PEMBERIAN AROMATERAPI LEMON DALAM MENURUNKAN MUAL PASIEN KANKER NASOFARING DENGAN KEMOTERAPI

Background: Most nasopharyngeal cancers must undergo chemotherapy, to kill cancer cells, or slow the growth of cancer cells in the body. However, chemotherapy causes side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Lemon aromatherapy, as one of the non-pharmacological alternative therapies, has been proven effective in reducing nausea through stimulation of the limbic system.
Objective: This study aims to identify the effect of lemon aromatherapy to reduce nausea in nasopharyngeal cancer patients with chemotherapy.
Research Methods: This study used a case study design involving nasopharyngeal cancer patients with chemotherapy. Data collection was conducted for 3 days, with the data collection instruments used being the Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching (INVR), SDKI, SLKI and SIKI. The research subject was one person selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Results: The case study showed that lemon aromatherapy was effective in reducing nausea in nasopharyngeal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Based on SLKI, the intensity of nausea decreased from level 1 (increased) to level 5 (decreased). The INVR score also decreased significantly, from 24 (severe) before the intervention to 9 (moderate) after three days of aromatherapy application.
Conclusion: This study concludes that giving lemon aromatherapy can help reduce nausea levels even though there are antiemetic drugs received by nasopharyngeal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Lemon aromatherapy can be one of the safe, practical, and easy-to-implement non-pharmacological interventions to help manage the side effects of nausea due to chemotherapy, thus potentially improving the quality of life of patients during the treatment period.