Rochester, Minnesota - Your bone marrow makes white blood cells that help fight infection. Chemotherapy drugs can damage your bone marrow, reducing your body's ability to protect itself from bacteria, fungi and other infectious agents.

Here are some things you can do to lower your risk of infection while receiving chemotherapy:

Food safety

• Wash your hands before eating.
• Cook meats and eggs all the way through.
• Thoroughly wash fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Don't share food and food containers with others.

Personal care

• Shower or bathe daily.
• Apply lotion to your skin to prevent it from becoming dry and cracked. Bacteria can enter through a break in your skin.
• If you scrape or cut your skin, clean the area immediately with soap and warm water, then cover it with a bandage.
• Use a soft toothbrush when brushing your teeth.

Contact with your environment

• Wash your hands after using the toilet, touching animals and handling trash.
• Avoid crowded places and contact with people who are sick.
• Keep your house clean. If possible, let someone else do the cleaning for you. Otherwise, wear gloves when cleaning.
• Don't touch plants with your bare hands. Use gloves when gardening.

Additional precautions if you're at high-risk

Your risk of infection is higher if you're a candidate for a blood or bone marrow transplant. You may have this procedure if you have cancer of the blood or bone marrow.

During a blood or bone marrow transplant, your immune system is destroyed with radiation or chemotherapy before healthy stem cells — cells that can differentiate into a variety of specialized cells — are transfused back to your body.

Your risk of infection is also higher if you have or have had infections in the past.

As an extra precaution, ask your doctor about receiving preventive therapies prior to chemotherapy, such as:

• Antivirals. Viruses such as herpes and hepatitis B can become reactivated in people who've had a blood or bone marrow transplant.
• Antifungals. Stem cell transplant recipients are at a high risk of getting fungal infections.
• Vaccines. Immunizations can help improve your immunity to certain diseases such as the flu. However, ask for inactivated vaccines. Avoid live virus vaccines during the first 24 months following a transplant.
• Growth factors. Growth factor therapy can help reduce the degree and duration of chemotherapy-induced damage to your white blood cells.

Watch for signs and symptoms of an infection such as sore throat, fever, redness and swelling at the site of an injury, surgical wound or anywhere on your skin. Report them to your doctor right away.