Side effects related to inhalation of oxygen and the exhalation of carbon dioxide, including maintenance of body temperature and elimination of excess water from the body.
shortness of breath
cough particularly during exercise
dry, hacking cough
fast, shallow breathing
gradual worsening cough
shortness of breath with physical activity
breathing difficulties
ongoing cough that is accompanied by excessive mucus production
chest tightness
wheezing
The following health professionals can help with Pulmonary side effects. Follow the links below to learn more.
Cancer Exercise Therapist:
Cancer Exercise Therapist main role is to help people achieve optimal health by providing information and advice about exercise.
Evidence:
Breast cancer patients participating in an exercise intervention indicated that the chemotherapy-related muscle and joint pain was not aggravated by training.
Dietician:
Dieticians advise individuals on nutrition-related matters and can modify diets to treat or help manage chronic conditions, food allergies and food intolerances.
Evidence:
Dietitians can help offer strategies to manage various types of pain e.g. mouth, stomach, oesophagus such as avoiding certain foods or fluids, changing food texture and temperature.
Exercise Physiologist:
Exercise Physiologists are university qualified allied health professionals, who specialise in clinical exercise interventions for persons at high-risk of developing, or with existing chronic and complex medical conditions and injuries. These interventions are provided by exercise delivery including health and physical activity education, advice and support and lifestyle modification with a strong focus on achieving behavioural change.
Evidence:
Short-term physical activity programs reduce pain in cancer survivors.
Naturopath:
Naturopaths provide a complimentary medicine, by employing a wide array of “”natural”” treatments, including herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle counselling.
Evidence:
Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain may be minimised by concurrent treatment with various nutritional supplements including vitamin E, vitamin B6, omega 3 fatty acids and acetyl-L-carnitine.
Nutritionist:
Nutritionists main role is to help people achieve optimal health by providing information and advice about health and food choices.
Evidence:
Honey significantly reduced the severity of mucositis associated pain and resulted in lesser treatment gaps and a decrease in overall radiotherapy treatment duration.
Physiotherapist:
Physiotherapists are health care professionals concerned with human function, movement and maximising potential. A physiotherapist aims to improve physical activity, confidence, well-being and quality of life by improving physical and functional independence, refining movement, offering support and restoring a measure of control. They are comprehensively skilled to analyse, promote, maintain and restore the needs of the whole person.
Evidence:
Studies show that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can be safely used for the reduction of pain and is effective on patients with advanced lung cancer.
Yoga Instructor:
Yoga Instructors teach a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practised for health and relaxation.
Evidence:
According to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience in April 2011, brain scans of this region demonstrated that mindfulness meditation can dramatically reduce sensitivity to pain-even more so than morphine.