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These are the different side effects of chemotherapy which we might not know
Posted on: 03/Jul/2018 10:08:54 AM
It is well known that people who are affected with cancer undergo many treatments to get rid of it. One such treatment is chemotherapy where one or more anti-cancer drugs are used as a part of standardized procedure. There are many reasons why this chemotherapy is given to those who have cancer. Chemotherapy is given for curing purpose, for prolonging life and to reduce symptoms or palliative chemotherapy. By this chemotherapy process the destruction of cancerous cells in us is possible. There are also possibilities that our healthy cells get damaged by this chemotherapy leading to many side effects.
The various side effects of this chemotherapy are
Cutaneous toxicity:
After chemotherapy treatment it is said that 60 to 80 % of patients have this cutaneous toxicity issue in them. Some examples of this issue are skin rashes, dryness, paronychia, pruritis and mucositis etc.
Hepatoxicity:
This is one important side effect of chemotherapy where liver gets damaged due to many drugs used. It must be noted that these drugs are toxins and can increase in the body faster than liver could deal them.
Alopecia:
This alopecia could be caused due many factors and chemotherapy could also result in alopecia or hair loss. The patient doesn’t want to undergo this chemotherapy fearing the hair loss in them. The loss of hairs in patients undergoing chemotherapy lowers their self confidence levels greatly.
Thrombocytopenia:
This is one serious side effect of undergoing chemotherapy where the platelet count decreases. It is important to mention that when platelet count goes below 30000 during the chemotherapy process then blood clotting would be affected leading to prolonged bleeding in us.
Affects eyes:
Eyes are very important for us and this chemotherapy could affect our optic nerves and could result in dry eyes, glaucoma and damage to retina etc.
Gastrointestinal issues:
Many gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation etc could take place in those undergoing chemotherapy. There might also be serious issues like blood in diarrhoea and soft stools etc.
Hemorrhagic Cystitis:
During the treatment or after the chemotherapy treatment, this hemorrhagic cystitis could result. There are many symptoms of this hemorrhagic cystitis like dysuria, suprapubic pain, microscopic hematuria etc.
Mouth sores:
Chemotherapy could also result in mouth sores and these mouth sores vary from one patient to another. Intake of food gets hampered sue to mouth sores present.
Cardio toxicity:
This is regarded as one of the most severe side effects of chemotherapy and could take place either at the beginning or late during the treatment. Blood pressure changes takes place in mild cases. In severe cases heart failure could take place due to cardio toxicity.
Fertility issues:
Fertility issues occur in those cancer patients who undergo particular ththerapies. Some women become infertile for life after chemotherapy treatment whereas some women become infertile temporarily. Low sperm count occurs in men who take few drugs during their treatment for cancer.
Nephro toxicity:
It must be noted that the chemotherapy involves some agents that affect our renal micro-vascular tubules, glomerulus etc. Increase in creatinine takes place and kidney failure results.
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