Cancer isn't a diagnosis that anyone wants, but fortunately medical science is making daily strides at fighting this disease. Radiation is a common form of treatment for many different types of cancer because it has a good success rate and is minimally invasive. The following guide can help you prepare for radiation therapy.

Know the side effects

It's important to prepare yourself for some of the likely side effects. These can include the following:

• Dry mouth and sore throat

• Diarrhea, urination difficulty, stomach upset, and loss of appetite

• Vomiting or mouth sores

• Earaches

• Peeling skin, blisters, and dry skin

Unlike chemotherapy, overall hair loss isn't common with radiation treatment. Instead, you will only lose hair at the site of the treatment. This makes the hair loss a minor side effect if the tumor being treated isn't on the head.

Manage skin issues

One of the biggest complaints with radiation treatment is the dry, itchy skin and possible blisters at the treatment site. You can help minimize this by beginning a steady moisturizing routine as soon as you find out that you will be getting radiation therapy. Moisturize several times a day, every day, to help keep your skin soft and supple.

Keep in mind that any creams or lotions on the skin at the time of treatment can cause overheating in the skin, though, which is what causes blisters. Before going in, soak in the tub or take a long shower to get all moisturizers off your body.

You will probably get a tattoo

In most cases, the radiation team will give you a small tattoo, generally no bigger than a freckle. For radiation to work, it must be delivered to the exact same location each time. The tattoo helps guide your radiation technician so they can position everything correctly. If the position is easily found without a tattoo, which is sometimes the case if you have a naturally occurring freckle at the spot, or if the radiation is being applied to the face, then you may not need a tattoo.

Keep a log of everything

Put together a binder dedicated specifically to radiation treatment. Keep all medical paper organized in the binder. You should also begin a daily log. Write down everything, from how you felt to what you ate, how well you slept, and how often you used the restroom throughout the day. Logging every detail will help you and your medical team find any problems so that treatment can be modified to fit your specific needs. Contact a company like Sturdy Memorial Hospital to learn more.