately name the cause and prescribe treatment. It is necessary to conduct a diagnosis to identify the true cause and select a treatment regimen that will be effective.
Be patient. It is not possible to cure acne in a couple of weeks. Therapy of several months is required to completely eliminate the cause of the inflammatory process and reduce the risk of relapse. Don't give up treatment halfway!
People with acne, gastritis and stomach ulcers need to follow a diet. Not really
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In Russia, for patients with acne, gastritis, stomach ulcers and some other diseases and conditions, doctors often prescribe numbered treatment tables (the so-called “Pevzner tables”) or simply strictly limit everything fatty, spicy and sweet. “Medusa”, together with the telegram channel “Wet the manta,” explains why such diets are more like a sacrifice and have almost no benefit.
If you are nervous and eat poorly, you will get a stomach ulcer or gastritis. Not really
Neither nutrition nor stress today are considered to be the causes of gastritis and stomach ulcers. In most cases, these diseases are caused by an infection caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Another common cause of stomach ulcers is the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin.
The connection between gastritis, stomach ulcers and Helicobacter pylori was recognized by the scientific community in the 1980s, and until then, stress, poor nutrition, hot and spicy foods, and insufficiently chewed foods were considered the causes of these diseases throughout the world. The dietary system of Manuil Pevzner was based on this knowledge. Numbered charts (tables) of therapeutic nutrition, developed under his leadership almost a hundred years ago, became mandatory in Soviet resorts, sanatoriums and hospitals. Several nutritional plans were intended for people with gastritis and peptic ulcers. “These diets strictly limit everything fatty and spicy,” explains Alexey Paramonov, gastroenterologist at the Rassvet clinic and author of the book “Intestines with Comfort, Stomach without Problems.” — For some reason, the food must be in a terribly crushed form. God forbid, the patient eats a whole piece of meat; it must be some kind of chicken chopped in a mixer and turned into a soufflé.” According to Paramonov, such a diet serves as a “sacrifice” - without the slightest benefit. In 2003, the Ministry of Health abolished number tables.
I have gastritis, and diet helps me. Not really
It is likely that this is not gastritis. In reality, diet does not affect the course of gastritis and does not have a preventive effect. In Russia, pain in the upper abdomen is usually attributed to gastritis, although more often it is explained by functional dyspepsia. In addition, doctors sometimes use the term "gastritis" during gastroscopy to describe damage to the stomach lining that is not accompanied by inflammation, as with gastritis (for example, caused by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). And to diagnose gastritis, gastroscopy alone is not enough - you will need to take a biopsy of stomach tissue, but this is often neglected in Russia.
If you eat less fat, stones will disappear from the gallbladder. Not really
Previously, a low-fat diet could be recommended by doctors. It was believed that this would stop the growth of gallstones in cases where surgery is not recommended or the person does not want to undergo it. However, it later became known that rapid weight loss due to a lack of fat in the diet, on the contrary, can contribute to the growth of stones.
Chocolate and fatty foods cause acne. Not really
There is no conclusive evidence that chocolate, high-fat foods, or any other foods increase the risk of acne. The American Academy of Dermatology does not recommend making any special dietary changes or dieting during acne treatment. There may be a link between acne and skim milk or foods with a high glycemic index (eg, white bread, cornflakes, boiled potatoes), but this data needs to be verified. Therefore, it is better to run away from doctors who advise eliminating everything in the world from your diet - spicy, salty, sour, fatty, red, chocolate.
For psoriasis, a strict diet is better than medication. Not really
A doctor may advise a patient with psoriasis to change their diet if they are overweight or obese (body mass index greater than or equal to 25). In this case, a low-calorie diet is recommended. But in reality this is not always necessary. This diet does help reduce the symptoms of the disease, but only if you take medications at the same time.
If a child has diathesis, you need to exclude all foods that can cause allergies. Not really
Diathesis is not a disease, as the symptoms of atopic dermatitis (eczema) are usually called: redness, dry skin and itching in young children. Doctors usually do not recommend that people with atopic dermatitis eliminate anything from their diet, as there is no evidence that doing so will reduce symptoms or prevent the eczema from getting worse.
Atopic dermatitis should not be confused with food allergies. People with this diagnosis are actually recommended to completely eliminate the provoking product from their food.
To lower your cholesterol levels, you need to go on a diet. Nobody really knows
Doctors recommend that people with high levels of “bad” cholesterol ensure that their diet includes plenty of vegetables and fruits, and give preference to whole grains and fish. Avoid foods that contain saturated fats and trans fats (often found in fast food, baked goods, and sausages). In addition, the doctor may advise losing weight if a person is overweight. However, cholesterol not only comes from food, it is mainly produced by our body. This process is influenced by a variety of factors and relying only on diet is not always possible (for example, if a person’s diet was previously healthy), so the doctor may recommend medications that lower cholesterol levels.
When does it make sense to change your diet?
If you have functional dyspepsia
With functional dyspepsia, some patients may be oversensitive to certain foods, so there may be some restrictions at the beginning of treatment. In particular, doctors recommend eating smaller portions and more often than three times a day. You can also try avoiding foods that trigger your symptoms, but you shouldn't eliminate entire groups from your diet without talking to your doctor. However, as Alexey Paramonov explains, this does not have a therapeutic effect - only an auxiliary symptomatic one.
Irritable bowel syndrome
The first step in treating irritable bowel syndrome may be to look at everything that precedes the condition's worsening, including food. To make the task easier, you can keep a food diary and use it to determine which foods provoke an attack of pain or other symptoms.
Heartburn
Changing your diet is not always necessary for heartburn, but it helps some people. Doctors recommend eating smaller meals more often than three times a day, not drinking too much alcohol, and not eating three to four hours before bed. You can also try eliminating things from your diet that are causing your symptoms. Pay attention to the foods that most often provoke heartburn. “It cannot be said that there are large studies on this topic, but there are ten-year observations. Doctors’ beliefs are formalized by expert opinions and are not significantly challenged,” says Alexey Paramonov. This list includes coffee, chocolate, foods and drinks with mint (as well as chewing gum, candies, and infusions). It is believed that all of them are capable of causing a reflex relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter.
Provocateurs also include spicy foods and those foods that create a fat emulsion in the stomach. This is, for example, mayonnaise or fatty meat (French meat, dumplings, manti, pasties). “This is a more or less universal scenario, which may not work for a particular person,” explains Paramonov. “It should be noted that in general, diet plays a certain role in heartburn, but less than, for example, quitting smoking.”
Stomach ulcer
People with stomach ulcers, as well as with heartburn, should not eat before bed. In addition, your doctor may recommend temporarily avoiding foods and drinks that trigger your symptoms. Usually these are coffee, chocolate, alcohol, as well as fatty and spicy foods. But if the doctor recommends eliminating entire food groups, for example, suggests not eating proteins, it is worth contacting another specialist for a second opinion. And don’t listen to those who say that you need to drink more milk and, in general, lean on dairy products. These dietary changes do not help with ulcers and may cause stomach pain.
Celiac disease
A gluten-free diet plays a crucial role in the treatment of celiac disease. To prevent the patient’s condition from worsening, it is necessary to remove everything that contains gluten from the diet. This group of proteins is found in wheat, rye, barley, in addition, gluten is added to a variety of products, it is included in some medicines and dietary supplements, so sticking to a gluten-free diet can be extremely difficult.
“It has now become a very fashionable trend to use a gluten-free diet simply as a healthy eating option,” says Alexey Paramonov. “This has no scientific basis and cannot bring benefit to healthy people and patients with other diseases, even theoretically. People are simply deliberately reducing their quality of life.”
Stones in the kidneys
Changing your diet can help prevent stones from recurring. Usually it is advised to drink more fluids, eat less salt and animal proteins. Exact recommendations depend on many factors, including the type of stones, and only a doctor can give them.
Arterial hypertension
For patients with arterial hypertension and anyone close to this condition (that is, people with a blood pressure of 120 mmHg or higher), a special diet is recommended. A diet for high blood pressure should consist of plenty of vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry and fish. You need to eat less salt and saturated fats, and eliminate foods that contain trans fats. Unlike popular diets, this method has been tested in randomized clinical trials and proven to be effective.
A 2003 report under the auspices of the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, citing specific scientific papers, showed how much systolic blood pressure decreases with changes in eating behavior. - writes nutritionist Elena Motova in the book “My Best Friend is the Stomach”. “ At the same time, nothing supernatural is required from a person. "It's a regular, balanced diet with a little more emphasis on certain nutrients, and other lifestyle changes that are manageable."
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