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What causes fluid retention and swelling after chemo?
Chemotherapy Side Effect: Fluid Retention & Swelling-How to Cope. Fluid retention occurs when your body can’t remove fluid from the tissues as easily as usual, so it remains longer than it should, building up in certain areas like the hands and feet. The lymphatic system, hormones, and your diet can all play a part in swelling,...
Do you feel a little foggy after chemotherapy?
If you feel a little foggy when your treatment is done, you might have a touch of " chemo brain ." You may notice that you find it hard to concentrate or remember names and dates. You may also forget things easily or have trouble doing more than one thing at a time.
What happens to your body when you have chemotherapy?
In rare cases, such as after years of strong chemotherapy, your hair follicles could shut down. This can prevent new hair from growing, and you may become permanently bald. Some types of chemo can make you put on extra pounds. You may find that the weight stays on even when your treatment ends.
What are the causes of cancer-related swelling?
Chemotherapy-related, or cancer swelling: 1 Some chemotherapy drugs can cause fluid retention in the body. This form of cancer swelling is most noticeable in the... 2 Swelling or angioedema may also occur with hives as part of an allergic reaction. It is a vascular reaction that causes... More ...
Where does swelling occur?
Usually the swelling will occur in the hands, feet, ankles, face, and abdomen , though it can occur anywhere. Swelling may also occur as part of an allergic reaction to medications or other substances.
How do you know if you have a swollen stomach?
If your hands, legs, face, or stomach have swollen up, you can probably recognize it visually, or you may have noticed the weight gain. You can also check for these signs: When you press on the skin over the swollen area, it leaves an indentation for a few seconds.
How to flush out fluids in your body?
Drink water. May seem counterintuitive, but water helps flush your system of fluids.
How to get rid of fluid in your body?
Your doctor may prescribe medications that can help your body release the fluid. Otherwise, try some of these remedies at home: Cut down on your salt intake-try not to eat salt at all. Be especially careful of canned soups, lunch meats, bacon and ham, soy sauce, potato chips, and the like.
What does it mean when you have a swollen face?
swelling in your face or abdomen. skin that is puffy, shiny, or looks slightly dented after being pressed. shortness of breath, a cough, or irregular heartbeat. Tell your health care team if you notice swelling.
How to stop swelling from edema?
Steps you can take to prevent or lessen edema-related swelling include: Get comfortable. Wear loose clothing and shoes that are not too tight. When you sit or lie down, raise your feet with a stool or pillows. Avoid crossing your legs when you sit.
How to get rid of edema in the body?
Exercise. Moving the part of your body with edema can help. Your doctor may give you specific exercises, including walking, to improve circulation. However, you may be advised not to stand or walk too much at one time. Limit salt ( sodium) in your diet. Avoid foods such as chips, bacon, ham, and canned soup.
What is the treatment for edema?
Certain exercises and diet changes can help, if edema is the cause of swelling. Your doctor may also prescribe medicine called a diuretic. Edema, a condition in which fluid builds up in your body’s tissues, may be caused by some types of chemotherapy, certain cancers, and conditions not related to cancer.
Can edema cause shortness of breath?
Some problems related to edema are serious. Call your doctor or nurse if you feel short of breath, have a heartbeat that seems different or is not regular, have sudden swelling or swelling that is getting worse or is moving up your arms or legs, you gain weight quickly, or you don’t urinate at all or urinate only a little.
What is the name of the swelling caused by cancer?
Swelling, Edema, and Ascites. Cancer and its treatment may cause swelling which also can be called edema or ascites, depending on the area affected.
What to do when a patient has a swollen face?
Watch for any new symptoms, especially shortness of breath or swelling in the face. Encourage the patient to keep the swollen body part propped up as high as is comfortable when sitting or lying down.
What is it called when you have a swollen lymph node?
Swelling that happens because lymph nodes are blocked or removed causes lymph flow to be impaired. This is called lymphedema. Some medications, like diuretics, can help edema. Diuretics are often called water pills.
How to help swollen feet?
If your feet or legs are swollen, rest in bed with them up on 2 pillows.
What is the treatment for ascites?
Sometimes chemotherapy or surgery might help manage ascites . More often, a procedure is done to drain the fluid, called a paracentesis. A paracentesis gives temporary relief ...
Leg Swelling After Cancer Treatment: What Can You Do?
Lymphedema is the abnormal buildup of fluid in soft tissue that happens when the lymphatic system is blocked. Certain types of cancer treatment can damage the lymphatic system and increase the chances of developing lymphedema.
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How long does it take for side effects to go away after chemo?
But others can linger for months or years or may never completely go away.
How to lose weight after chemo?
Work with a dietitian or nutritionist and add strength training exercises to your workout routine to help you shed some pounds. Energy. You probably remember the fatigue that hit you while you were getting chemo. But some people still feel extremely tired after treatment ends.
How long does chemo rash last?
Some side effects of chemotherapy only happen while you're having treatment and disappear quickly after it's over. But others can linger for months or years or may never completely go away. Watch out for signs of chemo's long-term changes, and let your doctor know how you feel.
Does chemo cause heart problems?
Heart. Certain chemo drugs can damage cells in your heart. Chemotherapy may also increase your odds of having heart problems, such as: Weakening of the heart muscle ( cardiomyopathy) Problems with your heart rhythm ( arrhythmia) Heart attack.
Does hair go back to normal after chemo?
But it's possible that at first it may not look like it used to. Its texture, shape, and color may be different. Over time, as the effects of the chemo on your hair follicles wear off, your hair will probably go back to the way it was before treatment. In rare cases, such as after years of strong chemotherapy, your hair follicles could shut down.
Does chemo make you gain weight?
Weight. Some types of chemo can make you put on extra pounds. You may find that the weight stays on even when your treatment ends. For instance, some drugs that treat breast cancer can cause you to lose muscle and gain fat, which makes it much more difficult to get the weight off.
Can you have children after chemo?
If chemo kills the immature stem cells in your testicles that become new sperm, you may become infertile, which means you can't have children . If you're a woman, chemotherapy can damage your eggs and harm your ovaries. You may stop having regular menstrual cycles after treatment.
How long does chemotherapy weaken the immune system?
Chemo weakens the immune system for up to nine months, especially in smokers, one study finds. A small U.K. study of breast cancer patients found certain types of chemotherapy can weaken part of the immune system for up to nine months after treatment. Stock photo by Feature Pics.
How long does it take for the immune system to return to normal after chemo?
A month or two after chemo ends, however, most people assume their immune system has returned to normal. Now, new research suggests that the effects of chemotherapy can compromise part of the immune system for up to nine months after treatment, leaving patients vulnerable to infections – at least when it comes to early-stage breast cancer patients ...
What to do if someone has cancer?
If someone in your family or in your care has cancer, make sure you’re up to date on vaccines and preventive care. “The last thing you want to do is develop an infection that doesn’t allow you to care for them or puts them at risk,” said Pergam. Patients are most at risk right after they’ve received chemo.
How long after chemotherapy do you get lymphocytes?
Researchers looked at the immune systems of 88 breast cancer patients, measuring their levels of lymphocytes – white blood cells that work together to fight viral and bacterial infections – before and up to nine months after receiving chemotherapy.
How to improve immune system?
Exercise and eat healthfully. “Those things never hurt immune response or your recovery,” said Pergam.
What to do if you feel unwell?
Don’t ignore minor symptoms. If you are feeling unwell, get to your doctor and get it checked out right away. What may be a minor issue could turn into something bigger.
Is the immune system still repairing after chemo?
In the meantime, Pergam said patients (and their loved ones) may want to be mindful that post-chemo, the body’s immune system is still repairing itself.