One of the most debilitating side effects of chemotherapy is the nausea that it induces
. The patient feels miserable and the nausea, more often than not, is quite severe. While it may seem to be a relatively harmless side effect of chemo, it is often not the case. Nausea leads to loss of appetite and that in turn results in severe dehydration which can threaten the general health of the patient.
There are several things that can be done to combat nausea. Changes in diet as well as taking anti nausea medication seem to work well. The simple ginger which we use in cooking considerably reduces the nausea associated with chemo treatments. The American Society of Clinical Oncology revealed the research finding that ginger can dramatically decrease the nausea caused by chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. This remedy has always been practiced in households, but now the scientific community has also validated it.
Patients are advised to eat small meals throughout the day. This is because eating small meals will help you keep the food down even when nauseated. Even if you are really hungry it is not advisable to eat large quantities of food unless the nausea has passed.
Fatty or greasy food should also be off limits. Not only are they difficult to digest but they also tend to worsen nausea leading to bouts of vomiting. You must also rest sufficiently after every meal. Though resting is advised, if you lie down flat on your back it may impede digestion. The best thing to do is to rest in a recliner.
Strong scents may cause nausea. This may often mean that even cooking must be avoided at home when the patient is undergoing the chemo treatment. It is best advised that the patient avoids his or her favorite foods during the chemo treatment because the body may learn to associate these foods with nausea even after the disease is cured.
Smoking and drinking is an absolute no-no because they will worsen nausea. Almost 70% of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer experience the side effect of nausea. Capsules of dried ginger powder was seen to considerably alleviate the suffering caused by nausea in patients who were part of the study conducted on the efficacy of ginger in combating side effects of chemotherapy. Consuming ginger does not have any harmful side effects either because it is completely natural. That is not the case with other nausea inhibiting drugs. It definitely seems like ginger may be the best bet in treating nausea.