Treatments headaches are a possible side effect of different types of cancer treatments. These include some chemotherapy drugs, radiation, and immunotherapy. Other medications for treating cancer-related symptoms or other conditions might cause headaches as well. Some patients may experience other side-effects, such as anemia, dehydration, constipation or others that they by themselves can cause headaches.
Other factors that might be related directly or indirectly to the disease itself, such as anxiety, stress, fatigue, and insomnia, may also cause headaches.
Some may experience mild, uncomfortable headaches, while others might experience frequent, debilitating, and severe nagging headaches that can keep them awake at night and negatively affect their quality of life.
What can you do to improve the situation?
First of all- don’t ignore it or just don’t take any OTC medication. Discuss it with your health care team, who can diagnose and treat the condition accordingly. Based on the headache pattern and symptoms, your doctor might recommend some additional tests to diagnose the condition that caused the headache to begin with, and treat it accordingly. They might recommend OTC pain relievers or suggest prescription medications.
Your healthcare team might also suggest lifestyle changes like managing stress levels, eating better, and improving sleeping patterns. Others may recommend trying complementary methods such as acupuncture, massage, visual imagery, or other relaxation methods.
This content is provided for your general education and information only. It does not necessarily reflect Belong’s views and opinions. Belong does not endorse or support any specific product, service or treatment.
