Radiation therapy comes with several side effects (including intertrigo, breast rash, breast skin burn,
and breast skin rash).
Some of them can be chronic, while others will disappear after the end of your
treatment. Here’s what you must know about radiation therapy side effects:
Fatigue
The most common side effect of radiation therapy is
fatigue. Almost all patients will eventually feel tired and weak (fatigue).
However, this fatigue usually vanishes after your treatment has finished
(although it can last for several months after your treatment finishes).
Hair Loss?
Most people fear radiation therapy will instantly make
you lose your hair. This is true, but only if radiation therapy is given to
your head (for example, when a patient needs radiation therapy for brain cancer).
For breast cancer sufferers, radiation will never make them lose their precious
hair, because doctors will be giving radiation to their chests. Maybe (just
maybe), you’ll lose a little bit of hair from your arm.
Destruction of
White Blood Cells
The most important side effect of radiation therapy is
low white blood cell count. Unfortunately, radiation kills white blood cells.
These white blood cells are the soldiers of your immune system, ready to defend
you against invaders (including harmful bacteria and viruses). A low white
blood cell count means you’re completely exposed to all kinds of
disease-causing pathogens, and you could end up with a deadly infection…
fighting against cancer and
infections.
Long-Term
Damage
Radiation therapy has evolved throughout the years,
and the treatments of today are designed to attack the cancer cells only. That’s why almost all side effects
are temporary and will eventually disappear. In very rare cases, breast cancer
survivors experience shortness of breath (due to radiation fibrosis in the lung
tissue), and changes in their hearts. The only common long-term side effects of
radiation therapy are changes in your skin (such as firmer breast tissue,
darker skin, or small red marks on your skin).
After you start receiving radiation on your breasts,
your skin can become red, swollen, irritated, and sometimes blistered. Over
time, it’s likely your skin will become dry and itchy, and it may peel.
Moreover, sweat, chafing, and skin-to-skin contact greatly exacerbate the pain
and skin problems caused by radiation therapy. Because of that, Ms. Elizabeth
Silver, a breast cancer survivor, devised a small cushion that fits perfectly
beneath your breast (she called it the BreastComfort
Cushioned Sling). This small, antibacterial cushion protects the underside of
your breast against excessive chafing, and its wicking treatment neutralizes
perspiration. Women have found that wearing Ms. Silver’s invention is the most
effective way to minimize intertrigo, breast rash, breast skin burn, breast skin rash,
and other skin problems caused by radiation therapy. To know more about the BreastComfort Cushioned Slings, click here to
visit Ms. Silver’s website.
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