Breast Cancer Support and Diet
Things as simple as leading a healthy lifestyle and avoiding negative impact of environment may help people keep their breast cancer symptoms under control. Exercising regularly is crucial, and although strenuous exercise is not recommended, you should do your best to keep in good shape no matter what. In fact, it may be enough to walk at least half an hour a day. This kind of exercise, the right breast cancer diet and an active lifestyle in general:
- Increase breast cancer survival rate
- Help prevent anemia, which may occur as a result of chemotherapy or radiation treatment
- Enhance quality of life after cancer treatment
What can be done for breast cancer support at home?
No matter at what stage of treatment you are, many things can be done to deal with breast cancer symptoms and side effects resulting from the chemicals. In fact, home cancer treatment may be enough to overcome the most unpleasant side effects. However, make sure you follow all the instructions provided by the medicine manufacturer and your doctor.
• Nausea and vomiting. Make sure you inform your doctor about any cases of nausea and vomiting if you are currently receiving one of the following breast cancer cure methods: radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Things you can do at home include preventing the signs of dehydration leading to nausea and vomiting: sticky saliva, dark yellow or reduced urine and dry mouth. These side effects can be also treated with special drugs. If the drugs do not seem to help stop nausea and vomiting, tell your doctor immediately so that you could alter the way of treatment.
• Fatigue. This side effect can also be caused by breast cancer treatment. Fatigue is possible in case you have been experiencing a lot of stress, if you have had a surgery or if you have received both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This symptom is likely to deteriorate at the last stage of the treatment period, and you can experience fatigue up to a year after the treatment is completed. Home breast cancer support aimed at relieving the symptoms includes getting plenty of rest when you receive radiation therapy or chemotherapy and doing some light exercise. It’s generally recommended to keep to the usual routine; however, you should compensate for it with sleeping more. It’s important that you immediately talk to your doctor in case fatigue doesn’t go away despite all your efforts.
• Diarrhea. Some drugs used in chemotherapy have been reported to cause diarrhea. If you experience this side effect, talk to your doctor about it. It’s not usual for radiation therapy to cause this symptom. Here is what you can do to avoid diarrhea: sticking to a balanced breast cancer diet and watching out for any signs of dehydration. If you decide to take some drugs for diarrhea, discuss this with your doctor first.
• Constipation. Breast cancer products used for chemotherapy, as well as medicines to reduce pain or treat nausea and vomiting are likely to cause constipation. While radiation therapy doesn’t usually cause this side effect, it may occur after a surgery, so make sure you let your doctor know about it. Things you can do at home to help your body fight side effects include getting enough fiber, minerals and vitamins. If you decide to take a laxative, it’s recommended to discuss it with your doctor first.
Back to Breast Cancer
