{"id":27325,"date":"2021-08-04T20:25:32","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T20:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmshub.wpengine.com\/?p=351579"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:14:33","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:14:33","slug":"how-to-avoid-spreading-harmful-chemo-chemicals-to-members-of-your-household","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/how-to-avoid-spreading-harmful-chemo-chemicals-to-members-of-your-household\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid Spreading Harmful Chemo Chemicals to Members of Your Household"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span id=\"content-body\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">Cancer is not contagious, and neither is chemotherapy. However, harmful chemotherapy drugs can sometimes still be present in the bodily fluids of a person going through chemotherapy treatment. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), it takes about 48 to 72 hours for chemotherapy medications to leave the body. Until that time, the harmful drugs are still present in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/chemotherapy-precautions-for-family\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bodily fluids<\/a> of the person being treated, such as sweat, urine, and vomit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">For the most part, people don\u2019t tend to share these bodily fluids with each other, but it\u2019s possible that those who are in closest contact with the person being treated\u2014namely, the members of their household\u2014to also come into contact with bodily fluids. This is the case for nearly any family member but is especially the case for spouses and caregivers.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_351671\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-351671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><span id=\"content-body\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold1.jpg\" alt width=\"1000\" height=\"523\" class=\"size-full wp-image-351671\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold1-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold1-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold1-768x402.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 1200px, (min-width:992px) 992px, (min-width:768px) 768px, (min-width:576px) 480px, 300px\"><\/span><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-351671\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span id=\"content-body\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/images\/husband-cheering-up-cancer-wife\/204613856?asset_id=204613856\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Photo: Adobe Stock\/Rawpixel.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"jwVideoContainer\" readability=\"8.4193548387097\"><span id=\"content-body\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"small text-uppercase text-center font-weight-light text-muted\"><span id=\"content-body\">Article continues below<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span id=\"content-body\">Our Featured Programs<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">See how we\u2019re making a difference for People, Pets, and the Planet and how you can get involved!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"content-body\">Taking Precautions<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">Luckily, there are some things you can do to prevent members of your family from touching bodily fluids that might be contaminated with chemotherapy drugs. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/treatment\/treatments-and-side-effects\/treatment-types\/chemotherapy\/chemotherapy-safety.html#:~:text=It%20generally%20takes%20about%2048,the%20body%20a%20bit%20differently.\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ACS encourages the following precautions<\/a> for people undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Some of them may also apply to primary caregivers of the person undergoing treatment:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Sitting down when using the toilet to reduce splashing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Using a separate toilet from the rest of the household if possible<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Machine washing clothing and bedding with warm water and laundry detergent<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Washing materials contaminated with bodily fluids separately from other items<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Washing hands with warm soapy water and drying with disposable towels<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Sealing contaminated items such as adult diapers and sanitary products inside two plastic bags and washing hands after throwing them away<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Properly disposing of vomit down the toilet with two flushes, cleaning the surrounding area with hot soapy water, and washing hands afterward<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_351681\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-351681\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><span id=\"content-body\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold2.jpg\" alt width=\"1000\" height=\"523\" class=\"size-full wp-image-351681\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold2-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold2-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold2-768x402.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 1200px, (min-width:992px) 992px, (min-width:768px) 768px, (min-width:576px) 480px, 300px\"><\/span><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-351681\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span id=\"content-body\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/images\/cleaning-tap\/68906454?asset_id=68906454\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Photo: Adobe Stock\/Alexander Raths<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">The ACS also has recommendations for how to avoid having a baby, toddler, or child in the home come into contact with chemotherapy drugs. These members of your family aren\u2019t likely to come into contact with drugs or bodily fluids, but precautions should still be taken for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/treatment\/treatments-and-side-effects\/treatment-types\/chemotherapy\/chemotherapy-safety.html#:~:text=It%20generally%20takes%20about%2048,the%20body%20a%20bit%20differently.\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">safety of young children<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Follow the cleaning precautions above to protect babies and children from coming into contact with contaminated substances<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Change diapers and clothing on a sanitized surface<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Use disposable diapers to avoid contamination<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">If taking chemo medications or other drugs at home, store them out of reach of children<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Store cleaning products in a safe secure location where children can\u2019t get them<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_351683\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-351683\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><span id=\"content-body\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold3.jpg\" alt width=\"1000\" height=\"522\" class=\"size-full wp-image-351683\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold3.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold3-600x313.jpg 600w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold3-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold3-768x401.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 1200px, (min-width:992px) 992px, (min-width:768px) 768px, (min-width:576px) 480px, 300px\"><\/span><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-351683\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span id=\"content-body\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/images\/portrait-of-african-american-mother-holding-her-baby-girl-black-female-cancer-patient-in-healing-with-chemotherapy-holding-her-baby-on-hands\/313428274?asset_id=318761502\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Photo: Adobe Stock\/Mongkolchon<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">Every chemotherapy drug is a little different, so talk to your doctor about the specific drugs you\u2019re taking and what precautions you should take at home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">You can further protect your family from harm by avoiding conception and nursing while you\u2019re undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Use a condom during sexual activity, both to prevent pregnancy and to keep chemical waste from transferring to your partner through your bodily fluids.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">In turn, household members can protect their immunocompromised loved one who is undergoing chemo by implementing some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/chemotherapy-precautions-for-family\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">measures of safety and cleanliness<\/a>. Family members and those in close proximity to a cancer patient should wash hands regularly, get their flu shots, self-quarantine when ill, and avoid sharing personal items, particularly those that come into contact with the nose or mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_351684\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-351684\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><span id=\"content-body\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold4.jpg\" alt width=\"1000\" height=\"523\" class=\"size-full wp-image-351684\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold4.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold4-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold4-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold4-768x402.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 1200px, (min-width:992px) 992px, (min-width:768px) 768px, (min-width:576px) 480px, 300px\"><\/span><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-351684\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span id=\"content-body\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/images\/young-female-cancer-patient-thanking-her-adorable-young-daughter-for-homemade-i-love-mom-greeting-card-family-celebration-concept-happy-mother-s-day-or-birthday-background\/251201722?asset_id=251201722\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Photo: Adobe Stock\/andreaobzerova<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"content-body\">Battling the Emotional Side of Chemo<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">Sadly, chemicals aren\u2019t the only thing you might have to worry about when considering the ways in which chemotherapy could impact your family. Cancer treatment can also take a huge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/chemotherapy-precautions-for-family\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">emotional toll<\/a> on members of your household, especially children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">Toddlers and children may not be capable of fully understanding what you\u2019re going through and why, but they\u2019re very good at picking up on emotional changes in their normally stable environments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancercare.org\/publications\/22-talking_to_children_when_a_loved_one_has_cancer?gclid=CjwKCAjw9aiIBhA1EiwAJ_GTShhd1d-8sGPxd5EfdHo88cy-FEvJV_yl0vV5PqcNpoJ2GxjTBymSrhoC5CwQAvD_BwE#!explaining-the-diagnosis\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CancerCare<\/a> offers these suggestions that parents and caregivers can use to talk to children about cancer and chemotherapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\"><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_351685\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-351685\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><span id=\"content-body\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold5.jpg\" alt width=\"1000\" height=\"523\" class=\"size-full wp-image-351685\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold5.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold5-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold5-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d1dd4ethwnlwo2.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ChemoHousehold5-768x402.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 1200px, (min-width:992px) 992px, (min-width:768px) 768px, (min-width:576px) 480px, 300px\"><\/span><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-351685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span id=\"content-body\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/images\/loving-and-caring-affectionate-happy-young-husband-dad-and-school-age-daughter-kid-sitting-on-couch-supporting-cuddling-warm-tight-beloved-smiling-millennial-wife-mom-fighting-against-cancer-disease\/392723076?asset_id=392723076\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Photo: Adobe Stock\/fizkes<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Reassure children using a calm voice<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Prepare an explanation in advance and be open with children about what\u2019s happening<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Use age-appropriate language but include proper terminology where needed<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Explain what changes a child can expect to see in the household and in their loved one<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Remind them that they can talk to family and friends for extra support<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Encourage them to express their feelings<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"content-body\">Show them plenty of love and affection during this difficult time<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">Chemo patients shouldn\u2019t hesitate to reach out for extra <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/chemotherapy-precautions-for-family\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">emotional support<\/a> for themselves as well. Professional help or a support group may be the way to go if a patient feels they\u2019re putting too much of an emotional burden on family and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><span id=\"content-body\">Chemotherapy is a life-changing treatment that has both benefits and risks for not only the patient but everyone in close proximity to that person. Please remember to take care of the emotional and physical health of yourself and your family during this difficult time, even if that means enlisting help from others. It\u2019s so important!<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ctg-cta\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.thebreastcancersite.greatergood.com\/wp-content\/themes\/causeblog-v3\/assets\/img\/icon-bcs-support.png\" alt><\/p>\n<h5>Provide Mammograms<\/h5>\n<p>Support those fighting Breast Cancer at <span>The Breast Cancer Site<\/span> for free! <span>\u2192<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"recommended\" role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Recommended Articles\"><\/nav>\n<p><span class=\"sr-only\">Whizzco<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.thebreastcancersite.greatergood.com\/chemo-household\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cancer is not contagious, and neither is chemotherapy. However, harmful chemotherapy drugs can sometimes still be present in the bodily fluids of a person going through chemotherapy treatment. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), it takes about 48 to 72 hours for chemotherapy medications to leave the body. Until that time, the harmful drugs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27325"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45216,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27325\/revisions\/45216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}