Having Radiation Or Chemotherapy For Lung Cancer? Manage The Side Effects With Natural Remedies
Posted on: 8 April 2016
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, you may need to have surgery, radiation treatment and/or chemotherapy to help treat the cancer or prolong your life. While radiation, also called radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are common treatments for this condition, they have side effects that can make you look and feel lousy. Fortunately, there are many natural remedies you can use to help yourself look and feel better. Here are a few natural remedies for dealing with the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy for lung cancer.
Nausea
One of the most common side effects associated with both radiation and chemotherapy is nausea. You may feel nauseous during your treatment or for a few days after. Unfortunately, if you are nauseous, you may not feel like eating or may be unable to keep food down, which can rob you of vital nutrients you need while fighting lung cancer. Ginger is a natural home remedy that has been shown to cure an upset stomach and reduce or prevent nausea. You can cut up ginger and suck on it while receiving treatment or when you feel nauseous. Additionally, there are many ginger supplements or teas that you can take in lieu of fresh ginger. Ginger has also been shown to help fight chemo-induced fatigue and inflammation, as well as fight the actual cancer itself.
Hair Loss
Another common side effect of radiation and chemotherapy is hair loss. Hair loss due to lung cancer treatments is known as alopecia. Alopecia occurs because radiation and chemotherapy help to slow down and kill certain cells that rapidly split and divide. This helps to prevent cancer from spreading in your body, while also working to reduce the size of the tumor. However, in the process, hair follicles are affected by this treatment. This can prevent new hair from growing, while also causing the hair you already have to fall out. One of the ways you can naturally manage this side effect is by taking vitamin E. Vitamin E can help prevent hair loss in some patients, while other patients may lose less hair thanks to the supplement. If you are interested in taking vitamin E to combat hair loss, talk to your oncologist. They can help you determine a safe level of the vitamin that won't affect your current treatment. In some cases, the vitamin can be given intravenously before or during treatment and in other cases, a supplement can be taken prior to treatments beginning.
A Weakened Immune System
When you receive chemotherapy or radiation for lung cancer, your immune system may become weakened. This may cause you to catch illnesses easier or leave you feeling tired and weak. One of the natural remedies for treating this symptom is through the use of ganoderma. Ganoderma is part of the fungi family and is a type of mushroom. In some parts of the world, it is known as the reishi mushroom. This mushroom can be cooked and consumed, or you can take it in powdered capsule form or as a tea. Ganoderma has been shown to help regulate the immune system, which can strengthen the immune system in those receiving lung cancer treatments. It has also been shown to mitigate the pain of chemotherapy and radiation, increase the appetite and help prevent new tumors from forming.
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, you may need radiation or chemotherapy to help you fight the disease. While this may be the best way to treat your cancer, the lung cancer treatments may have many side effects. Fortunately, there are many natural ways you can help fight off these side effects. This can help improve the way you look and feel while fighting off cancer.
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