For many, radiation burns are mild and can easily be treated.
What Happens When You Get Radiation Burns?
Radiation therapy uses X-ray beams aimed from outside your body to kill cancer cells inside the body.
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These beams can also damage healthy cells.
Radiation burns don’t appear right away.
Sensation
Radiation burns can be painful and feel similar to asunburn.
Burns may feel:
What Degree Are Radiation Burns?
Pain and itching can be mild to severe.
Radiation burns typically get better within a few weeks of radiation therapy ending.
If your burns are causing more than mild to moderate symptoms, you must talk to your healthcare provider.
Sometimes your radiation schedule or dosage can be changed to give burns more time to heal.
Radiation burns and other side effects of radiation therapy can also causemental and emotionalside effects.
Seek help if you are experiencing anxiety or stress.
Try at-home care and OTC or prescription creams to help prevent burns and decrease their severity.
Although radiation burns can cause uncomfortable symptoms, they typically get better within a few weeks of finishing therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Over-the-counter hydrocortisone and prescription corticosteroid creams have been found to help with radiation burns.
Evidence suggests calendula cream and fresh aloe vera can help heal radiation burns.
When radiation therapy is finished, radiation burns typically improve within a few weeks.
Penn Medicine News.Cancer patients can now use skin creams during radiation therapy.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to take care of your skin during and after radiation therapy.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America.Radiation burns.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.How to care for your skin during radiation therapy.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to care for your skin during and after radiation therapy.
BreastCancer.org.Radiation therapy side effects.
Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America.Radiation burns.
