If you are undergoing chemotherapy you know how managing side effects can be physically draining and how it can be emotionally overwhelming at the same time. You have to manage the day-to-day side effects of your chemotherapy treatment with a holistic term based plan and this plan should be prepared with the expertise of oncology practitioners, primary care providers and healthcare professionals. 

You can become more resilient and improve the quality of your life by adopting a proactive approach towards managing the negative side effects or any adverse drug effects. Thangam Cancer Center,  an advanced cancer hospital in Salem offers chemotherapy to their patients and they also help patients recover from adverse or potential drug reactions since chemotherapy can influence a patient’s baseline health severely.

Before starting your chemotherapy treatment, discussing the side effects with your doctor can be the right place to begin with since it will help you find the proper solution. 

In this blog we will be focusing on how to manage the side effects and enhance the quality of life. 

1. Cognitive Changes and Chemotherapy

One of the most frustrating side effects is the “ Chemo brain” effect that you may experience after a chemotherapy treatment. Chemo brain is the term that is used to describe the cognitive decline that you may experience before, during, and/or after cancer treatment. It can also be called the mental fog wherein you lack focus, have problems while concentrating or even have troubles in processing or remembering information. This can happen even if you haven’t been treated with chemotherapy. 

Usually, this effect improves gradually after the treatment is complete yet some people may have lingering, lifelong executive functioning issues such as the difficulty in sequencing, impaired problem solving and lacking attention to tasks and others.

These strategies can help you improve your cognitive functioning after chemotherapy:

• Try to avoid multitasking
• Break every task into smaller parts
• Take up and complete the challenging tasks early in the day
• Exercise regularly if you are medically fit
• Practice meditation daily
• Let people know about the chemo brain effect so that they can help you
• Keep a small notepad or use your mobile to jot down or record important dates, numbers and to-do lists.
• You can use an alarm or pill box to remind yourself to take medication

2. Cancer Treatment and Fatigue

Almost all of the people who go through chemotherapy treatment will experience fatigue at some point since chemotherapy kills both healthy cells and cancer cells. So due to low platelet and red blood cell counts, you may experience fatigue. Insomnia, dehydration, lack of exercise and stress may also contribute to fatigue. 

These are some of the tips that can help you to manage fatigue after undergoing chemotherapy:

• Pay attention to the mechanics of your body during any activity
• Ask others for help 
• Take care of your mental health since depression may mimic like fatigue
• Go for a short walk as this will help your body to regulate its metabolism and you may get more sound sleep.
• Follow a consistent bedtime routine and reduce the screen time
• If you are doing any chore try to sit down during those tasks
• Try to plan out complex tasks and take short breaks – a short nap of around 30 minutes.

A cancer chemotherapy center in Coimbatore like Thangam Cancer Center will assist you in significantly improving your lifestyle after chemotherapy therapy. They offer physiotherapy, pain and palliative care along with speech/swallow therapy. They specialize in surgical oncology and other general specialities offering you a top-notch chemotherapy treatment to beat cancer. 

3. Changes in Hair, Nail and Skin

Chemotherapy may cause noticeable changes in your hair, nail and skin which can be physically painful and emotionally challenging, but you can use these tips to cope with the changes: 

• A cooling cap may help prevent hair loss
• Use 40% urea cream and thick emollients to prevent cracked skin
• Instead of hot water, use cool or lukewarm water
• Wearing shoes with a wider tox box will reduce the pressure on toenails.

4. Immunosuppression

People who are going through chemotherapy have an increased risk of infection due to low white blood cell count. You may follow these points if you have a compromised immune system : 

• Avoid crowds and wear a facemask if you are going to any public places
• Frequently wash your hands
• Check whether your vaccinations are up to date after chemotherapy
• If you have a fever over 100.4 F then call a provider immediately.

5. Lymphedema

Chemotherapy can lead to lymphedema affecting various parts of the body and it commonly occurs in the arms or legs. Since it is a chronic condition, you need to know how to manage it in the long run to avoid complications. A Lymphedema massage and therapy can be used to manage your symptoms or you can use compression garments or wrappings after taking proper advice from your healthcare advisor. 

Taking care of your mental health and your whole body is important in the long run to beat cancer effectively. You can visit an advanced cancer hospital in Trichy  to learn more about your chemotherapy treatment so that you can give your cells a chance to breathe again.