Introduction: The importance of the lungs to physical health cannot be ignored, as an important part of the human respiratory system, the lungs can be described as a "protective umbrella" of the five internal organs, because they undertake the important task of providing oxygen to the body and emitting carbon dioxide.
If the function of the lungs is impaired, it will not only affect various organs of the body, but also may cause various diseases and even irreversible consequences.
According to the latest statistics released by the National Cancer Center, the number of new cases of lung cancer in mainland China is as high as 787,000 every year, and the number of deaths due to lung cancer exceeds 630,000 every year, which means that an average of one person dies of lung cancer every minute.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, many people have undergone CT scans of their lungs to rule out the possibility of infection, and lung nodules have been unexpectedly discovered.
Some people have lung nodules diagnosed with lung cancer, which is undoubtedly a shocking result, but from a medical point of view, lung nodules refer to focal, round-like, densely dense solid or sub-solid lung shadows found on imaging examinations that are less than or equal to 3 cm in diameter.
Statistics show that about 60% of people will be diagnosed with lung nodules, but 95% of them are benign and only about 5% of lung nodules may be lung cancer.
Prawns are a nutritious food that contains a lot of protein and minerals, but for some people, seafood may promote the development of lung nodules, is this statement accurate?
01 With pulmonary nodules, the body generally has 3 signals, so don't delay
Signal 1: Constant coughing
When there is a lesion in the lungs, the most immediate manifestation is coughing. If there is inflammation or tuberculosis in the lungs, it can irritate the bronchial tubes, causing coughing. This cough is usually severe, sometimes accompanied by sputum, and can last for months or even longer if not treated promptly or thoroughly.
Signal 2: Chest pain
When a lung lesion affects the pleura or intercostal nerves, it causes chest pain, which is usually severe and sometimes radiates to the shoulder or back, and may be more pronounced if it is accompanied by pneumonia or pleural effusion.
Signal 3: Shortness of breath
When lung lesions affect lung function, it causes shortness of breath, which is usually severe, sometimes accompanied by hypoxia or cyanosis, and may last for months or even longer if not treated promptly or completely.
02Why are there more and more patients with pulmonary nodules?
environmental pollution
With the development of industrialization and urbanization, air pollution is becoming more and more serious, and harmful substances in the air such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, etc., cause irritation and damage to the lungs, thereby increasing the risk of lung nodules.
smoking
Tobacco contains a large number of harmful substances, such as nicotine, tar, etc., long-term smoking will cause damage to the lungs, promote the formation of lung nodules, smoking not only endangers personal health, but also causes second-hand smoke to the people around you.
Occupational exposure
Some people engaged in special occupations, such as miners, cooks, doctors, etc., are prone to lung damage and the occurrence of pulmonary nodules due to long-term exposure to harmful substances such as dust and oil smoke.
Chronic inflammation of the lungs
Long-term chronic inflammatory stimulation will lead to lung tissue damage and repair, and then form pulmonary nodules, for example, the incidence of pulmonary nodules in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases such as tuberculosis and chronic bronchitis is significantly higher than that in healthy people.
03Is prawns a "catalyst" for lung nodules?
In fact, there is one-sidedness in this view, prawns are a seafood food often eaten in life, rich in vitamins, high-quality protein, amino acids, minerals and other nutrients, which are beneficial to human health.
The astaxanthin in prawns can activate the body's immunity, improve physical weakness and other problems, and make the body stronger. In addition, eating shrimp meat regularly can improve memory, and eating more shrimp meat in middle-aged and elderly people can prevent Alzheimer's disease, promote calcium absorption in the body, prevent osteoporosis, etc., and make bones stronger.
However, shrimp meat is a food with high purine content, and long-term intake may lead to an increase in uric acid levels, which has a certain impact on health.
Therefore, patients with pulmonary nodules can eat shrimp meat in small amounts, because shrimp meat is rich in nutrients, especially protein content, which helps to meet nutritional needs.
However, if patients with pulmonary nodules eat too much shrimp, it may lead to excessive metabolic burden on the body, and even some people especially like to eat fried prawns, which often leads to excessive fat intake, which is not conducive to recovery.
Therefore, it is recommended that you choose to cook shrimp meat by boiling or steaming, which is more helpful to meet nutritional needs, in addition, after detecting lung nodules, in addition to eating less seafood such as prawns, the following two types of food should also be quit quickly, do not joke about your health.
04 What benefits can the body reap from eating prawns properly?
Supplement with high-quality protein
Prawns are rich in high-quality protein, which helps to promote muscle growth, repair tissues, and maintain life activities when eaten.
Especially for those who regularly exercise or engage in heavy physical labor, proper consumption of prawns can replenish the protein needed by the body, which can help build muscle strength and promote body recovery.
Boosts immunity
Prawns are also rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, etc., which help to enhance the body's immunity and prevent the occurrence of diseases.
Especially for people with weakened immunity, such as children and the elderly, proper consumption of prawns can improve resistance and reduce the occurrence of common diseases such as colds.
Promotes brain health
The fatty acids rich in prawns are very beneficial for brain health, these fatty acids can promote the growth and development of nerve cells, improve memory and cognitive ability, and for students and brain workers, proper consumption of prawns can help improve learning efficiency and reduce fatigue.
Protects cardiovascular health
The unsaturated fatty acids in prawns help lower cholesterol levels and prevent the occurrence of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.
In addition, prawns are also rich in magnesium, which can lower blood pressure and protect cardiovascular health.
05 Doctor: In addition to seafood, it is better to touch less of the two types of food
Something cold
Patients with pulmonary nodules need to pay special attention to their diet, because improper diet may adversely affect lung health, among them, cold things and raw cold foods are not suitable for pulmonary nodules.
Although these foods can bring short-term stimulation and pleasure, long-term consumption or excessive consumption will cause damage to lung health, cold drinks and raw cold cold food will stimulate the spleen and stomach, resulting in impaired spleen and stomach function, and will also cause certain irritation to the lungs, and even induce lung discomfort.
The lungs are called "delicate", both afraid of cold and heat, so cold drinks and other cold things will not be conducive to lung health, if you drink cold drinks directly, it will cause cold evil qi to enter the body, cause certain stimulation to the lungs, and even induce lung diseases, for people who have been detected pulmonary nodules, often eating raw and cold cold food will also lead to damage to their own health.
Deep-fried food
Fried foods release harmful substances such as acrylamide at high temperatures, which can have a negative impact on lung health and may aggravate the symptoms of nodules, so people with lung nodules should avoid eating fried foods to protect lung health.
Acrylamide is a potential carcinogen that poses a potential threat to human health, and this substance is easily released at high temperatures, especially during the process of frying food.
If a person with a lung nodule consumes fried food, acrylamide may irritate the cells in the lungs, causing the nodule to grow and worsen. In addition, fried foods may increase the body's inflammatory response, further aggravating the symptoms of nodules.
06 Detect a lung nodule, drink 4 more teas, lungs or say "thank you" to you!
Monk fruit tea
Monk fruit has the effect of clearing the lungs, relieving cough and dissolving phlegm, and drinking it in moderation can relieve lung inflammation and improve breathing conditions.
Honeysuckle tea
Honeysuckle has heat-clearing and detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects, and helps reduce lung infections and inflammation.
Fat sea tea
Fat sea has the effect of moisturizing the lungs, detoxifying and diuretic, helping to remove toxins from the lungs and reduce physical discomfort.
Chrysanthemum tea
Chrysanthemum has the effect of dispelling wind, brightening the eyes, clearing heat and detoxifying, and moderate drinking can relieve lung inflammation and reduce physical discomfort.
07Read more: What kind of lung nodules need surgery?
Surgical treatment of pulmonary nodules depends on factors such as the size, location, shape, and risk of malignancy of the nodules.
In general, if the nodule is larger than 8 mm in diameter and has signs of malignancy such as irregular shape, blurred borders or burrs, your doctor will recommend surgical removal.
In addition, if the nodule is located near the hilum of the lungs or adjacent to a large vessel or heart and cannot be eliminated or confirmed by nonsurgical methods, your doctor may recommend surgery.