How Can Wound Care Help Radiation Patients?

Radiation therapy is utilized by specializing physicians for its abilities to disrupt cell growth in the human body. One of its best-known uses is as an effective cancer treatment option. Though there have been many advances and improvements in the administration of radiation therapy, potential side effects still remain.

In order to target the tumor, radiation beams must pass through a mapped out area on the skin known as a “radiation portal”. This can result in exposure for normal skin cells, making them prone to further damage.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Radiation Symptoms

Due to radiation’s high success rate, treatment is often close to necessary for disease management, especially in the cases of cancer patients. Those who have received radiation therapy may be frustrated by delayed radiation soft tissue injury, symptoms that may present themselves as long-term effects of radiation.

Frequently reported effects of radiation may include:

• Formation of scars
• Contraction of tissues
• Lymphedema, a buildup of fluid that results in swelling, immobility, and hardening of skin

Some long-term radiation effects can also occur in internal organs. Patients who receive radiation therapy for abdominal and pelvic tumors can cause problems of the bowel and bladder, such as discomfort, dysfunction, and excess bleeding. The concentrated exposure to oxygen which wound care specialists prescribe in hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help expedite the healing process for these patients.

Consult a Wound Care Specialist

If you or a loved one experience late effects from radiation therapy, consider scheduling a consult with one of our wound care specialists. Hyperbaric medicine could help support the healing process and get you back to living your life sooner.