A healthy lifestyle is the first step toward reducing cancer. According to research, your chances of developing cancer are affected by your lifestyle choice. So, if you want to reduce the risk of getting cancer, consider the following prevention tips:
Say No to Smoking/Tobacco Use
Smoking is known to collide with cancer; it can cause mouth, throat, lung, larynx, bladder, and kidney cancer. More than 90% of all cancer-related diseases are caused by smoking. Even passive smokers are at risk of getting cancer when exposed to secondhand smoke. To prevent cancer, you need to say no to any form of smoking, be it active or passive. Addicts should visit doctors for guidance on how to quit smoking. It is never too late!
Keep Your Skin Safe from Sun Damage
Skin cancer is among the most dangerous forms of cancer but also the easiest to prevent. Over 96,400 people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer annually. Exposing your skin to harmful rays of sunshine can cause cancer. Try the following tips all year round to prevent cancer:
- Avoid midday sun; between 10a.m and 4p.m
- Stay in the shade when you’re not indoors
- Use sunglasses as much as possible
- Cover exposed skin areas
- Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen generously on your skin
- Avoid sun lamps for tanning bed
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Even though eating any food doesn’t guarantee that you will get cancer, it is imperative always to make healthy selections whenever you are at the grocery store. Healthy diets reduce the risk of getting cancer a great deal. Consider the following to maintain a healthy diet:
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Make sure your diet entails plenty of fruits and vegetables. Precisely, vitamins are crucial. Also, base your diet on whole grains, beans, and other foods from plants.
- Keep fit
Always maintain a healthy weight at all times. This is only possible when you reduce your dietary intake of high-calorie foods. For instance, take fewer refined sugars and animal fats.
- Drink alcohol moderately
If you choose to take alcohol, it shouldn’t be regularly. Various types of cancer, including colon, lung, and kidney, are induced by alcohol. The more you drink, the higher the chances of getting cancer.
- Limit the intake of processed meat
Recently, there was a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) cancer agency which stated that large amounts of unprocessed meats could lead to cancer.
Be Physically Active
Being physically active means that you should maintain a healthy weight. Engaging in a number of physical activities could help control your weight, lowering the risk of cancer infection. People who participate in physical activities have lower chances of contracting breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer. In fact, an average person should participate in aerobic activity at least 150 minutes every week. This is only achievable if you spare 30 minutes for physical activities in your daily routine. Exercises can make a huge difference in your health and general wellbeing.
Get Immunized
Cancer can be prevented through vaccinations. Visit a health care professional to recommend the best vaccines that suit your age. In the US, most people prefer going for the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Both are good at preventing all forms of cancer, especially liver cancer. HBV vaccination is administered to babies, older children, and adults who want to prevent HBV infection.
Get Your Scheduled Screenings
Another important way of avoiding cancer is getting regular medical care. You need to schedule some time for self-exams and a cancer screening program from a professional clinic. Upon visiting a clinic, a doctor will test you for all kinds of cancer-this increases the chances of discovering cancer symptoms early. Research shows that 50% of cancer cases can be prevented if treatment is done early. Early cancer detection is one proven method that can lower the risks that cancer is likely to pose to an individual’s health.
Beyond, remember that prevention is better than cure. Worried about cancer prevention? You can find out your status through a cancer screening program. If you are eligible, you will get to learn the symptoms and understand the treatment options. Routine screenings are the best defense against cancer symptoms.
