Carefully Managing Radiation Therapy Nausea

Radiation therapy is a necessary tool for saving the lives of millions of people who have cancer. However, some types of therapy may cause a little nausea in the patient. While this nausea isn’t a major problem, it should be managed in a safe way.

When Radiation Therapy Can Lead To Nausea

When getting radiation therapy to the upper part of the stomach, some people feel queasy or sick for a few hours. Some may end up feeling nausea for longer, depending on the strength of their stomach. For some people, this nausea makes radiation therapy a difficult prospect.

The nausea isn’t too severe or dangerous in anyway. However, it may scare many people away from radiation therapy or think it is hurting them. That is simply not the case, as radiation therapy is not a dangerous prospect, but a lifesaving one.

Radiation Therapy is Safe

In the past, radiation therapy was a little less safe than it is now because the technology wasn’t as advanced. These days, special computers are used to ensure that only the proper (and safe) amount of radiation is used. The shielding on the equipment is better and people receive safe doses of radiation therapy every year without developing any serious problems.

So when nausea occurs in a person who is undergoing radiation therapy, it is important to know that they aren’t likely suffering from a serious problem. Thankfully, there are many foods that can help with slight radiation nausea.

Foods That May Help

When suffering from sickness due to radiation therapy, there are several foods that can help. These include seaweed, garlic, apples, beets, lemons, and parsley. These help naturally detoxify the body if a little extra radiation is present in the body. However, there are also foods that help relieve nausea symptoms naturally, such as:

• Crackers
• Ginger
• Water
• Various nuts
• Chicken broth
• Sports drinks
• Bananas

These foods are easy to integrate into most diets. For example, people always need to drink heavy amounts of water and sports drinks are a great way to hydrate after sickness. Eat or drink only as much as nausea will allow, though, to avoid vomiting.

While radiation therapy is safe and nausea should only be temporary, managing it in this way can help relieve some of the pain it causes. Don’t be afraid to talk to your radiation therapist to learn more about this concern and other ways that you can keep it from becoming a major problem.