Cancer treatment can bring about significant changes in the way your loved one eats. Understanding these changes and finding effective solutions is key to maintaining proper nutrition, which is vital during this time.
Understanding the Changes
Several factors can impact a patient’s ability to eat during cancer treatment. These include:
- Swallowing Difficulties: Pain or the location of the tumour can inhibit swallowing. Research shows that patients with oropharyngeal cancer often experience difficulty retracting the tongue, decreased tongue strength, and delayed swallowing.
- Nausea and Vomiting: Common side effects of chemoradiation therapy.
- Changes in Taste and Smell: Treatment can alter how food is perceived, affecting appetite.
- Changes in Salivation: Decreased or altered saliva production can make eating uncomfortable.
- Diarrhea and Decreased Appetite: These symptoms can lead to an inadequate intake of nutrients.
- Mucositis: This inflammation can cause severe pain, reducing the desire to eat.
Solutions for Eating Problems
If your loved one struggles to meet their nutritional needs, consider these solutions advised by nutritionists and healthcare professionals:
- Eat Smaller Meals More Often: Frequent, smaller meals can make eating more manageable.
- Nutrient-Rich Foods: Encourage foods high in nutrients to maximise intake.
- Feeding Tube or IV Nutrition: If there is significant weight loss, nutritionists might recommend a feeding tube or IV to ensure adequate nutrition.
- Manage Side Effects: Report symptoms like decreased salivation to the care team. They might recommend treatments like pilocarpine to stimulate saliva production.
- Surgical Options: Long-term eating difficulties might be addressed surgically, so consult with the care team.
Use a Nutrition Tracker
Maintaining good nutrition is crucial, as cancer and its treatments can significantly alter how food is processed. Side effects might impact your ability to swallow, taste, and digest, thus affecting your diet. It’s important to follow your care team’s nutritional guidelines consider downloading and printing our simple nutrition tracker to help monitor daily and weekly calorie intake.
Tips for Managing Appetite Loss
Loss of appetite is common, and it’s easy to underestimate nutritional intake. The Mayo Clinic suggests strategies like eating small meals often, keeping healthy snacks nearby, and scheduling meal times. This tracker can support these efforts by providing a clear overview of intake. Discussing your nutritional needs with your care team will help set a goal for daily calorie intake.