Both the disease itself and the treatment can affect your quality of life. Regardless of the stage of your disease, there are ways to relieve symptoms and treatment-related adverse effects during treatment, and to “manage” lung cancer at home. No matter what measures you take, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions. You can talk to your doctor to get some helpful information.
There are several types of adverse reactions that can be helped by home treatment.
- Nausea and vomiting. Watch for early signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, mucousy sputum, and dark yellow urine with decreased urine output.
- Diarrhea.
- Diarrhea. You may need to fast and be alert for signs of dehydration.
- Constipation.
- Constipation. Exercise in moderation while consuming adequate fluids and eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber.
- Fatigue. Get plenty of rest during chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
- Pain. Management includes cold and hot compresses and learning to distract.
- Oral pain. Solutions include avoiding certain foods and gargling with a mouthwash or antacid.
- Poor sleep. Get to bed on time, be regular, and drink less or no excitatory beverages such as coffee.
Other problems that can be controlled with home treatment include:
- Loss of appetite or difficulty eating. If you have no appetite or find it difficult to swallow, eating smaller, more frequent meals and eating liquid foods may help.
- Cough. If the cough doesn’t stop or is severe, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter and prescription medications to help stop the cough.
Quit smoking
Even if you already have lung cancer, it’s never too late to quit smoking. Here’s why:
- Smoking cessation in lung cancer patients will improve treatment outcomes and help prolong life. After surgery, smoking delays wound healing, and quitting smoking facilitates postoperative recovery.
- Patients with early-stage lung cancer who receive radiation therapy have less survival time as smokers than as nonsmokers.
- Smoking may also reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy. The nicotine in tobacco appears to promote cancer cell proliferation and favor neovascularization, which provides them with nutrients, while also protecting cancer cells from being destroyed by drugs.