Cold weather can cause extra challenges to Cancer patients, due to the side effects of Cancer treatments and physical limitations as a result of a Cancer diagnosis.
In this article, we share some tips to help Cancer patients stay safe in cold weather.
- Dress in warm layers. Wrap a scarf around your nose and mouth before you head out into the cold to avoid any breathing problems.
- Wear a hat that covers your ears, and put on heavy gloves to protect your fingers.
- Wear shoes or boots with good grip.
- Make sure paths and driveways are cleared of snow and ice.
- Walk like a penguin in the snow. Take flat-footed, short steps or shuffle for stability. Keep your arms at your sides and free, wear a backpack to keep your arms free to protect yourself if you fall.
- Ask for—and accept—help with shoveling snow or running errands so you can avoid going out in inclement weather.
Conditions that can affect Cancer patients:
Falls may be dangerous:
Some Cancer treatments can cause numbness in the hands and feet, which may make a person unsteady on their feet. Patients with blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma are at particular risk with a fall, thrombocytopenia is a condition in which there is a lower than normal amount of platelets in the blood. Platelets help blood clot, and having too few of them can lead to bruising or serious bleeding with an injury.
Hypothermia:
Side effects of treatment such as dehydration, fatigue and anemia can make you more sensitive to the cold and more susceptible to hypothermia. Hypothermia is a condition in which your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, dangerously lowering your temperature.
