I don't know if you have been chasing "Xiao MinJia" recently, the happy life of Chen Zhuo and Xiao Min in the play has just begun to suffer from cancer, which makes it difficult for many viewers to accept. Although, in the end, Chen Zhuo was discharged from the hospital and went home to recuperate, we can no longer see his state of "eating Ma Ma Xiang".
Loss of appetite (also known as cancerous anorexia) is an independent risk factor affecting the survival rate of tumor patients, and is a serious and thorny clinical problem, which can cause malnutrition, which is not conducive to the effective implementation of anti-tumor treatment measures, a serious decline in quality of life, and even the appearance of cachexia, increasing the mortality rate.
It has been found that 33 to 75 percent of cancer patients have anorexia, 5 to 25 percent of patients with malignant tumors die directly from malnutrition and depletion, and in patients with advanced cancer, anorexia occurs in 80 percent and end-stage as high as 100 percent [1].
Why do cancer patients lose their appetite?
Caused by the tumor itself
Some tumors themselves may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as gastrointestinal tumors; in addition, in the process of tumor proliferation, it will consume the body's energy and nutrients, resulting in deficiencies of various nutrients (such as vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc, etc.), which can lead to loss of appetite in patients.
Antitumor therapy
In the process of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it will bring some adverse reactions to tumor patients, and the more common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth and other symptoms, which seriously affect the patient's appetite.
Psychological factors and learned anorexia
The appetite of tumor patients is affected by psychological factors such as anxiety, fear, and mental tension. "Learned anorexia" is a conditioned reflex to a food at the time when a patient is unwell or suffering during radiotherapy and chemotherapy and other medical treatments, and the food is aversion.
Loss of appetite caused by different reasons, how should we deal with it?
1
Nausea, vomiting
Patients should consume more nutritious foods at times when they are more comfortable, such as before receiving chemoradiation or chemotherapy or between treatments.
Eat less and more meals, and do not overeat three meals. If you feel hungry, you can eat at any time, and your family should always prepare pastries, drinks, etc. that are easy to obtain.
Avoid eating foods that are easy to cause nausea, contact with bad environments, such as: avoid greasy, too sweet, spicy and other strong and irritating foods; avoid being in a high temperature, poor ventilation or oil smoke smell environment
Actively creating a relaxed and pleasant dining environment (such as changing your favorite tableware, setting up a beautiful table, listening to music or watching fun TV), a relaxed and pleasant dining mood can significantly improve your appetite.
2
Oral problems
To maintain oral hygiene, rinse your mouth with light salt water after a meal or use a mouthwash as directed by your doctor.
Change the way you cook and choose foods that are soft, easy to chew and finely chopped.
Avoid spicy, irritating foods.
To avoid heartburn after a meal, try to keep your upper body upright for an hour after a meal, or take a proper walk to aid digestion.
Liquid food can be ingested with a straw to reduce food touching the wound.
3
Dry mouth
Consume adequate amounts of water (more than 2,000 ml) per day and drink in small sips.
Sweeter or fatter foods can be consumed to increase saliva secretion, and patients with painful and swollen mouths should use with caution.
Choose foods that are soft or finely chopped for easy swallowing, or mix them into the soup.
Take small bites and chew thoroughly.
If the symptoms of dry mouth are severe and swelling and pain, use drugs to protect the oral mucosa as directed by your doctor.
On the basis of the above symptomatic treatment, combined with emotional regulation and appropriate exercise (such as walking, playing tai chi), etc., it is also very helpful to improve appetite.
In addition, tumor patients with poor appetite must inform the doctor in time, the doctor will give the corresponding drugs according to the patient's situation, do not drag to the body "overdraft", malnutrition!
Write at the end
With the discharge of Chen Zhuo from the hospital in "Xiao Min's Family", I believe that Xiao Min, as a medical worker, will definitely take care of Chen Zhuo scientifically in diet, and their love will surely be able to last a long time!
bibliography
1. Cui Yanyan, Jia Mei. Treatment of cancerous anorexia[J].2017:45(4).