Develop a Healthy Immune System before Chemotherapy Treatment

Chemotherapy involves the use of chemical agents to kill any suspected cancer cells in the body. Cancer cells grow faster than normal body cells, which is one way the agent is able to identify cancer formations. Unfortunately, chemotherapy effects can mistake normal cells as cancerous.

chemotherapyChemotherapy would be lower the number of white blood cells because it destroys any cells in the body that grow quickly. These include cancer cells, but also the rapidly growing healthy cells where blood cells are produced in cancer patient’s hair, digestive system, and bone marrow. When this happens, chemotherapy side effects may occur.

A patient who receives chemotherapy as one form of cancer treatment may face a high risk for developing infections, and the patient’s body may lack of energy to fight infections once they develop. This is because chemotherapy hurts the patient’s immune system by lowering the number of white blood cells produced in body.

White blood cells are important in preventing and fighting infections. There are different types of chemotherapy affect the immune system differently and that individual responses to treatment can vary widely. Some cancer patients experienced short term of chemotherapy side effects. Once the body replaces the healthy cells that were lost, symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fatigue and hair loss subside.

However, long-term chemotherapy side effects may occur if chemotherapy damages patient’s major organ like the reproductive organs, heart and lungs. When this happens, the cancer patient may suffer from months to years before side effects stop. The patient’s overall health prior to receiving treatment may determine how quickly he recovers from chemotherapy side effects.

There is nothing a cancer patient can do to prevent his white blood cell count from dropping as a result of chemotherapy. Hence, it’s extremely beneficial for the patient to have a healthy immune system before begin the chemotherapy treatment. This will help the patient to fight off any infection he may facing as well as combat the disease itself.

There are few ways for a cancer patient to develop a health immune system. Firstly, consult doctor as the doctor will have immunotherapy drugs for cancer patient. The purpose of taking immunotherapy drugs is to boost patient’s immune system prior to the procedure.

Another easy and effective method is taking a multivitamin which is specifically formulated for the immune system. Omega-3 fatty-acid is recommended to add into a patient’s diet. It can be taken as a dietary supplement everyday, much like a multivitamin.

According to research, having moderate exercise is help to boost a patient’s immune system and consequently reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Some moderate exercise like yoga also aid in reducing a patient’s stress.

Most of methods a patient can employ to develop a healthy immune system like increase the nutritional value into diet and add immune-system-boosting foods are fairly easy to implement into day-to-day life.

Technorati Tag: Cancer Treatment, Chemotherapy

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Boosting Your Immune System to Rocket Propulsion Status After Chemotherapy

After cancer is discovered, chemotherapy and radiation may or may not be part of the treatment. The purpose of these two treatments is to destroy the cancer cells, and thousands of cancer patients can agree firsthand to the negative effects of chemotherapy and radiation on the body’s immune system. Boosting the immune system is not considered a primary strategy of medical practitioners in the U.S.

chemotherapyIt’s well known among these same health practitioners treating cancer patients that chemotherapeutic drugs and the steroids that follow them can easily predispose the body to develop opportunistic infections because the immune system function is low.

Countless cancer patients develop Aspergillus infections that then require additional drugs, drugs that can and often do have harmful side effects on the liver, kidney, and other organs. It’s only after cancer patients develop these horrible infections that they often wonder later what they could have done to fight cancer naturally.

There are certain signs that occur that indicate the body’s immune system needs a boost because it is suppressed or depressed: constant fatigue, low levels of white blood cells, cuts and wounds don’t heal quickly, fungal infections, a cold or the flu lingers for weeks and complications develop, frequency of colds or the flu has increased, cold sores or genital herpes outbreaks, shingles, and lymph glands that are swollen. These signs are the same in both cancer patients and also those without cancer.

Although many physicians tell their cancer patients that vitamins and mineral supplements and herbs should not be used during chemotherapy, many cancer patients have proven that the additional vitamin and mineral supplements and herbs help ease their side effects from chemotherapy and radiation. They simply feel better when they take them. They also realize there is something that they can do to fight cancer naturally and that these supplements boost the immune system. These patients did not arbitrarily decide to take a Centrum Senior MultiVitamin or one single herb, but generally take a combination of vitamins and minerals or a combination of herbs that is specifically designed to support the body of a cancer patient during his or her most difficult times. They may also consult with a nutritionist who understands the role of vitamins and minerals in cancer or a master herbalist who understands the role of herbs in cancer.

What these supplements do is provide some basic nutrients that the body needs to continue operating at least on a minimal level. In a way, the supplements are a crutch to help the cancer patient get through the hard times and start healing sooner. Chinese research studies have reported for years that adding herbal combinations can make a significant difference in the success of cancer treatments; American physicians are behind the times when it comes to acknowledging some of these proven methods.

After chemotherapy and radiation, the real healing begins. That’s when cancer patients need to boost their immune system function the most. White blood cells that kill microbes and cancer cells are activated to action with the use of certain herbs. When the herbs are used, it’s as if the cells have the chance to “blast off” like a rocket and do exactly what they are meant to do in the body.

One of these “blast off” immune system boosting formulas I have found is a proprietary formula of 15 herbs. I do not sell it; I do recommend it, though. The combination regulates the entire immune system, activating natural killer cells, stimulating white blood cells to engulf bacteria, viruses and fungi, and activates the T and B cells that are so important to the immune system. Clinical results are seen in an average of 7 days and patients reported less fatigue and restoration of normal blood cell counts.

The all-natural herbal immune system boosting formula raises the energy level and combats fatigue. There have been cases where cancer patients who are bed ridden are able to get up, go to work, and lead normal lives simply because they were taking it. The herbal formula clearly increases quality of life and clearly boosts the immune system.

Some of the herbs in the immune system boosting formula include Astragalus, Reishi mushroom, tangerine, lycium, Chinese licorice, Rehmannia, Dong quai, and bai-zhu atractylodes. Many of the herbs in this formula have been highly researched by Chinese physicians and herbalists for decades. It’s because of the research that the combination was able to be effective in boosting the immune system.

If you or a loved one is suffering from cancer, boosting the immune system is absolutely one of the strategies needed to help speed up recovery. Check out more info at http://www.immuneenhance.com/products/leucozepin/
Get on the newsletter list for Dr. Donna’s Herbal School and learn about herbs in the convenience of your home. Sign up at drdonna.net. Find out about herbal training in Sacramento, CA at http://www.drdonna.net/2008-herb-training.html
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