Cancer is probably one of the most frightening diseases that people today can face. We do not know all the causes of cancer, but we have learned to pinpoint factors that can lead to or protect from cancer. The following are several tips relating to cancer and how to cut your risk of developing it.
If you are battling cancer, it can be helpful to join a support group for your type of cancer or cancer in general. Talking to others in your situation can help you feel less alone and give you a chance to make new friends. Mutual support can be very important on the journey to recovery.
You can also reduce your risk of cancer by getting some exercise, as well as maintaining a healthy diet routine. Get plenty of veggies and fruits, drink water, and do a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day to ward off cancer and live a better life.
Once you receive your cancer diagnosis, learn everything about your form of the disease and your course of treatment as you can. Write down questions before you visit the doctor and ask him. You can even bring a friend or family member along with you to help ensure that you remember what is being said.
Open up to others with cancer. You may feel that your friends and family, who have never had cancer, may not understand what you are going through. There are many support groups for those who have cancer or have survived cancer. There are also online message boards and forums where people speak candidly.
Berries can be a very strong ally if you are trying to prevent contracting cancer. A wide assortment of berries like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are full of anthocyanidins, phytochemicals, and other phenolic compounds that have cancer-fighting properties and antioxidant powers. Something as simple as a berry can help prevent cancer.
Try to stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight and inactive can increase your chances of getting cancer. Excess weight has far reaching consequences and losing weight will do much more than lower your cancer risk. It will also lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and premature death.
If your cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, consider cutting your hair short. It is quite likely that your hair will fall out as a result of your treatments; get a cute cut and you will not be as shocked by your transformation when your hair begins to come out.
If you have recently been diagnosed with cancer, it is important that you know the details of your specific case. In order to get an understanding of what you can personally do to help your illness, the details are needed. Ask your doctor where the cancer is located and if it has spread anywhere.
For people with moles on their bodies, be sure to always check for any changes, including an increase in size, a color change, or a change in shape. If you notice any of these changes, be sure to see a dermatologist immediately, as this could be a sign of skin cancer.
If you have recently been diagnosed with cancer, it can be overwhelming. To be sure you understand the information your doctor gives you, bring a friend or relative with you to your first appointment. He or she will be a second set of eyes and ears to help you ask questions, understand your diagnosis, and think of possible concerns.
Beware of mouth sores if you are going through chemotherapy. It can be one of many unpleasant side effects. Even so, they can be prevented or treated. Sucking on-ice chips, sucking on hard candies and drinking plenty of fluids can all help prevent mouth sores. Be sure to visit your dentist for checkups as well.
If you recently found out that you have cancer, be sure to quit smoking and stop drinking alcohol. These habits are bad for a healthy person, but in a cancer patient, it can promote the growth of new cancer cells or spread the existing ones. Talk to your doctor about quitting methods.
If you have scar tissue or ulcers that are not healing very quickly, you may be at risk of developing squamous cell cancer in that area. UV rays from the sun is a big culprit in these kinds of cancer cells, but if you have skin that has been damaged for some time it can also lead to the forming of these cells.
As mentioned earlier, we do not know every cause of cancer, but we can take what we do know and put it into action. Once you know how to cut your risk of developing cancer, you can make informed choices. So, take what you have learned from these tips and put that knowledge into action. Every choice that you make now can be one that impacts your change of getting cancer.
