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What can I do to take care of myself during
therapy?
You need to take special care of yourself to protect your
health during radiation treatment. Your doctor or nurse will give you
advice about your treatment and the side effects you might have. Here
are some other tips:
- Be sure to
get plenty of rest. You may feel more
tired than normal. Try to get good, restful sleep at night. This
tiredness, often called fatigue, may last for several weeks after your
treatment ends. See the section "Dealing
with fatigue" for more
information.
- Take care of
the skin in the treatment area. If you
get external radiation therapy, the skin in the treatment area may
become more sensitive or look sunburned. Ask your doctor or nurse
before using any soaps, lotions, deodorants, medicines, perfumes,
cosmetics, talcum powder, or other substances on the treated area. Some
of these products may irritate sensitive skin. See the section "Dealing
with skin problems" for more information.
- Avoid wearing
tight clothes. This includes girdles,
pantyhose, or close-fitting collars over the treatment area. Instead,
wear loose, soft cotton clothing. Do not starch your clothes.
- Do not rub,
scrub, or use adhesive tape on treated
skin. If you skin must be covered or bandaged, use paper
tape or other
tape for sensitive skin. Try to put the tape outside the treatment
area, and do not put the tape in the same place each time.
- Do not put
heat or cold (such as a heating pad,
heat lamp, or ice pack) on the treatment area. Talk with
your doctor
first. Even hot water may hurt your skin, so use only lukewarm water
for washing the treated area.
- Protect the
treated area from the sun. Your skin
may be extra sensitive to sunlight. If possible, cover the treated skin
with dark-colored clothing before going outside. Ask your doctor if you
should use a lotion that contains a sunscreen. If so, use a sunscreen
product with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Reapply the
sunscreen often, even after your skin has healed. Continue to give your
skin extra protection from sunlight for at least 1 year after radiation
therapy.
- Tell your
doctor about medicines you are taking
before treatment. Let your doctor know if you take any
medicines, even
things like aspirin, vitamins, or herbs.
Side effects can vary
Your doctor and nurse are the best people to talk to you about
your treatment, side effects, home care, and any other medical concerns
you may have. Tell them about any side effects you are having,
including skin changes, tiredness (fatigue), diarrhea, or trouble
eating. Be sure that you understand any home care instructions and know
who to contact if you have more questions.
Side effects vary from patient to patient and will depend on
the radiation dose and the part of your body treated. Some patients
have no side effects at all, while others have quite a few. There is no
way to know who might or might not have side effects. Your overall
health can sometimes affect how your body reacts to radiation treatment
and whether you have side effects.
Radiation therapy can cause early and late side effects. Early
side effects are those that happen during or shortly after treatment.
They usually are gone within a few weeks after treatment. Late side
effects are those that take months or years to develop. They are often
permanent.
The most common early side effects are:
- fatigue (feeling tired)
- skin changes
Other early side effects usually are related to the area being
treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems following radiation
treatment to the head.
Most side effects go away in time. In the meantime, there are
ways to reduce the discomfort they may cause. If you have bad side
effects, the doctor may stop your treatments for a while, change the
schedule, or change the type of treatment you are getting. Tell your
doctor, nurse, or radiation therapist about any side effects you notice
so they can help you manage them. The information here can serve as a
guide to handling some side effects, but it cannot replace talking with
your doctor or nurse about what is happening to you.
Last Medical Review: 12/23/2008
Last Revised: 12/23/2008
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