7/9/2023 0 Comments Radium poisoning meaning![]() They can suggest ways to ease the discomfort, lessen further irritation, and prevent infection. It’s important to let your cancer care team know about any skin changes. This is sometimes called radiation dermatitis. After a few weeks, your skin might become dry, flaky, or itchy, or it may peel. Your skin in the radiation treatment area might look red, irritated, swollen, blistered, sunburned, or tanned. If you need to take time off from work, talk to your employer. Your fatigue disrupts your social life or daily routine.You can’t get out of bed for more than 24 hours.You become confused or can’t focus your thoughts.You’re feeling tired, and it’s not related to something you’ve done.You’re more tired than usual during or after an activity.Your fatigue doesn’t get better, keeps coming back, or gets worse.Or you can use a scale of 0 to 10, where a 0 means no fatigue, and a 10 is the worst fatigue you could imagine.Įither way you choose, it’s important to describe your fatigue to your cancer care team. You can describe your level of fatigue as none, mild, moderate, or severe. The best measure of fatigue comes from your own report to your cancer care team. No lab tests or x-rays can diagnose or describe your level of fatigue. Only you know if you have fatigue and how bad it is. But it will usually go away over time after treatment ends. It can last a long time and can get in the way of your usual activities. Fatigue felt during radiation treatment is different from the fatigue of everyday life, and it might not get better with rest. Managing fatigue is an important part of care. Stress from being sick and daily trips for treatment can make fatigue worse. Fatigue usually gets worse as treatment goes on. This happens because radiation treatments destroy some healthy cells as well as the cancer cells. Most people start to feel tired after a few weeks of radiation therapy. It’s very common for people with cancer and often happens with radiation therapy. Common general side effects of radiation therapy Fatigueįatigue is feeling tired physically, mentally, and emotionally. These drugs have their own side effects, too, so be sure you understand what to look for. Not all doctors agree on how these drugs should be used in radiation therapy. This drug may be used in people with head and neck cancer to reduce the mouth problems caused by radiation therapy. The one most commonly used today is amifostine. ![]() These drugs are given before radiation treatment to protect certain normal tissues in the treatment area. One way to reduce side effects is by using radioprotective drugs, but these are only used for certain types of radiation given to certain parts of the body. Radioprotective drugs for reducing side effects It’s always best to talk to your radiation oncologist about the risk of long-term side effects. Careful treatment planning can help avoid serious long-term side effects. The risk of late side effects depends on the area treated as well as the radiation dose that was used. They can occur in any normal tissue in the body that has received radiation. Late side effects can take months or even years to develop.Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area. The most common early side effects are fatigue (feeling tired) and skin changes. They’re usually gone within a few weeks after treatment ends. These side effects tend to be short-term, mild, and treatable. Early side effects happen during or shortly after treatment.Early and late effects of radiation therapy Tell your cancer care team about any side affects you notice so they can help you with them. ![]() If you have side effects that are bothersome and affecting your daily activities or health, the doctor may stop your treatments for a while, change the schedule, or change the type of treatment you’re getting. Others find they need more rest than usual and can’t do as much. Some patients are able to go to work or enjoy leisure activities while they get radiation therapy. What you can do will depend on how you feel. Side effects might limit your ability to do some things. Some side effects may continue after treatment ends because it takes time for the healthy cells to recover from radiation. Most side effects go away within a few months of ending treatment. Remember that the type of radiation side effects you might have depends on the prescribed dose and schedule. Some people have few or no side effects, while others have quite a few. ![]() Any side effect you might have depends on the type and location of cancer, the dose of radiation being given, and your general health. It's very important to remember that every person reacts differently to treatment. ![]()
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