http://www.hibernianmedia.com A health and weight loss reference Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:23:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.hibernianmedia.com/dealing-with-cancer-pain/index.html http://www.hibernianmedia.com/dealing-with-cancer-pain/index.html#comments Wed, 07 May 2008 19:58:20 +0000 Hibe Media Team http://www.yxdyz.com/?p=282 Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, in some cases, to metastasize. Cancer develops when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Normal cells grow, divide, and die. Instead of dying, cancer cells continue to grow and form new abnormal cells. Cancer cells often travel to other body parts where they grow and replace normal tissue. Targeted cancer therapies use drugs that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in carcinogenesis (the process by which normal cells become cancer cells) and tumor growth.
Cancer can cause pain. There are different types of pain. Acute pain ranges from mild to severe. It comes on quickly and lasts a short time. Chronic pain ranges from mild to severe. It either won’t go away or comes back often. Breakthrough pain is an intense rise in pain that occurs suddenly or is felt for a short time. It can occur by itself or in relation to a certain activity. It may happen several times a day, even when you’re taking the right dose of medicine. For example, it may happen as the current dose of your medicine is wearing off.
There are also different types of drugs used for cancer pain. Nonopioids are drugs used to treat mild to moderate pain, fever, and swelling. On a scale of 0 to 10, a nonopioid may be used if you rate your pain from 1 to 4. These medicines are stronger than most people realize. In many cases, they are all you’ll need to relieve your pain. You just need to be sure to take them regularly. If you’re having moderate to severe pain, your doctor may recommend that you take stronger drugs called opioids. Opioids are also known as narcotics. You must have a doctor’s prescription to take them. They are often taken with aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. It is important that patients inform all of their health care providers about any therapies they are currently using or considering. People in pain get the most relief when they take their medicines on schedule. And don’t be afraid to ask for larger doses if you need them.

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