Low Blood Counts
It's not unusual to have delays in administration of treatments because of low counts, which are expected to drop from therapy.
During these times of suppressed immunity you are at higher risk of developing
an infection.
You may want to inquire about the use of Neupogen (a blood cell
growth factor) with your doctors in order to
 | help keep treatments on schedule and |
| reduce the risk of infection between treatment rounds. |
Nutrition will not help to restore blood counts significantly*, but you should pay attention to sources of infection from foods when his counts are low.
See Diet for the immune suppressed and other topics in this section:
http://www.lymphomation.org/chemo-support.htm
* It may be important to include sufficient proteins in his diet, which are the building blocks or raw material for cells, but the rate at which replacement blood cells will be produced by the body is probably not affected much by
nutrition, if at all.
TIPS for Minimizing Risk of Infection
The following tips are from the lay-membership of NHL-info,
an online support group.
See disclaimer below.
|
Avoid places and people who will put you
at risk, such as parties and crowded public events.
|
| Foods
 |
Also see Diet for Immunosuppressed
Patients below.
Patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy may have compromised
immunity.
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Avoid moldy, spoiled and outdated food products.
|
| Brush veggies with a vegetable brush
and mild soap ALL over. Let them air-dry on a
rack. Thoroughly wash produce; cooking fruits and vegetables is
best. Use vinegar to clean vegetables, and/or mild soap.
Lettuce Learn How to Wash Produce npr.org
As many as 20 people may have touched your produce before you did, so make
sure you wash all fruits and vegetables -- even those with peels and rinds.
|
|
Cooked foods
are safer.
Beware of foods that have been double-dipped. Inspect and clean fruits and
vegetables. Use vinegar to clean vegetables, and/or mild soap.
|
| Pay attention to
purchase date & food labels - Do not purchase
products older than the pull date. Read labels.
|
| Store and handle foods
properly to avoid food-related infections and illness.
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|
| Cleaning
|
Clean often. One thing that I do that surprises a lot of people
is "Lysoling" the phone and the steering wheel of your car. Lots of germs there. Plenty of
rest, juice, washing hands at appropriate times, etc. I also carry antibiotic hand wash
but I don't use it too often - it's not supposed to be that good for you but in
emergencies when I have been out (subway, etc) and can't wash hand, I'll use it.
- Ronnie (CT)
|
| Change your pillows - a hot bed
of fungal spores (October 14, 2005) sciencedaily
"Researchers at The University of Manchester funded by
the Fungal Research Trust have discovered millions of fungal
spores right under our noses - in our pillows.
Aspergillus fumigatus, the species most commonly found in
the pillows, is most likely to cause disease; and the resulting
condition Aspergillosis has become the leading infectious cause
of death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients. Fungi
also exacerbate asthma in adults."
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Let others do the dishes etc ... Let the dishes air-dry.
Whoever stacks them should wash their hands before doing so.
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Use disposable paper towels instead of hand towels.
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Use bath towels ONCE. Don't use anyone else's towel. Towels are great breeding grounds and/or
retainers of all kinds of stuff, especially skin surface critters.
|
|
| Wash your hands often. Keep your unwashed hands away from
ALL mucous membranes, especially the nose, eyes, and mouth. You are more likely to catch a
cold through your nose than your mouth because saliva contains a lot of bacteria-killing
enzymes.
* * It is best to wash your hands with soap and clean running water cdc
|
| Avoid touching your mouth,
nose or eyes with your hands.
|
| Beware of foods that have been
"double-dipped."
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Lay- Recommendations
IMPORTANT: Please consult with your treating doctor
about the use of any supplement with treatment.
|
Acupuncture can
be effective in treating pain, fatigue, and nausea caused by
cancer therapies.
Acupuncture
for management of pain.
Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2000 Jul;30(4):875-84, viii.
Review.
|
|
Cranberry is
sometimes useful for fighting bladder infection. You can obtain pure cranberry,
without sugar, from your local health food store.
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|
Garlic: Dr Weil has this to say about garlic: "Garlic, for
instance, is a natural antibiotic that can help your body combat bacterial infections
- and it even works against fungal infections and viruses when you eat it raw. I recommend
one to two cloves of garlic a day for people with chronic infections. "
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|
Moderate exercise.
Studies show that moderate (not strenuous) exercise improves
immune function. Be sure to discuss limitations with your
doctor.
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Supplements & Conditions
Also see Chemoprotective
Strategies | Radioprotective
Strategies
IMPORTANT: Please consult with your treating doctor
about the use of any supplement with treatment.
|
Glutamine
- Some studies suggest that this amino acid can help to
protect the body from side effects of chemo.
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