StemCell Therapy

Winter can be hard for many people, but for cancer patients, slippery streets, and cold weather are more than a hazard, they can also be a health risk. Learn how cold weather affects cancer patients and how they can stay safe during the winter.

HypothermiaHypothermia is a condition where the human body begins to lose heat faster than it can produce it, causing the body temperature to become dangerously low. Side effects of cancer treatment, such as fatigue, dehydration, and anemia, can make patients more susceptible to hypothermia.

FrostbiteSome treatments can cause peripheral neuropathy, which carries numbness in the extremities as a potential side effect. Patients who have peripheral neuropathy are more likely to get frostbite since they cant feel how cold their fingers and hands are in cold weather.

FallsPatients can have a higher risk of fracture if they are receiving treatments that affect bone density. Cancer patients need to be especially careful if they have thrombocytopenia, a condition associated with blood cancers that cause low platelet counts. Since platelets help blood clot, a low count can mean that bruising or serious bleeding can happen when injured.

Patients who have numbness in their feet (neuropathy) are also more prone to falls.

FluCancer therapy may weaken patients immune systems. It is necessary that they get their flu shot since they dont have enough white blood cells to fight infections. This is why cancer patients have a higher chance of having complications from the flu than a healthy person.

Tips to Stay SafeFollow these tips to protect your health or a loved one in winter and stay safe:

If youd rather avoid winter and the risks it carries for cancer patients, you can always consider health tourism. Its the practice of traveling to a popular tourist destination with the purpose of receiving therapeutic treatment. For example, Florida has mild, pleasant winters, which make it an ideal location for health tourism!

Winter wont last forever, even if you sometimes feel that way, so celebrate each sunny day!

More than a thousand men and women diagnosed with cancer each year turn to our trusted team of cancer specialists at Tampa Bay Radiation Oncology. We encourage you to call us, ask us a question, or consult with us to get a second opinion so you, too, can experience the difference.

Featured image: Winter. Photo courtesy: 2020 Pixabay/Ina Hoekstra (Heerenveen, The Netherlands)

Read more from the original source:
How Cold Weather Affects Cancer Patients - OncoZine

This entry was posted on December 3, 2020 at 11:58 pm and is filed under Neuropathy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |