How to care for advanced lung cancer? 7 health care methods for advanced lung cancer

Nowadays, people are all afraid of cancer. The scary thing about cancer is the metastasis and spread of cancer cells. The same is true for lung cancer. Many people around us are suffering from the pain of lung cancer. In order to help more lung cancer patients relieve their pain, experts have specially compiled some information to share with you the health care methods for advanced lung cancer.

1. Relieve symptoms

Fever is one of the main symptoms of lung cancer. Patients should be advised to keep warm and prevent colds to avoid pneumonia. Suppressants can be given for irritating coughs. When patients have persistent coughs at night, they can drink hot water to relieve irritation in the throat. If there is coughing up blood, hemostatic drugs should be given. When coughing up blood in large quantities, notify the doctor immediately, tilt the patient's head to one side, clear the blood in the mouth in time to prevent suffocation, and assist the doctor in rescue.

2. Prevention of bedsores

Patients with advanced lung cancer generally have poor nutritional status, sometimes with systemic edema, and are very likely to develop bedsores, which spread rapidly and are difficult to cure. It is particularly important to prevent bedsores. Reduce local pressure, change body positions on time, and use air rings, soft pillows, etc. to cushion the parts of the body that are prone to pressure to avoid long-term pressure. Keep the skin clean, especially for patients with incontinence, keep the bed clean and flat, and use a baking lamp to irradiate the broken skin to keep the local area dry.

3. Observation and care of the patient

Patients with advanced lung cancer often have metastases to different parts of the tumor, causing different symptoms. They should be carefully observed and given corresponding care. For example, liver and brain metastases may cause sudden coma, convulsions, and blurred vision. Nursing staff should promptly detect and give symptomatic treatment. Bone metastases should strengthen limb protection. Abdominal metastases often cause intestinal obstruction. Patients should be observed for symptoms such as abdominal distension and abdominal pain. Due to weakness, fatigue, and reduced activity, patients often suffer from constipation. Enemas or laxatives should be given in time to relieve constipation. Edema may occur due to malnutrition and low plasma protein. Edema should be reduced by increasing nutrition and raising the affected limb.

4. Spiritual comfort

Lung cancer patients in the late stage may have anxiety, fear, grief and other psychological symptoms, and often appear cold and lonely. We should have a high degree of sympathy and responsibility, and try our best to create a warm and harmonious environment for patients, place them in single wards, speak in a friendly way, be honest, encourage patients to express their psychological feelings, give them timely advice, and actively introduce to them the news that their condition has improved. We should give patients more spiritual comfort to eliminate their fear of death, encourage and educate the spouses and relatives of patients, caress and hug them, speak softly, chat more, express our love and care for them, satisfy their psychological desire for family affection, forget their fear of death, and thus gain spiritual happiness.

5. Pay attention to your diet

In terms of diet, lung cancer patients should maintain a high-calorie, high-protein, high-vitamin, and moderate inorganic salt diet. High-calorie foods can meet the basic physiological needs of patients; high-protein foods can ensure tissue repair and increase the body's resistance, such as fish, meat, eggs, and milk. When patients feel nausea and vomiting, they should eat liquid or semi-liquid soft food at a moderate temperature. Eat small meals frequently and chew food thoroughly to promote digestion. Avoid irritating, spicy, overly cold, hard, moldy, and barbecued foods. At the same time, pay attention to the dining environment and atmosphere.

6. Daily life assistance

Help patients who cannot live independently to turn over regularly, scrub and massage their hands and feet every day. Apply safflower alcohol to the pressure areas to prevent bedsores. If coughing and sputum are present, encourage the patient to cough them up by themselves. If sputum is difficult to expectorate, pat the back to help expectorate. If necessary, use a sputum suction device. When resting and sleeping, pay attention to lying on one side with the head tilted to prevent suffocation by sputum. If the patient suddenly loses his/her voice, changes his/her complexion, or stops breathing, report to the doctor immediately for emergency rescue.

7. Meet patients’ needs

For patients with pain, their pain relief needs should be met as much as possible, and the addictiveness of narcotic analgesics should not be feared, so as to improve their quality of life. For patients who can do slight activities, they can be accompanied to walk slowly, stroll, and stretch their muscles and bones, but not excessively. They can listen to light music, folk music, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 to relax their body and mind and improve their quality of life.