Did you know that consuming raw foods while undergoing chemotherapy can put you at a higher risk of foodborne illnesses?
Overexertion, not consuming the right food and smoking can all be responsible for immense side effects and uncontrollable complications during chemotherapy.
Proper knowledge of things to avoid during chemotherapy can make you feel safer while undergoing treatment. You can avoid the menace of extreme side effects and lower the pain if you are armed with right information.
So, let’s start with the things to avoid during chemotherapy
13 Things Not to Do While on Chemotherapy
Undergoing chemotherapy can be a challenging experience, and it’s important to take certain precautions to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment and minimize side effects. To help you in your journey towards better health, here are 13 things not to do while on chemotherapy:
1. Avoid eating raw meat or seafood:
Raw meat and seafood can increase the risk of foodborne illnesses, which can be particularly dangerous for individuals with weakened immune systems during chemotherapy.
You are advised to avoid uncooked food, as they may not only cause foodborne illness but disturb the gut bacterial balance and cause diarrhea-like symptoms.
2. Avoid overexerting yourself
Fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy, so it’s
important to avoid overexertion and listen to your body. Engaging in moderate exercise
may be possible for some patients, but it’s essential to find a balance and not push
yourself too hard.
Remember that overexertion can cause your body to negatively react with chemo therapeutic drugs.
3. Keep away from smoking
Smoking can have detrimental effects on your health, especially during chemotherapy. It can further weaken your immune system and increase the risk of complications.
Your symptoms can be aggravated by consuming tobacco or smoking cigarettes.
4. Stay away from raw or unpasteurized milk
Raw or unpasteurized milk can contain harmful bacteria that can cause infections, which can be particularly dangerous for people undergoing chemotherapy.
Try taking pasteurized milk from reputed companies, as it can reduce the chance of bacterial infection and improve your health.
5. Don’t neglect dental care
Chemotherapy can weaken the immune system, making it more susceptible to infections. You can suffer from gum bleeding and tooth pain during chemotherapy. It’s important to visit the dentist before starting chemotherapy to ensure there are no oral health issues that could lead to infections during treatment.
6. Avoid excessive sun exposure
Chemotherapy can make the skin more sensitive to the sun. It makes your skin look darker and unhealthy.
It’s important to protect yourself from harmful UV rays by wearing sunscreen, seeking shade, and using protective clothing.
7. Don’t neglect vaccinations
As mentioned earlier, chemotherapy suppresses the immune system, making it important to ensure that your vaccinations are up to date before starting treatment. This includes getting the flu vaccine and other recommended vaccines.
8. Avoid contact with sick individuals
Chemotherapy makes you prone to catch infections. It’s important to stay away from people and pets who are sick, as even a mild illness can become more severe during chemotherapy.
9. Don’t skip or alter your medication
It’s crucial to take your prescribed medications as directed by your healthcare team. Skipping doses of regular medicines or altering the dosage without medical advice can affect the effectiveness of the treatment. Remember that some medicines are given to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
10. Don’t ignore symptoms or side effects
It’s important to communicate with your healthcare team about any symptoms or side effects you experience during chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can have a wide variety of symptoms starting from hair loss to infertility.
11. Avoid using harsh chemicals
Chemotherapy can make your skin more sensitive, so it’s best to avoid using harsh chemicals, such as strong cleaning agents or beauty products that may irritate your skin.
12. Avoid extreme temperatures
Extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, can affect your body’s ability to tolerate chemotherapy. It’s important to dress appropriately and avoid extreme temperature conditions.
13. Avoid self-medication
It’s important to consult with your healthcare team before taking any over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, or alternative therapies.
Sometimes, over-the-counter medications can do more harm than good.
Conclusion
Side effects of chemotherapy will depend on the dosage of the therapy as well as the time of administration.
MedicoExperts Tumour Board will correctly decide the right dosage of chemotherapy that will cause minimal side effects.
Chemotherapy can be administered in different ways, such as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (given before surgery to shrink the tumor) or adjuvant chemotherapy (given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells).
The MedicoExperts Tumour Board plays a crucial role in deciding when and how chemotherapy should be incorporated into the overall treatment plan so that the dosage is well tolerated causing minimum pain and side effects.
FAQ :
Q How many days rest after chemo?
At least 2 months of rest is advised after chemotherapy.
Q What are the hardest days after chemo?
The hardest days after chemo are the days when you feel maximum fatigue, weakness, and nausea.
Q What is the fastest way to recover from chemotherapy?
The fastest way to recover from chemotherapy is to take the right medicines for the side effects and also to take plenty of rest.
Written by Dr Subhamoy Mukherjee, Ph.D. (Oncology).
Dr Subhamoy is a molecular oncologist and worked with genomic profiles of patients. He has 8 years of experience in scientific writing and patient data analysis. He takes strong interest in making people aware of the different diagnostic and treatment approaches of cancer through his informative articles and blogs.
