Alleviation of food aversion

Food aversion or decreased appetite is common in connection with serious illness, and you may find it difficult to eat enough. You may lose weight, even if you think that you're eating normally.

There may be various reasons why you don't feel like eating. For example, several types of medications, such as painkillers and antidepressants, may give a dry mouth sensation or decrease the production of saliva. Having a dry mouth can make it difficult to chew food.

In connection with severe illness, it is common to experience oral thrush. Oral thrush can make food taste of cardboard or unpleasant. Oral thrush can also cause nausea, which further reduces the desire to eat. Oral thrush often causes a sensitive or painful mouth, and thereby difficulties swallowing and chewing food.

The illness itself can reduce your appetite. Chemotherapy can cause severe nausea and vomiting. If you are getting painkillers, such as morphine, you may become constipated, which can cause nausea and a decreased appetite.

There are certain things you can do to eliminate or alleviate food aversion: Ensure you maintain good oral hygiene, keep your mouth clean and go to the dentist if you experience problems with chewing, or your prosthesis doesn't fit. You should also examine whether there is a coating on your tongue. Please consult your doctor if there is.

Test whether there are some sour or sweet things you can eat or drink that may help to relieve your nausea. Some people find some relief from nausea if they eat sour sweets or mints. You should also ensure any constipation is treated. Your doctor may prescribe laxatives, if needed.

If you are bothered by persistent nausea, then you can ask your doctor to prescribe nausea medication, which you can either use daily or when necessary. It's important to speak to your doctor about whether your medication should be changed. It may help to take your medicine in a different way.

If you are, for example, suffering from food aversion or nausea, it won't be appropriate to crush the medicine and eat it in curdled milk or yoghurt. Instead, you should swallow your tablets whole. If you have problems swallowing pills, you can swallow them with some fluid such as milk or protein drink or with a spoonful of honey. You will have to try out which method works best for you.

You may be in a situation where you've hardly been able to eat for a period of time, or have lost a tremendous amount of weight although you've been eating normally. If this is how you feel it is important to speak to a doctor and a dietitian urgently.

A dietitian can guide you and your relatives to know what the best nutrition is for you.