There are things you can do to decrease the chance of getting certain types of cancer. Cigarette smoke is a carcinogen, and people who smoke cigarettes are fifteen times more likely to develop lung cancer. Cancer of the mouth affects smokers, tobacco chewers, and people who consume large amounts of alcohol.
Some people diagnosed with cancer choose to opt out of conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation due to the damage they can cause to the body. They turn instead to alternative treatments such as nutrition therapy and vitamin therapy among many others. Some (but not all) of these treatments have been shown to shrink tumors and prolong life. Always check with your doctor before beginning any unconventional therapies.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer the best advice anyone can offer you is to take it in stride. Whatever you do, don’t freak out or panic. Rather, take a methodical approach, and try to get yourself cured. While the rates of cancer related deaths are still alarmingly high, they get better every year. There is hope.
There are many stigmas with cancer that still exist today. People will often wonder if cancer is contagious, if those with cancer can perform as well as someone without cancer, of if cancer patients will be offended at the very mention of the disease. Try to eliminate these stigmas among your friends and family if they arise.
Here is a preventative cancer tip that many people may not like: You should try to limit the amount of fatty meat and high fat dairy products you consume daily. These products can contain carcinogens that often accumulate in the food chain through animal fat, such as PCB and dioxins.
Do not be afraid to ask for help following your cancer diagnosis. Friends and family members often want to do everything they can to assist you; let them pick up items from the grocery store, take you to appointments or make you dinner. It makes them feel good to do something for you, and it makes your life a little easier.
Cosmetic products often contain carcinogens. These products are applied to the skin and allowed to sit there for hours being absorbed by the skins pores and leading to a greater chance of getting cancer. In order to cut this risk, avoid cosmetic products that contain ingredients with “PEG” or “-eth” in the name.
When it is necessary you should speak up. More people than you would think do not know enough about cancer and will assume that you cannot work anymore or even think it is contagious. Prepare yourself in advance for questions of this nature. Decide how you’ll respond if someone says something ignorant or offensive, and address concerns as they come up. You set the standard for how you want to be treated; the way you respond to these initial questions tells people how to handle you as a person with cancer.
Although it sounds like a pointless tip, one of the best things you can do with cancer is to keep your spirits up. Being in low spirits and not being able to motivate yourself to get healthy is just one way that cancer can spread and dominate your life. There’s always a possibility of getting better, even in dire cases.
The odds are great that your hair is going to fall out when you undergo chemotherapy, so you can initiate this process instead of being a victim to it. Shave your head in advance and you will reclaim the power here. You can make the choice instead of allowing chemo to make it for you.
If chemotherapy is part of your cancer treatment, make sure to monitor your temperature frequently. Beginning about a week after your treatment, you have a greater likelihood of getting a bacterial infection. If you notice that you have a temperature spike, go to your doctor right away to prevent a serious complication.
Many people do not think to protect their lips when they are out in the sun. No matter the season or the length of time you are going to be in the sun, take the time to apply lip balm. Be sure that the balm that you choose has a good SPF level to protect your lips.
Get enough sleep. If you’re getting cancer treatments, you need eight or more hours of sleep every night. You can become very tired and stressed when you are going through cancer treatments. If you are well rested, you will recover from treatment faster and live a fuller life. You may need to nap throughout the day too.
Because the chemicals in cigarettes circulate throughout the entire body, smoking increases the incidence of pancreatic cancer as well as cancer of the bladder. Smoking and heavy use of alcohol can also cause an increase in the incidence of mouth, throat, and esophageal cancers. Smokeless tobacco has many of the same chemicals that cigarettes contain, and it also increases the risk of oral cancer.
