Alcohol consumption may impair the body's ability to process and absorb nutrients like folate, carotenoids, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Alcohol also dehydrates the body. This effect can worsen the side effects of some lymphoma treatments and increase your risk of becoming dangerously dehydrated.
Caring For Your Lymph Nodes
If you have Hodgkin's lymphoma or any other lymphatic system complication, it is recommended to avoid alcohol as much as possible. Those who see a lump in their throat or experience pain in the neck, groin, or armpit should contact their doctor as soon as possible.
There is a well-known phenomenon of alcohol-related lymph node enlargement in people with Hodgkin lymphoma. This swelling likely caused pressure on a nerve, resulting in the arm pain you experienced.
Alcohol can worsen the side effects of chemotherapy and drugs used during cancer treatment. These side effects include nausea, dehydration and mouth sores. And, drinking alcohol increases the risk of additional cancer diagnoses. Cancer patients should talk to their doctor about the use of alcohol.
Drinking about 3.5 drinks a day doubles or even triples your risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. Drinking about 3.5 drinks a day increases your risk of developing colorectal cancer and breast cancer by 1.5 times. The less alcohol you drink, the lower your cancer risk.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Cancers are nurturers - they like being in their cozy home, taking care of their favorite people. The best cocktail for any Cancer is a hot toddy. It's a warm blend of whiskey, honey, and lemon, perfect for sipping out of their favorite mug.
Alcohol consumption may impair the body's ability to process and absorb nutrients like folate, carotenoids, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Alcohol also dehydrates the body. This effect can worsen the side effects of some lymphoma treatments and increase your risk of becoming dangerously dehydrated.
Drink Enough Water
Drinking enough water during cancer treatment is especially important because: Certain cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, some drug therapies and radiation therapy, can cause dehydration. Some treatment side effects, such as diarrhea or vomiting, can contribute to dehydration.
You can try to prevent the infections that lead to swollen lymph nodes by washing your hands, disinfecting surfaces, avoiding touching your nose and eyes and staying away from people with contagious infections.
In some people, the affected lymph nodes can become painful after drinking alcohol. This seems to happen more often in people with Hodgkin lymphoma. It is not one of the key symptoms in the diagnosis of lymphoma. In fact, it is quite rare.
Alcohol has a diuretic effect, stimulating the kidneys to excrete more fluid. Coupled with vasodilation, this causes some trouble for us lymphies, as we've already got tissues saturated with excess lymph.
Chemotherapy is one of the main tools used to treat lymphoma. Chemotherapy medications are chemicals that kill lymphoma cells. They may be taken as pills or infusions into your veins.
Causes of lymphoma
Exposure to radiation and certain types of chemicals can put some people at higher risk. Benzene and some agricultural chemicals have been implicated; people exposed in the workplace, who can be at highest risk, should follow occupational health guidelines to minimise exposure.
It takes time but most people adjust well to life after a diagnosis of lymphoma and find a 'new normal'. This might involve making some changes to your everyday life.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL for short, is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and can advance very quickly. Like other cancer cells, DLBCL thrive on sugar in the body, drawing on it as as a source of energy it uses to divide in an uncontrolled and almost unlimited manner.
The cure rate is higher, approaching 90 percent, in younger patients and those with early-stage favorable disease. Even if disease recurs, many patients can be cured with further treatment. Most patients become long-term survivors of the disease.
A good starting point in making the decision is the often quoted advice: All things in moderation. If you enjoy drinking in moderation, pay close attention to how the lymphedema affected tissues of your body react to alcohol consumption. If swelling increases, reducing the amount of alcohol you drink may help.
Blastic NK cell lymphoma
This very rare type of T cell lymphoma only affects a few people each year. It usually affects adults. Blastic NK cell lymphoma tends to grow very quickly and can be difficult to treat. It can start almost anywhere in the body.
Low-Grade Lymphoma
These grow so slowly that patients can live for many years mostly without symptoms, although some may experience pain from an enlarged lymph gland. After five to 10 years, low-grade disorders begin to progress rapidly to become aggressive or high-grade and produce more severe symptoms.
Some studies show that drinking three or more alcoholic drinks per day increases the risk of stomach and pancreatic cancers. There is also evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk for prostate cancer. All alcoholic drinks, including red and white wine, beer, and liquor, are linked with cancer.
Alcohol and chemotherapy
With some chemotherapy drugs it is very important not to drink alcohol as they interact and could make you unwell.