Navigating Anemia: Understanding Its Impact During Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of various types of cancer. Chemotherapy medicines contain chemicals, which destroy cancer cells and prevent them from spreading. These chemicals also start damaging the healthy cells present in the body. Especially the cells of the skin, digestive system and bone marrow are damaged. In such a situation, when these cells get damaged during chemotherapy, red blood cells are not produced in the right quantity. Because of this, the risk of anemia related to chemotherapy increases.

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The chemicals present in chemotherapy medicines destroy cancer cells and also harm healthy cells. Due to this, red blood cells start decreasing. When red blood cells start decreasing due to chemotherapy medicines, it is called chemotherapy-related anemia. In this condition the level of hemoglobin in the blood decreases.

Let us tell you that hemoglobin is a protein present in red blood cells, which delivers oxygen to the body tissues. If understood in simple language, anemia is a condition in which there are not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen properly in the body and the level of hemoglobin decreases.

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Red blood cells are not produced while taking chemotherapy. Due to this, hemoglobin also falls and blood deficiency starts in the body. When anemia occurs, the following symptoms may be felt -

• Fatigue And Weakness
• Not Feeling Strong
• Dizziness Or Fainting
• Difficulty Breathing
• Headache
• Yellow Skin Color
• Heart Beat Fast
• Chest Pain
• Depression
• Difficulty Concentrating
• Loss Of Appetite

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According to research, about 70 percent of people taking chemotherapy have to face symptoms of anemia. It is most common in these people –

• Lung Cancer
• Lymphoma Cancer
• Urinary Tract Cancer
• Cancers Of The Reproductive System

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Chemotherapy can be a major cause of anemia. When a cancer patient takes chemotherapy, he may face anemia. The reasons for this are as follows -

It is important to treat anemia that occurs during chemotherapy, because if anemia is not treated on time, the condition can become serious. This condition can affect the person physically. Chemotherapy associated anemia is treated in the following ways:

Anemia can be a common side effect of chemotherapy. The chemicals present in chemotherapy drugs can harm cancer cells as well as healthy cells present in the body. Due to this, the production of red blood cells starts decreasing and the level of hemoglobin starts decreasing, due to which anemia occurs. Anemia usually gets cured once chemotherapy is stopped, but if you feel symptoms of anemia during chemotherapy, do not ignore them at all.