Anyone who has been given a diagnosis of mesothelioma needs to do everything they can to bring about a positive change in their health. With all the other things to worry about, it’s easy for the nutritional needs of a patient to be overlooked. It doesn’t matter what treatment options are agreed upon, whether surgery, chemotherapy or radiation – good nutrition is a vital component.
It is important that enough essentials nutrients are consumed. This includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and even enough water for the body. These nutrients will help the patient to feel better and remain as strong as possible. The physical needs for a person fighting a major medical condition like mesothelioma and undergoing aggressive treatments are very different for the average individual.
The type of treatment that a patient chooses can sometimes make it complicated for them to eat well. This results in malnutrition. It’s also well known that cancer changes the way a body metabolizes nutrients, especially protein and fats, which could lead to weight loss, something these patients can’t afford. Cancer patients generally intake too few calories and too little protein, which is difficult as these are important nutrients for healing and fighting infections.
For patients looking to have aggressive treatments like surgery and chemotherapy a matching aggressive nutritional program may be necessary to build a person’s strength prior to treatment. For those patients facing palliative care, a good nutritional program will help to give a better health and therefore a better quality of life.
The goals of a strong nutritional program would be to help the patient get the nutrients that they need to both maintain a healthy weight and build up strength for upcoming treatments. In addition, this program would be adjusted to adapt for the physical changes brought on by aggressive treatments. A nutritionist can help to: correct malnutrition, slow and/or prevent the wasting away of muscle and bone, help the patient to tolerate aggressive treatments better (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation), build or maintain strength and energy levels, increase the ability to fight infections, and help to improve the quality of a patient’s life.
It would help to have an early assessment of a patients needs to identify any potential problems that might delay their treatment. This evaluation should include: any weight changes over the last many months, changes in the quantity of food (appetites drop when people aren’t feeling good), and also any changes in the types of food the person is now choosing to eat should be noted.
Any person facing a serious medical condition like mesothelioma needs to have all the support they can have available to them. Don’t discount nutrition. It plays a vital role in fighting disease and improving quality of life.
The type of treatment that a patient chooses can sometimes make it complicated for them to eat well. This results in malnutrition. It’s also well known that cancer changes the way a body metabolizes nutrients, especially protein and fats, which could lead to weight loss, something these patients can’t afford. Cancer patients generally intake too few calories and too little protein, which is difficult as these are important nutrients for healing and fighting infections.
For patients looking to have aggressive treatments like surgery and chemotherapy a matching aggressive nutritional program may be necessary to build a person’s strength prior to treatment. For those patients facing palliative care, a good nutritional program will help to give a better health and therefore a better quality of life.
The goals of a strong nutritional program would be to help the patient get the nutrients that they need to both maintain a healthy weight and build up strength for upcoming treatments. In addition, this program would be adjusted to adapt for the physical changes brought on by aggressive treatments. A nutritionist can help to: correct malnutrition, slow and/or prevent the wasting away of muscle and bone, help the patient to tolerate aggressive treatments better (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation), build or maintain strength and energy levels, increase the ability to fight infections, and help to improve the quality of a patient’s life.
It would help to have an early assessment of a patients needs to identify any potential problems that might delay their treatment. This evaluation should include: any weight changes over the last many months, changes in the quantity of food (appetites drop when people aren’t feeling good), and also any changes in the types of food the person is now choosing to eat should be noted.
Any person facing a serious medical condition like mesothelioma needs to have all the support they can have available to them. Don’t discount nutrition. It plays a vital role in fighting disease and improving quality of life.
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Mesothelioma Chemotherapy,
Mesothelioma Treatment
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