Breast Cancer Risk and 10 Ways to Prevent it

     

       In women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer. In fact, medical experts say that 1 in every 8 women will be diagnosed with this disease in her lifetime. 

Definitely, breast cancer should not be taken lightly.

Some of the risk factors (things that increase your likelihood of developing a disease) cannot be avoided. It cannot be denied that there is nothing that you can do about your age, gender, family history and race or ethnicity. 

However, this does not mean that you will surely be battling breast cancer one day in the future if you are white (white women are slightly more susceptible to having the disease) or a female relative is suffering from it. 

That’s because there are also certain risk factors that can be avoided, thus considerably reducing your chances of developing breast cancer.

The following are some habits known to considerably increase a woman’s likelihood of suffering from breast cancer. 

Cigarette Smoking

Don’t think that smoking will only give you lung cancer. Experts say that this terrible habit is linked to breast cancer most especially in teens and pre-menopausal woman. Studies have also shown that women in their menopausal stage are also at high risk of developing breast cancer if they smoke. Smoking shisha carries an even greater risk! Read my blog on smoking.

Passive Smoking

Being with people who smoke can also increase your odds of having the deadly disease. That’s because passive smoking (exposure to second hands smoke) is just as bad for your health as cigarette smoking itself.

Excessive Alcohol intake

 

According to several researches, drinking alcohol in excessive amounts is linked to breast cancer development. If you cannot completely turn your back on alcohol, limit its consumption to a single serving per day, which is good for the health. 

The healthy maximum limit for women is 14 units a week.

Not Exercising

Leading a sedentary lifestyle can increase your risk of battling all sorts of health problems, and one of them is breast cancer. 

To lower your chances of suffering from this scary disease, experts say that you should get moderate to intense exercise 4 to 7 hours a week, that’s just about 30 minutes to an hour of exercise a day!

Being Overweight

It is said that obese women are at higher risk of having breast cancer than those who maintain their ideal weight. As if that’s not enough, carrying around too much weight can increase the likelihood of breast cancer to return.

Not Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has always been a personal choice. However, a study conducted back in 2002 said that women who chose not to breastfeed were more susceptible to having breast cancer than those who breastfed their babies.

Working late at night

Working late at night can disrupt your circadian rhythm (body clock), and this not only leaves you feeling exhausted and sleepless, but also more prone to developing breast cancer. 

This is due to reduced production of melatonin, your sleep hormone. Studies have shown that women with breast cancer had low levels of melatonin.

Late first pregnancy

Ideally a lady should have her first baby and breastfeed before the age of 25.

Sleeping with the lights on at night 

Aspirin

According to the study published in the Laboratory Investigation journal, aspirin is a promising option in breast cancer. 

A team of researchers discovered that one dose of aspirin taken every day could eliminate or at least lower the chances of acquiring breast cancer as well as the spread of the disease.

The study was performed by researchers who conducted their investigation at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s oncology unit. 

The research team concluded that aspirin could make the cancer cells stop reproducing and eventually stop growing.

Not doing a regular breast self-exam

If you can't prevent it then catch it early. Early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer results in complete cure. 

Ask your doctor to teach you how to examine your own breasts and report any unusual findings.

Check which of them you are guilty of doing. Quitting the risk factors is one of the biggest favors you can give yourself.

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