Management of some chemotherapy side effects
Knowledge about some chemotherapy side effects – There are various discomforts after chemotherapy, learn how to deal with chemotherapy side effects.
Fatigue.
Chemotherapy can make you feel tired, and as you go through more cycles of chemotherapy, this fatigue may become more pronounced: 1.
1. eat and drink as much water as possible, or eat smaller meals if you can’t, and limit coffee and alcohol intake.
2, take naps whenever possible, rather than taking long breaks; this will not interfere with the evening rest time.
3, save energy, work and rest; consider doing exercise several times a day or a week, including swimming, walking and yoga, etc.
Hair loss.
Generally 2-3 weeks after chemotherapy, hair begins to fall out, but in the interval of chemotherapy or after the end, patients will grow new hair :
1.It is recommended to keep hair short and reduce the number of combing; use mild shampoo and use a soft comb;
2, when hair loss starts, pay attention to protection against cold and avoid catching a cold.
3.Protect your scalp from the sun by preventing strong sunlight, using sunscreen and wearing a hat or headband to protect your scalp from the sun.
4.Use a soft pillowcase; if using a hairdryer, call low temperature first gear.
5.For severe hair loss, optional wigs are available to improve the appearance.
Mouth ulcers.
Mouth ulcers may occur during chemotherapy, which is caused by chemotherapy drugs that damage the cells of the oral mucosa; mouth ulcers and infections mostly occur 5~7 days after chemotherapy and are most serious around 2 weeks.
The following methods can prevent the occurrence of oral ulcers to the maximum extent.
1. develop the habit of brushing teeth in the morning and evening, rinsing the mouth after meals, using soft-bristled toothbrushes; rinsing the mouth with mouthwash when necessary can reduce bacterial reproduction.
2. Patients should quit smoking and alcohol and avoid eating foods that are more irritating or rough and raw.
3, eating should be chewed slowly, food temperature should be appropriate; strengthen nutrition, diet should be rich in vitamins, fine and soft, less slag, so as not to damage the mucosa. Prohibit the consumption of irritating and hard food.
4, to ensure sufficient water intake, eat more vegetables and fruits.
5.To pay attention to the changes in the oral cavity, such as swollen or painful gums, the occurrence of ulcers promptly told the doctor;
6.If there is fungal infection, give ketoconazole solution and mycophenolate solution to rinse the mouth.
7.If oral ulcers occur, apply stannous dispersion, watermelon cream spray and B vitamin supplement to the affected area.
Dermatitis, hyperpigmentation.
Many chemotherapy drugs have certain stimulation to the skin, the clinical manifestations are hives of different sizes, skin itching, skin pigmentation, etc. In severe cases, it can cause exfoliative dermatitis.
Please refer to the following to do self-care.
1, before chemotherapy, follow medical advice and take anti-allergy drugs on time.
2. Keep the skin clean and take baths regularly, but do not use baths that are too hot, too cold or irritating.
3, dermatitis or hyperpigmentation, do not scratch with your hands and do not use drugs indiscriminately.
4. Avoid direct exposure to ultraviolet rays, especially for those who are allergic to ultraviolet rays, pay extra attention and be prepared for sun protection when going out.
Bone marrow suppression.
Chemotherapy drugs usually cause varying degrees of bone marrow suppression, with leukopenia first, followed by thrombocytopenia. In general, chemotherapy-impacted treatment cannot be administered until normalcy is restored.
Therefore the following points need to be noted.
1.Giving a high protein, high calorie, vitamin-rich diet.
2.Check the blood routine on time according to the doctor’s prescription, and pay attention to the presence of fever and bleeding.
3.Take medication according to the doctor’s prescription when the blood routine is abnormal; you may have back pain, drink more water and rest.
4.If you start to have cough, sore throat, burning pain when urinating, please inform the doctor or nurse in time.
5.Do your personal cleanliness and hygiene.
6.Do not eat raw foods, such as sushi and raw fish, salads or shakes made from raw eggs, until you have finished chemotherapy and your white blood cell count has returned to the proper level. Raw foods can carry bacteria that can lead to infection. Be sure to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
7. Follow medical advice for transfusion of whole blood or component blood if necessary.
Neuropathy.
The most common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy caused by some chemotherapy drugs include tingling, burning, numbness or fine motor disturbances.
1. Shoes and socks that are too tight can aggravate the pain and tingling sensation and may lead to sores that will not heal. Wear soft, loose-fitting cotton socks and cotton shoes.
2. if you have burning pain, soak your hands and feet in cool water twice a day.
3. Massage your hands and feet to improve blood circulation and stimulate the nerves, which can temporarily relieve the pain.
Other side effects.
1. ringing in the ears or reduced hearing: notify medical personnel if you experience such discomfort.
2. Menopause: Female patients may experience menopause and even have problems with early menopause. These include hot flashes, sweating, dizziness, headache and panic, insomnia, irritability or depression. Inform the medical staff if you experience such discomfort and we will give you appropriate guidance, not mistaking your body for other diseases.
3. Flu-like symptoms: You may use the following over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen
Decreased liver function.
The liver has detoxification function, and when chemotherapy drugs are applied for a long time or in high doses, it will damage the liver. Patients will show weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, elevated transaminases, and in severe cases, jaundice can occur.
The following points can be done to make the liver function recover as soon as possible.
1. Pay attention to bed rest, reduce activities and ensure sufficient sleep.
2.Eating should be light and less greasy. Increase the intake of protein and vitamins, such as fish, eggs, tomatoes, oranges, green vegetables, etc., as appropriate.
3.Follow the doctor’s prescription for medication and remember to take the medication on time.
4. Observe whether there is any change in the color of the skin and swelling of the body, and inform the doctor of any abnormality in time.
Response to anemia and platelet and white blood cell reduction
Anemia.
1.Adequate rest, sleep more at night and take a nap during the day.
2.Reduce the amount of activity and eat a nutritionally balanced diet.
3.Stand up slowly when sitting, and sit up first before standing when lying down, which can prevent dizziness.
Reduced platelets.
The main function of platelets is to stop bleeding, if platelets fall below normal value there will be a risk of bleeding. It is important to rest in bed and move slowly to avoid bleeding from bumps.
Strengthen their own conditioning, do the following.
1.Brush your teeth with a soft toothbrush or rinse your mouth with mouthwash to prevent gum bleeding, and avoid eating rough and hard food.
2. after performing various punctures and injections, the patient should press the puncture or injection site for 15 minutes.
3.Keep bowel movements open, use laxatives if necessary, observe the color of urine and stool, and keep specimens with abnormal color to inform the doctor in time.
4.Check the skin and gums frequently for bleeding. Inform the doctor if there is any abnormality.
5.If headache and nausea occur, notify the health care provider immediately.
Leukopenia.
Usually the white blood cells drop to the lowest in the 2nd week after chemotherapy. This decrease is temporary. Ensure sufficient sleep and recovery usually begins in the 3rd week after chemotherapy.
When the white blood cells are lower than normal, patients should do the following protection.
1. first of all, pay attention to rest, increase clothing appropriately, do not go to crowded public places, prevent the occurrence of colds, and reduce visits.
2, strengthen the diet and nutrition, drink more water, eat high-protein, high-calorie food, to increase the body’s ability to resist disease.
3.If a small wound is found on the body, disinfection should be given in time to avoid causing systemic infection. Pay attention to dietary hygiene and disinfection of tableware.
4. to pay attention to the change of body temperature, which will help to detect the infection early.
5. When the white blood cell count is <1×109/L, serious infection is likely to occur and the doctor must be contacted immediately and protective isolation measures need to be applied.
Diet for anemia and low platelets and low white blood cells
Diet for patients with low platelets.
1, it is advisable to eat foods that nourish blood, stop bleeding, cool blood and clear heat, such as peanuts, red dates, cinnamon, walnuts, lentils, eggplant, marjoram, lotus root, radish, fish bladder, animal skin glue and other foods.
2. Strictly control or prohibit drugs that can cause thrombocytopenia, such as cephalosporin, quinine, sodium p-amiloride, rifampin, aspirin, etc.
3, do not smoke, do not drink alcohol, do not eat spicy stimulants.
4. Recommended recipes: steamed pork liver, astragalus astragalus chicken, date and lotus root soup.
Recommended recipes for patients with low white blood cells.
1, black fungus and red dates porridge.
Black fungus 30 grams, red dates 20 grams, round-grained rice, black fungus hair torn into small pieces, red dates soaked in boiling water and diced, plus 20 minutes of fine stain, fungus and round-grained rice together into a porridge, mixed with dates, brown sugar, and then cooked for 20 minutes. Do breakfast and dinner or snacks to take.
2, wolfberry sheep bone porridge.
Chinese wolfberry 50 grams, sheep bones 500 grams, black beans 3 loops, 10 jujube, 50 grams of round-grained rice, sheep bones cracked, and Chinese wolfberry, black beans, jujube, round-grained rice into a casserole with water to boil porridge, seasoning to eat. Every other day once, can be served for a long time.
3, longan lotus seeds porridge
Longan 5 grams, lotus seeds 10 grams, 100 grams of rice. Longan, lotus seeds, rice with the porridge to take. The above
This is a daily dose, divided into two portions: morning and evening. The meal has the effect of strengthening the spleen and nourishing the heart, benefitting the qi and replenishing blood, suitable for the treatment of anemia and leukopenia.
4, glutinous rice Agaricus congee.
Agaricus 15 grams, glutinous rice 50 grams, a little brown sugar. First, cook the porridge with glutinous rice, and when the porridge is ready, add the crushed Agaricus blazei, stirring while cooking, and boil for two or three minutes. This is a daily amount, divided into morning and evening two times to take. This remedy has the effect of nourishing blood, tonifying deficiency and stopping bleeding. Applicable to deficiency of blood, dizziness, weakness, leukopenia, anemia and other diseases.
5, angelica and mutton soup.
Angelica 10 grams, astragalus 15 grams, ginseng 10 grams, lamb 250 grams, onion, ginger, wine, MSG appropriate amount. Wash the lamb, angelica, astragalus, ginseng into a gauze bag, tie the mouth, and onion, ginger salt, wine together into an aluminum pot, add water to the appropriate amount. Put on the fire boil, and then simmered in the fire, until the lamb is cooked and rotten. Add monosodium glutamate when serving. Eat meat, drink soup. This is the amount of 1 day, divided into morning and evening twice to take. This medicine has the effect of nourishing blood and tonic deficiency. Applicable to leukopenia and various anemia.
6, five red soup.
Red peanuts, brown sugar, red beans, wolfberries, red dates, a two-cup water jar clean, put the appropriate water and cover, and then the jar into a pot with water to steam, and then the pot of water boiled with a low fire steam for 20 minutes.
Suitable diet for patients with low white blood cells.
1. royal jelly: royal jelly is nourishing, strengthening and spleen-healthy, especially for patients with reduced white blood cells after cancer treatment.
2. Jujube: Jujube has the effect of nourishing the spleen, benefiting the qi and nourishing the blood, and is suitable for those with blood deficiency, anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. For tumor patients after radiotherapy or chemotherapy caused by leukocyte reduction, folk used to use red dates with red beans, glutinous rice porridge to eat.
3, shiitake mushroom: It is reported that polysaccharides extracted from fresh shiitake mushrooms have significant therapeutic effect on leukopenia. Generally, families can use fresh shiitake mushrooms in appropriate amounts to cook or make dishes for regular consumption. Shiitake mushrooms also have the effect of improving autoimmune function.
4, ginseng: ginseng can nourish the vital energy and strengthen the body, especially suitable for leukopenia patients with deficiency of qi and yang, weakness, coldness and weakness.
5, peanut rice: peanut rice has the reputation of “longevity fruit”, is one of the daily family hospitality fruit, it is rich in nutrition, medicinal value can not be ignored. The latest experimental research shows that the consumption of peanuts can increase white blood cells, especially for tumor patients due to radiation therapy, chemotherapy-induced leukopenia has a significant therapeutic effect.
Anemia suitable food to eat.
1, spinach, which is the most common vegetable, is also known as a blood food. Spinach is rich in iron carotene, so spinach is considered to be a good blood vegetable.
2, carrots, carrots are rich in vitamin B, vitamin C, but also contains a special nutrient – carotene, carotene is very helpful for blood. The carrots can be used to make soup, which is a good blood tonic. You can also juice carrots and add honey as a drink.
3, black beans, ancient people believe that eating beans is beneficial, most books on black beans can make people’s hair black, in fact, black beans can also produce blood. Black beans can be eaten according to each person’s preference, if it is postpartum anemia, it is recommended to cook black beans with black bone chicken.
Recommended recipes for anemia.
1, angelica and lamb for anemia method.
(1) 25 grams of angelica, 25 grams of astragalus, 25 grams of ginseng, 500 grams of lamb, onion, ginger, wine, monosodium glutamate, salt.
(2) wash the lamb, put angelica, astragalus and ginseng into a gauze bag, tie the mouth, put them into a pot, then add onion, ginger, salt, wine and appropriate amount of water, then put the pot on the fire and boil, then simmer on the fire, until the lamb is cooked.
2, soy beans and pig liver for anemia: first boil soy beans to 80%, then add an equal amount of pig liver cooked together, add the appropriate amount of seasoning, each serving 100 to 200 grams, twice a day, for 2 weeks, can cure iron deficiency anemia.
3, boiled eggs to cure anemia method: 2 eggs, take the yolk to break, boil water first add a little salt, into the egg yolk cooked, drink and serve 2 times a day. Effect: Iron, for iron deficiency anemia.
4, cooking porridge for anemia: 100 grams of brown glutinous rice, 50 grams of barley, 10-15 red dates, cooked into porridge. Add appropriate amount of sugar when serving. Efficacy: nourishing Yin and replenishing blood.
5, pig liver and spinach for anemia method: pig liver 150 grams, spinach appropriate amount. Wash and slice the pig liver, mix it with precipitate, salt, soy sauce and chicken essence, put it in a frying pan and stir-fry it with the spinach.