Chemotherapy drugs can cause   severe side effects to some patients and sometimes  can go to such an extent that the treatment needs to be terminated. Doctors prescribe many  drugs to relieve the patients from the side effects. Chemotherapy side effects can be relieved by different methods. It all depends on the side effects that the patients experience and also the severity of it.As chemotherapy works on destroying the fast growing cancer cells in the body a lot of other healthy fast growing cells are also harmed in the process. Cells found in the bone marrow, hair follicles, reproductive system and digestive tract are damaged in most cases. This is why patients undergoing chemotherapy show endless side effects. Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, fatigue, pain, hair loss, infection, anemia, mouth sores, diarrhea and constipation are quite common among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Doctors usually prescribe a few medications to fight the most common side effects experienced by most cancer patients but patients might also experience a few other new side effects. Patients undergoing chemotherapy need to always inform the doctors or medical advisors about every minute chances or pain that they experience during the treatment. This would help doctors to cure the side effects in a timely fashion without increasing the symptoms.

During chemotherapy, the organs in the body such as the heart, lungs, kidney, nervous system and bladder might get affected. This basically depends on the type of drugs used to cure the cancer. Because of the toxic nature of the drugs, kidney and liver, which are responsible for processing and removing toxins, are under huge pressure. Even after the treatment these organs are susceptible to damage.

Patients need to follow some regimens and inculcate some good healthy habits of eating in order to keep unpleasant side effects away. Although the regimen may not result in complete chemotherapy side effects relief for  the patient,  it could at least help reduce the ill effects.

Chemotherapy Side Effects Relief

Given below are a few tips that could provide relief from chemotherapy side effects.

• Patients should be encouraged to consume citrus fruits, dark green or yellow vegetables and other fruits and plant chemicals. This would help them to get their daily dose of vitamin A, C and beta carotene
• Patients should also consume a lot of high fiber foods such as whole grain bread and cereals to make sure that the colon functioning is done smoothly
• Avoid eating foods that contain pesticide residues and other environmental pollutants. Proper hygiene need to be followed which includes washing the vegetables thoroughly and preparing food in clean utensils. Patients should also maintain personal hygiene by keeping their body clean and also by avoiding their visits to unclean and crowded places.
• Fatty food needs to be cut down. Foods high in animal fat and saturated fat needs to be avoided as it would support the growth of the tumor
• Alcoholic beverages need to be avoided
• Apart from this, too spicy and  salted, fermented food, smoked, charcoal and boiled foods need to be avoided

In most cases cancer patients cut down on the intake of food because of the feeling of sickness and constant vomiting and nausea. Here are a few tips that need to be followed in order to cope with the eating problems:

• Patients need to plan their meals and eat small and frequent meals as it reduces the chances of nausea and vomiting
• In order to avoid cooking odors that further provoke nausea, patients should avoid cooking food themselves. Food needs to be consumed at room temperature or when cool as it smells milder as  compared to hot food.
• If you have mouth sores, eat bland foods. Salty, acidic and spicy food needs to be avoided. Chewing zinc lozenges can help heal the mouth sores faster.
• Do not lie down immediately after meals. Relax in a sitting or upright position
• Dental hygiene should be taken care of efficiently. Very strong products for dental care need to be avoided as it would trigger mouth sores. Baking soda paste can be used  for gentle cleansing of teeth. Avoid using a tooth brush. Hydrogen peroxide can be used to rinse along with baking soda.
• If you are unable to swallow food because of dry mouth, moisten or liquefy food using a blender

Food plays a major role in strengthening one’s immune system. It is therefore necessary to eat healthy in order to not only relieve chemotherapy side effects but also to prepare the body to fight the disease. At least three different colored vegetables need to be consumed daily with two different fruits every day. This helps considerably in the strengthening of immune system and consequently in chemotherapy side effects relief.