Contents:
- Medical Video: Nutrition & Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Explanation Video
- How can cancer treatment cause chronic diarrhea?
- What are the good foods when diarrhea is caused by cancer treatment?
- How to set a meal schedule when diarrhea due to cancer treatment
- 1. Eat more often
- 2. Don't eat too much immediately
- 3. Drink water at least every 15 minutes
Medical Video: Nutrition & Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Explanation Video
When cancer treatment is carried out, many side effects occur in patients. If not treated, this will inhibit the treatment process. One of the side effects of cancer treatment experienced by patients is diarrhea.
Many think diarrhea is a mild health problem. However, if this occurs in cancer patients, this condition may indicate serious and fatal consequences. Therefore this diarrhea must be handled appropriately and quickly. In addition to drugs, what foods should be consumed by patients with diarrhea during cancer treatment?
How can cancer treatment cause chronic diarrhea?
All current cancer treatments, namely chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery can cause side effects, namely diarrhea. For example, chemotherapy drugs that enter the body can cause injury to the intestinal walls, causing diarrhea symptoms. Meanwhile radiation therapy may also cause the same thing, which is damaging the intestinal wall if indeed radiation is done to the abdominal area.
While surgery that can cause diarrhea is usually an operating procedure in colon cancer or cancer that affects the abdomen. Usually, diarrhea arises as a result of doctors dissecting the intestine so that digestion becomes disturbed.
Sometimes medications such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy do not directly cause diarrhea. In some cases, the treatment that patients undergo will make the patient's body weak and the immune system decreases. This then makes the patient susceptible to infection, including gastrointestinal infections.
Meanwhile, stress and anxiety experienced by patients during treatment also affect the patient's gastrointestinal health.
What are the good foods when diarrhea is caused by cancer treatment?
Usually, the doctor will give medication to treat diarrhea that you experience while undergoing cancer treatment. However, regulating food during treatment can also help the body recover quickly. Here are examples of foods that should be consumed when you are diarrhea due to cancer treatment.
- Foods high in water soluble fiber.This type of water soluble fiber is more effective in helping to overcome diarrhea. For example bananas, apples and nuts.
- Drink plenty of water. The thing that must be done when diarrhea is to drink at least eight glasses of water per day. This effort is intended so that patients do not experience dehydration. However, if the patient is dehydrated, the doctor will usually give ORS as the first treatment.
- Eat a rather salty snack. Foods that are rather high in sodium (salt) are needed when you are diarrhea. The reason is, diarrhea makes sodium and other mineral substances disappear from your body. So, instead, you can eat foods that are rather high in sodium, such as biscuits.
- Avoid milk and processed productsascheese, butter, and ice cream during treatment and a few days later. Dairy products are difficult to digest by the body, so this will aggravate the work of your digestive organs when experiencing diarrhea.
- Avoid spicy and sour foods. These foods will irritate the intestine even worse. Not to mention affecting your stomach condition and then causing other digestive disorders, such as stomach acid rising, heartburn, and flatulence.
- Eat yogurt with plain taste. Even though yogurt is a dairy product, yogurt contains good bacteria that can help your intestines recover.
How to set a meal schedule when diarrhea due to cancer treatment
Not only food selection, when you experience diarrhea due to cancer treatment and are at home, then you have to set a schedule for daily meals. Here's how to set a meal schedule when diarrhea.
1. Eat more often
If you usually eat 3 times a day, then now make a frequency of eating 5-6 times a day. So, one meal is smaller but often.
2. Don't eat too much immediately
When you diarrhea, the intestines are having difficulty digesting food. If you eat large amounts of food at one meal, your intestines will become more overwhelmed.
3. Drink water at least every 15 minutes
Many people feel nauseous if they have to drink large amounts of water in one drink. Therefore, you should adjust the frequency of drinking your water every 15 minutes. Experts recommend drinking at least one liter of water every hour to avoid dehydration.
If diarrhea continues, you should consult this with your doctor. Because, chronic diarrhea will inhibit the absorption of nutrients and cancer treatment that you live.
