Radiation therapy (radiotherapy). Contraindications, consequences and complications of radiation therapy. Methods of restoring the body after radiation therapy. Does hair always fall out after chemotherapy, how can it be prevented?

Radiation therapy is a method of treating cancer using high energy that kills tumor cells. Purpose radiation therapy is to destroy cancer cells without damaging healthy ones.

U different people there are different side effects from radiation therapy and exposure to radiation. Some people have very few and they are moderate. For other people, the side effects of radiation therapy can be very serious and large quantities. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict this in advance. Besides individual reaction Side effects depend on the type of radiation, its dose, the area of ​​the body that is irradiated, and the patient's health.

How quickly do side effects from radiation therapy appear?

Actually, there are two types side effects after radiation therapy - early and late. First side effects of radiation therapy, such as nausea and fatigue, as a rule, are temporary. They appear during or immediately after treatment and last for several weeks after treatment ends. But over time, these symptoms disappear. Late side effects from radiation therapy, such as heart or lung problems, may develop over several years. And often they become chronic.

The most common side effects from radiation therapy are fatigue and skin problems. Other early effects, hair loss and nausea, are usually associated with radiation exposure to a specific part of the body.

How to deal with fatigue during radiation therapy?

Fatigue due to cancer or after radiation treatment can be severe. Such that it will not allow you to lead your usual lifestyle. Fatigue may get worse on some days, and better on others.

Sometimes doctors find other causes of fatigue. And in this case it is possible to reduce this problem. The level of fatigue is often related to the patient's health status. Therefore, it is important for cancer patients to treat not only oncology, but also other accompanying illnesses. Take medications prescribed by your doctor on time. Get more rest and support permissible level physical activity and eat well. Maintain a balance between stress and rest. Overkill with bed rest may make you even more tired. But don’t overexert yourself, rest if necessary.

Fatigue after radiation therapy is usually temporary and goes away within a few weeks of treatment.

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2. Skin problems, hair loss, digestive system problems

Radiation therapy and skin problems

Another side effect of radiation therapy is that the skin looks like it has been exposed to the sun for a long time. She may be red and tanned. Sometimes swelling and blistering, dryness, flaking and itching appear. The skin may peel off as if you were sunburned.

Therefore, to alleviate the condition of the skin after radiation therapy, you need to follow several recommendations:

• Do not wear tight clothing in the area affected by the radiation;
• Do not rub your skin, use mild soap and warm water for washing;
• Do not apply anything cold or hot to the affected areas unless advised by a doctor;
• Consult a physician before using any ointments, oils, creams or lotions;
• Avoid the sun. Wear covered clothing and ask your doctor about the best sunscreens to use;
• If radiation therapy is used to treat breast cancer, do not wear a bra. Or choose cotton models without wires;
• Do not bandage the affected areas unless directed by your doctor.

Skin irritation decreases several weeks after the end of radiation therapy. But even after recovery, the skin may become more dark shade. And in any case, after radiation therapy, you need to protect your skin from the sun for a year after the course of treatment.

Hair loss due to radiation therapy

Hair loss after radiation therapy occurs in those patients who receive radiation in the scalp. When hair falls out, it usually happens suddenly and in large quantities. Hair can fall out in whole strands. In most cases, after completion of radiation therapy, hair begins to grow again. But they may be thinner or have a different structure.

One way to minimize hair loss after radiation therapy is to trim it before treatment to reduce the weight of the hair. If your hair is falling out, you should definitely wear a hat to protect your head from the sun's rays.

Digestive system problems

Radiation therapy to the head, neck or organs digestive system may cause loss of appetite. But even in this case, it is important to eat right to maintain strength and health.

• Eat small meals five to six times a day. It's better than a big plate of food three times a day.
• Try some new foods or, conversely, familiar and favorite dishes. Perhaps they will whet your appetite.
• Snacks can help keep you going when you're hungry and don't have a chance to eat properly.

3. Oral problems, hearing problems, nausea, diarrhea, sexual problems

Oral problems

Before starting radiation therapy to the head and neck, see your dentist for a thorough examination and treatment of dental and oral problems. Radiation can cause unpleasant symptoms:

• Mouth ulcers;
• Lack of saliva;
• Thickening of saliva;
• Difficulty swallowing.

It is important to tell your doctors about these side effects of radiation therapy. Most likely, they will help you cope with your problems. Among other things, to get rid of these symptoms you need to give up spicy and sour foods, as well as alcohol and tobacco. It's good to brush your teeth often soft brush and fluoride-containing toothpastes.

Hearing problems

Radiation therapy can cause hearing loss. One of possible reasons– This is the thickening of wax in the ears due to radiation. You should definitely report this problem to your doctor.

Nausea and radiation therapy

Radiation in the head area and any part digestive tract may cause nausea and vomiting. Tell your doctor about this symptom because there are medications that can help treat the problem.

Diarrhea

Radiation therapy to the abdomen and stomach may cause diarrhea as a side effect. Diarrhea usually begins a few weeks after starting treatment. Most likely, in this case, the doctor will prescribe special drugs and a special diet.

Sexual problems

Radiation therapy to the pelvis may affect fertility and sexual desire. Pregnancy is contraindicated for patients undergoing radiation therapy, as the radiation can seriously harm the fetus. Radiation therapy to the pelvic area in women can stop menstrual periods and cause other menopausal symptoms.

In men, radiation to the testicular area can affect the number of sperm produced and the functionality of the sperm. This does not necessarily mean that you will not be able to have children. But in any case, the problem should be discussed with a doctor.

Radiation affecting the pelvic area can cause painful intercourse in some women. Radiation therapy can also cause scarring, affecting the vagina's ability to stretch. In men, radiation can affect nerves and blood vessels, responsible for erection.

4. Late side effects from radiation therapy

Late side effects of radiation therapy can appear months or even years after cancer treatment. But this does not mean that these side effects occur in all patients.

What can happen? For example, scar tissue caused by radiation can affect the functioning of the heart and lungs. Radiation in the abdomen or pelvis can cause problems with bladder, intestines and sexual problems.

Another possible side effect is recurrent cancer. There are studies that confirm that radiation therapy has a carcinogenic effect. Although not common, some people develop a second tumor after radiation therapy and treatment of a first cancer. Therefore, when choosing radiation therapy as a treatment method for oncology, it is important to talk with your doctor and identify all the possible pros and cons of this step.

Chemotherapy - effective method treatment oncological diseases, which uses drugs that kill cancer cells. But the patient experiences serious side effects during the course of treatment. One of them is alopecia (baldness). Before starting the procedure, patients are interested in whether hair always falls out after chemotherapy. Women who are especially sensitive to their appearance are more worried.

Causes

During treatment, both abnormal and healthy cellular structures are destroyed. The goal of therapy is to prevent the proliferation of active cells, namely tumor cells and hair glomeruli. Chemicals, slowing down or stopping their division, lead to destruction cancerous tumor and the development of alopecia.

Does hair always fall out?

Whether the hair will be damaged or not, depends on the chemicals used. They are divided into several groups, which are classified different colors and intensity of action.

• Red chemotherapy the strongest. It belongs to the drugs of the antacycline group. After therapy, all curls fall out almost immediately.
• Yellow- more gentle. The curls fall out, but this happens after a while.

Most of the latest chemotherapy drugs do not cause severe side effects. Although hair falls out, it is only partially, which is imperceptible to others.

During radiation therapy, hair loss is observed when the irradiation site is the scalp. Irradiation of other areas of the body does not cause baldness. Alopecia is also absent with hormonal therapy.

How quickly do they fall out and when do they start to grow again?

No doctor can accurately determine on what day after a course of chemotherapy alopecia will occur. The human body is individual, each person tolerates side effects differently.

From one chemical substance In some patients, hair loss occurs immediately, while in others, this phenomenon is observed several weeks later.

Baldness during chemotherapy is inevitable. This is a natural reaction of the body to an injected chemical.

This fact negatively affects a woman’s psyche. Men are more relaxed about this phenomenon. It happens that women refuse chemotherapy to preserve their hair.

Don't worry about temporary alopecia; after completing chemotherapy courses, your hair will grow back. Active growth is observed three months after completion of treatment.

Where does hair fall out?

Side effects of chemotherapy are felt by all hairs from all parts of the body. Suffering more hairy part heads, there may be observed complete baldness. Hair on the pubis and perineum, legs, arms axillary area are mostly preserved. Hair loss in these areas may occur. It all depends on the duration of the course of treatment.

Eyebrows and eyelashes are also preserved. But, as mentioned above, it all depends on the body. And each person experiences this condition in their own way.

Is it possible to prevent

It became possible to avoid hair loss using the cooling method. Exposure to cold helps reduce blood flow to the scalp. Subsequently hair follicles less susceptible to the effects of chemicals. This method allows you to reduce or prevent hair loss.

Before administering chemotherapy, the doctor places a helmet containing a cooling gel on the patient’s head 15 minutes before administering chemotherapy. By lowering the temperature in the scalp, the blood supply to the follicles is reduced.

The hair begins to absorb less toxic substances. After completing the chemotherapy course, the helmet should remain on the head for at least another 30 minutes. This method is considered effective in 50–70% of cases.

To prevent hair loss, you can resort to the drug Minixidil. It was previously used as a hypertensive agent. To preserve curls, the drug must be rubbed into the scalp. It delays hair loss and, upon completion of treatment, accelerates growth. But Minixidil has side effects and contraindications that you need to familiarize yourself with in advance.

Care

Helps reduce hair loss proper care at home:

1. Provide protection to curls from negative influence environment. It is recommended to wear hats in hot weather summer days and cold season.
2. Before a course of chemotherapy, you should not wash your hair before and after the procedure for a week. The less the curls are subjected to any processing during treatment, the more intact they will remain.
3. You should not comb your hair for 10–12 hours after chemotherapy. At this time, the scalp is most sensitive.
4. You should use a “mild” shampoo. The water should be barely warm. After washing, the towel should be applied to your hair with caution.
5. Heat styling of hair is not recommended.
6. You should avoid painting and using varnishes and gels to fix curls.

With the help of folk remedies, you can prevent or delay the onset of alopecia. Traditional medicine offers a wide selection of recipes for washing and rinsing curls with decoctions of various herbs.

Oils for rubbing into the scalp with healing properties like: burdock, flaxseed, castor. Decoctions of burdock root, malt and hops, and nettle also have a beneficial effect on strengthening the roots of curls.

Usage egg yolk with soda in equal proportions also prevents hair loss. To do this, apply the mixture to the hair roots and leave for 10 minutes. After which the mask should be washed off lightly warm water. The yolk is rich in microelements. During application of the mask, the hair absorbs the richest composition elements.

Important point! Before using any product, you should first consult with an oncologist. Doing anything without permission and taking any medications is prohibited.

Disguise methods

Hair loss in a woman is a blow and psychological trauma. But refusing treatment to preserve the beauty of your curls is tantamount to suicide.

Temporary baldness can be hidden in different ways. For example, using:

• wig;
• scarf;
• hats;
• makeup;

When choosing a wig, it is better to give preference to natural hair. Such a wig will look more natural, which will protect you from unnecessary questions and glances from others. Those who do not want to wear false hair can hide their baldness with the help of hats. Perfectly selected makeup gives a woman confidence and beauty.

Health comes first. You can't refuse chemotherapy so as not to lose your luxurious curls. When to put terrible diagnosis- cancer, you have to fight for your life and believe in a successful outcome of the disease. Medicine is so advanced that it has found a way to cure many forms of cancer.

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One of the reasons why hair loss in cancer patients is the effects of radiation therapy. What is this method and why do you lose hair after using it?

About radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to treat tumor diseases. In this method of therapy, the tumor is irradiated with radiation, since its cells are very sensitive to this. After irradiation, the tumor cells strongly mutate and die, and normal cells more resistant to such changes.

Radiation therapy can be used both in combination with chemotherapy and instead of surgery when the latter is not possible.

Traditionally, the apparatus emitting radiation, placed at some distance from the head. It is held five days a week. Full course irradiation can last up to a month. The dose and period of therapy depend on the type of tumor.

Nowadays, brachytherapy is increasingly being practiced, which is the introduction of radioactive material into the thickness of the tumor. The consequences of such therapy are less harmful to the body and a much smaller area is irradiated.

Radiation therapy also has more local methods, when a thin beam of rays is directed to the tumor, which acts instead of a surgical knife.

Consequences of radiation therapy

The following side effects often occur after this method of therapy:

• hair fall out;
• hearing impairment;
• dry throat;
• loss of appetite;
• heaviness in the head;
• muscle soreness.

After radiation therapy, hair may fall out only in the area where the rays pass, that is, local alopecia occurs. By itself radiation exposure– these are not only aesthetic problems and discomfort, but also the acquisition of problems with a reduced level of lymphocytes in the blood.

Hair care during radiation therapy

After you are prescribed a course of radiation therapy, consult with your doctor or nurse to find out how possible this is in your case and in which areas you can expect baldness. This will help you decide ahead of time on a shorter haircut that will suit your face type and allow you to hide bald spots.

If the doctor says that after radiation therapy you can expect severe loss hair, then you need to go to the hairdresser and get yourself a short haircut. This will reduce the stress on the hair, namely the hair, make it lighter, and significantly reduce the sensitivity of the scalp.

Some patients prefer to shave their heads ahead of time in order to at least somehow take control of the situation into their own hands.

You need to be extremely careful when caring for your hair and scalp.

• From the moment you begin radiation therapy, use a wide-tooth comb or purchase a newborn brush to help comb your hair more accurately.
• After starting treatment, comb your hair with light movements, do not pull the hair, because its roots are already weakened.
• Use shampoo for dry and brittle hair, it will help you moisturize your scalp and relieve irritation.
• Before going to bed, hide your hair in a special sleep net so that it does not press or stretch during sleep.
• Make sure to use bedding only made from natural fabrics, this is necessary so that your hair does not get electrified.
• During treatment and rehabilitation, forget about curlers.
• After radiation therapy, you should not use a hair dryer or curling iron, as they will further dry out your hair.
• Under no circumstances use tight elastic bands or metal hair clips, which will severely pinch your hair.
• After a radiation therapy session it can be pleasant and useful massage scalp, thanks to which blood will flow better to the hair follicles.
• If you have an idea to dye your hair, then it is better to abandon it during this period. If you still want to change your image after radiation therapy and cannot give up this idea purely psychological level, then use hair dye only from natural ingredients.
• Eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and completely avoid drinking alcohol.

What to do if your hair falls out?

If you follow all the tips presented above, your hair will fall out much less often, but this will not protect you from local alopecia. Therefore, be prepared that some bald patches will appear on your head and will require special care.

1. Since the skin in the areas where the rays penetrate will be dry, do not forget to moisturize it. Do this daily using alcohol-free baby cream or olive oil.
2. Don't let it hit straight sun rays on the scalp. Wear a wig, headscarf, hat, and use sunscreen with at least SF factor
3. Sleep only on a cotton pillowcase.

How to hide receding hairline?

After radiation therapy, many people have to change their style, since everything is aimed at hiding the lack of hair. Below we will give some tips on how you can hide harmful influence radiation therapy on your body.

• Buy yourself a wig.
• Wear scarves, hats, and Panama hats.
• Wear bright makeup and lipstick to draw attention away from your hair.
• Use bright jewelry that matches harmoniously with your headdress.
• Dress brightly, show that you are beautiful figure, this way you will draw your gaze from the head to the torso.
• If you have lost hair in the eyebrow area, draw it in with a pencil.
• Lost eyelashes can also be glued back.
• Seek help from a skilled cosmetologist who will help you create a new harmonious look.

It's pretty important stage, because you will use it for at least a year until your own hair grows back. In order not to make a mistake in choosing a wig, follow our advice, then you will choose the most suitable option for you without any problems.

1. Don't go to a wig fitting alone, take a close friend or someone from your family.
2. Don't rush to buy a wig, don't panic. You need to get used to the idea of ​​wearing it for some period of time.
3. Some patients like to buy a wig in advance, even before the hair begins to fall out. This is done mainly in order to select a wig that matches the color as closely as possible. natural hair sick.
4. If you buy a wig ahead of time, then take one that fits very tightly on your head, because later, after the volume and density of your own hair has decreased significantly, this will be very useful.
5. Not everyone considers it necessary to choose a wig to match their natural hair color, as they consider radiation therapy an opportunity to completely change their style in better side and experiment with wigs different colors and configurations.
6. Don't choose a wig with too much thick hair because it looks unnatural.
7. A wig is not some standard product; you can cut it at your own discretion if there is something about it that doesn’t suit you.
8. When you first put on a wig, shake your head from side to side to make sure the wig is stable.
9. There are more expensive wigs that can adapt to the shape and size of your head.
10. If the hair has completely fallen out and the wig begins to slide over the head, then do not be sad, but simply purchase a special lining that is glued to the bottom of the wig.
11. You can also use special wig glue to help prevent it from moving.
12. If your wig causes skin irritation, buy cotton wig pads.

Hair loss during radiation therapy is an inevitable process that you cannot stop. But you can approach the situation differently with a considerable dose of optimism, and then you won’t care about any illness.

Radiation therapy used in the treatment of oncology – effective method fight the disease, but it has side effects. One of the main ones is hair loss. The patient may lose almost all vegetation on the body. When treatment is stopped, the follicles become viable again, and hair restoration occurs after chemotherapy.

Is hair restoration possible after radiation therapy?

Hair loss after chemotherapy is a temporary problem. The intensity of the process varies; for some, the hairstyle noticeably thins, for others, complete baldness occurs. It all depends on the treatment regimen used by doctors and the dosage of medications. The patient begins to lose hair 2-3 weeks after the start of chemotherapy. The reason is that the chemistry destroys not only tumor cells, but also those that form the basis of the hair. Some modern drugs They only affect the tumor and do not cause baldness.

Hair growth after chemotherapy begins shortly after completion of the course. If the patient has previously done perm or dyeing, curls may grow at a slower pace, or will be brittle and thin. Their structure may change, for example, curls will appear that were not there before treatment. The recovery process lasts about six months, sometimes up to a year. In some patients, regeneration begins during treatment; this does not mean that the chemistry is ineffective.

How quickly the hairline is restored depends on:

• patient's age;
• number of treatment courses;
• dosage of the drug, its sensitivity to the body;
• properties of the drug, its aggressiveness;
• condition of the hairstyle before treatment.

How does recovery occur after chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is carried out in a course of 5–10 cycles, after which the patient needs rehabilitation. This includes addressing treatment side effects, which include vomiting, nausea and hair loss. Substances from drugs accumulate in the hair, so hair loss is part of the body's protective reaction. The follicles remain in the scalp and the hairstyle is gradually restored.

How fast does hair grow on your head?

In adults, hair grows back average speed 10-13 mm per month. In 2-3 months, a neat short hairstyle is formed on the head. In five to six months, the hair is completely restored. The first hairs are rough, a little hard, gradually they become more silky. Before starting chemotherapy, psychologists recommend having a short haircut in order to prepare for the inevitable changes; this is important for women; it is easier for a man to shave his head.

How to fight hair loss

The effects of radiation therapy can be mitigated by following a number of recommendations. You can discuss the problem of upcoming baldness with your doctor, learn about the prospects and the possibility of adjusting the dosage of the drug. The doctor will advise whether it is possible to effectively stop hair loss in a particular case. There are standard rules that should be followed to reduce losses:

• immediately after chemotherapy, do not comb or wash your hair; you should start doing this a week after the start of the course;
• wash your hair with warm water, not hot, using a mild shampoo, you can use it instead chicken yolk or herbal infusion;
• reduce mechanical impact on hair: do not touch unnecessarily, do not rub against the pillow;
• do not use styling and drying devices that heat the hair;
• reduce time spent in the sun, wear a hat when outdoors.

Recovery after chemotherapy with folk remedies

Hair loss after chemotherapy is almost inevitable, but it is a fixable problem. Folk remedies stimulate the activity of the follicles and help quickly return the hairstyle to its previous appearance. Homemade masks for natural basis give good effect in the fight against baldness. They need to be done twice a week. Many recipes are based on the warming effect of one or more components. Blood rushes to the scalp, the follicles receive additional nutrition. Under this influence, hair grows 3-5 cm per month.

Masks for baldness:

• A well-known hair growth activator is mustard. Red peppers, onions, and garlic are also used. Simple recipe: squeeze onion juice, mix with vegetable oil, add ground red pepper, apply to your head, you can leave it overnight, wrapping your head in a towel.
• Masks based essential oils strengthen hair and stimulate its growth. Good recipe: take 3 drops each of lavender and rosemary oils, add 2 drops each of cedar and thyme, pour in 4 teaspoons of grape seed oil, half a spoon of jojoba oil. Mix, rub into skin, massage for 2 minutes, wrap head, rinse in the morning.

Head massage improves blood flow to the follicles:

• with aromatic oils, fingertips;
• brush;
• laser comb.

How to improve hair growth with vitamins

To reduce hair loss after chemotherapy, it is important to enrich your diet with vitamins.

In 70 percent of cases, doctors offer radiation therapy to cancer patients. Most patients find this method quite effective and, along with surgery, does not leave scars or scars.

Radiation is sometimes prescribed after surgery. Among the complications that may appear after chemotherapy is possible baldness. However, the desire to get better is greater than the doctor’s answers to questions about whether hair falls out or not after radiation therapy.

Irradiation negatively affects the hair. This is due to chemical components that not only kill tumor cells, but are also fundamental to hair.

Irradiation negatively affects the hair.

In some cases, hair falls out completely, while in others partial baldness occurs. This depends on the medications, their dosage and the amount of radiation exposure recommended. Hair loss after radiation therapy begins 15-20 days after the start of the procedures.

Hair regrowth begins immediately after irradiation ends, but can take about a year. In order not to receive psychological disorder, you need to be prepared for drastic changes appearance . To avoid stress, it is better to have a short haircut.

Unfortunately, chemotherapy carries side effects for hair, but the loss of curls indicates the body’s struggle over growth. Almost all cancer patients go through this path. If all your hair falls out after radiation therapy, then there is no need to become depressed, but act to help recovery hairline heads.

Basic rules after chemistry

1. Washing your hair after the procedures is permissible after a week.
2. Do not wash your hair with hot water .
3. Replace shampoo with chicken yolk.
4. Do not use a hair dryer, curling iron, or hairspray .
5. When outdoors, cover your hair with a hat.

To speed up the return of hair, you can resort to the advice of experienced patients. It can be scalp massages, nourishing masks, compresses . Here are some tips.

Mask based on essential oils

1. Lavender oil 3-4 drops.
2. Rosemary oil 3 drops.
3. Cedar oil 2 drops.
4. Thyme oil 2 drops.
5. Grape seed oil 2 tbsp. spoons.
6. Jojoba oil 1 teaspoon.

Mix all the oils into one mass. Before bedtime apply to the scalp, massaging with finger movements, after 3 minutes, wrap in a diaper or towel until the morning . In the morning rinse with warm water.

Mask to accelerate hair regrowth

1. One tablespoon onion juice.
2. Burdock oil 1 tbsp. spoon.
3. Tincture of calendula 1 tbsp. spoon.
4. Red pepper tincture 1 tbsp. spoon.
5. Tablespoon honey.
6. Cognac 1 tbsp. spoon.
7. Yolk 1 PC.

Apply the mask to your scalp, wrap it up and leave it on for about an hour.

You need to rinse the remaining curls with prepared infusions of nettle or burdock. If the scalp is completely without hair, then you can do compresses .

During the period after irradiation, you need to monitor your diet. Saturation of the body with necessary minerals and vitamins will help speed up recovery .

The diet should contain fresh vegetables and fruits, black bread, chicken yolk, nuts, legumes. Unrefined oil will saturate the body with vitamin E. To find out, what foods contain vitamin B5, just follow the link.

Reception of complex pharmaceutical vitamins and minerals will support and strengthen patients after radiation.