What are nausea and vomiting, and how is chemotherapy related?
According to Woodruff (1997), nausea is the unpleasant, subjective feeling of the need to vomit. Whereas, vomiting is the forceful release of stomach contents through the mouth caused by strong contractions of the stomach muscles. Unfortunately, certain chemotherapy drugs can cause nausea and vomiting. Luckily, there are many drugs that your doctor can prescribe to prevent, lessen, or relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. These medications are called anti-nausea drugs or anti-emetics. These are a group of medications that can be used to control nausea and vomiting and can be given in different ways. For example, if you are unable to keep anything down, don’t worry because the drugs can be given through an I.V. catheter, a patch, rectally, under the tongue, or even in a shot if you cannot swallow. Also, there are several things that patients with these symptoms can do to help themselves feel better besides medications. Things you can do to guard against chemother
