How Cold Weather Affects Patients with Cancer
Be Wary of These 4 Common Ailments
The cold weather often brings common ailments to people. Viruses spread more easily in cold temperatures. Exposure to cold and dry air also affects the body’s immune system.
Even healthy people become prone to sickness during winter, but life is even more difficult for those who are already sick and prone to infection. People with cancer, in particular, have weak immune systems that make them vulnerable to diseases.
Kids Car Donations lists four of the ailments that cancer patients should be wary of during the winter season.
- Hypothermia
Hypothermia makes the body lose heat faster than it can generate it. The condition develops when the body is exposed to the cold for an extended amount of time. Those suffering from cancer and undergoing treatment are particularly susceptible to hypothermia. Since these patients typically experience fatigue, dehydration, and anemia, they tend to lose heat in their bodies more quickly than others when exposed to cold weather.
- Frostbite
Cancer patients undergoing treatment may also suffer from peripheral neuropathy, which is one of the side effects of their treatment. The condition causes numbness in their extremities. As such, they’re unable to feel how cold their fingers are, making them prime candidates for frostbite.
- Flu
Winter is also known as the flu season because viruses get easily transmitted when there’s low humidity. Most people also stay indoors during winter, making it easy to spread the virus to household members. Cancer patients suffer from weakened immune systems and don’t have enough white blood cells to fight off infection, making them more prone to flu complications. They need to get updated flu shots to give them additional protection from viruses.
- Bruising and severe injury
Patients diagnosed with bone cancer may suffer from bone density loss as a result of their treatments. Patients with blood cancer may also develop thrombocytopenia, a blood disease characterized by an abnormally small number of platelets in the blood. Because of their conditions, these patients may experience severe bruising after a fall or injury. Those who have numbness in their feet are also prone to accidents.
Reach Out to Ailing Indigent Children
The cold weather affects not only patients with cancer but those with other major afflictions as well. Aside from the health challenges that winter brings, some patients also face daunting obstacles in their bid to regain their health. Among the top hurdles is their lack of financial resources to cover the costs of their treatments and hospitalization.
This is particularly problematic for children from indigent families who are grappling with life-threatening diseases and life-limiting disabilities.
The good news is that you can extend them medical assistance by simply donating any vehicle you no longer need to us at Kids Car Donations. We’ll sell your donation through an auction and use the proceeds to support the vital pediatric programs of our nonprofit partners.
These IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations use the funding they get from us to deliver top-notch solutions and treatments to a wide range of medical conditions that afflict children and teens. These nonprofits also provide their young beneficiaries with access to free social services and educational resources.
You’ll also be helping yourself when you make a vehicle donation to us. Your charitable contribution will entitle you to receive the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season.
Donating to us will only take a couple of minutes of your time. You can count on our team of donation experts to manage all your documents, including the title transfer and the issuance of your tax-deductible receipt. We’ll also handle the towing of your vehicle, and it’s completely free of charge!
More than anything else, you’ll find great satisfaction in having done something that will truly impact the lives of the sick and disabled kids in your community.
You can donate almost any vehicle type regardless of its condition. We operate our vehicle donation program nationwide, so no matter where you’re located, we’ll be able to collect your vehicle.
To know more about our vehicle donation program, including our quick and convenient process, head over to our FAQs page. If you have any inquiries or concerns, give us a call at 866-634-8395 or leave us a message here.
Be an Angel to Needy Kids Today!
Perform an act of kindness to the sick and needy children in your community. Their battle against illness will get a major boost with your vehicle donation. Call Kids Car Donations at 866-634-8395 or fill out our secure online donation form to start saving young lives now!