Cancer is second only to heart disease in the number of lives it takes every year and although there are some risk factors you can’t change, like genetics for example, there are quite a few that you can.

Since most cancer deaths can be prevented, it’s critical that you know the initial symptoms of this disease as well as how to reduce your chances of it.

Here’s what you need to know…

Cancer Symptoms

Let’s address some of the things you need to look for first.  The following is a list of symptoms from the American Cancer Society (ACS) that uses the “CAUTION” acronym.  According to the ACS, you might have cancer if you experience any of the following symptoms for a prolonged amount of time:

• C: Change in bowel or bladder habits
• A: A sore that does not heal
• U: Unusual bleeding or discharge
• T: Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere
• I: Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
• O: Obvious change in a wart or mole
• N: Nagging cough or hoarseness

Keep in mind that this is a very simple list and that the vast majority of these symptoms can be caused by nonmalignant disorders so just because you experience some of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have cancer.  Only your doctor can give you a proper diagnoses.  Also keep in mind that cancers can produce symptoms that are not included on this list, such as unexplained weight loss or fatigue.  However, the list is a useful reminder to routinely stop and pay attention to your body and to report any changes or concerns to your doctor.

What You Can Do to Prevent Cancer

Obviously, the FIRST thing you can do to prevent cancer is to routinely stop and pay attention to what your body may be telling you.  The best time to do this is either the first thing in the morning, or the last thing at night.  Ask yourself how you really feel, then stay quiet for a moment and listen for the answer.  You’ll be amazed at how your intuition will alert you to sore spots, lumps, or thickened patches of skin that otherwise might have gotten lost among the day’s thoughts, plans, and worries.

Second, follow what the Harvard Medical School calls it’s “10 Commandments of Cancer Prevention.”  These are:

1. Avoid all forms of tobacco, including exposure to secondhand smoke.  Yes, for all my redneck friends and colleagues here in Texas, this includes chewing tobacco.

2. Eat properly. Reduce saturated fats and red meat and increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  (Eating properly will not only reduce your chance of cancer, it will pretty much reduce your chances of diseases of any kind.  I know that’s a broad statement but there is simply no greater impact on our health than the foods we eat.)

3. Exercise regularly. You just can’t avoid exercise.  It’s part of EVERY plan for improving and maintaining health.

4. Lose the weight and stay lean. See the previous two points for how to accomplish this.  If your weight-loss program does not include proper nutrition and exercise, then something’s wrong.

5. Limit alcohol consumption to 1 to 2 drinks per day. Remember that many of these risk factors have a synergistic effect when combined with others.  One of the worst combinations is drinking too much and smoking.

6. Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. This includes UV radiation from direct sunlight (always use sunscreen).  (Note:  Although the Harvard Medical School says not to worry about the radiation from microwaves, power lines, or cell phones, my personal recommendation is to play it safe by maintaining as much distance as is practical.)

7. Avoid exposure to industrial and environmental toxins. These include things like asbestos fibers (can be found in some types of insulation), benzene and aromatic amines (found in some paints and solvents), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, found in some plastics).

8. Avoid infections that contribute to cancer. These include hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the human papilloma virus that may be transmitted sexually or through contaminated needles.

9. Consider taking low-dose aspirin. Although men may have the most to gain from taking aspirin on a daily basis, women should consider it as well.  Since taking aspirin for prolonged periods can create other problems (like gastric bleeding), make sure to check with your doctor first.

10. Take a Vitamin D supplement. Many experts now recommend 800 to 1,000 IU a day, an amount that’s nearly impossible to get without help. Although many of us get Vitamin D from sunlight, keep in mind item number 6 above.

Take Control of Your Health

Will following all of these “commandments” guarantee that you won’t get cancer?  Of course not.  That’s not the way life works.  However, you chances will go way down.

On the other hand, making these lifestyle changes will give you numerous health benefits in other areas such as in the prevention of heart disease, for example.  All of them add up to a healthy life.

Good health is not something we’re automatically blessed with.  It’s not a gift you get when you’re born.  Like a garden, you have to work at it, you have to build it and once you have it, you have to maintain it.

So take control of your own health.  All of the things that I’ve listed in this article are things that you can do to improve your health.  You have the control here.  Will you use it?  I sincerely hope so.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: American Cancer Society, Cancer Deaths, Cancer Symptoms, Cancers, heart disease, exercise, nutrition, balanced health, control

Related posts:

1. Preventing Take-Home Toxins
2. What you Can Do to Prevent a Stroke
3. Weight Loss: Diet or Exercise?

I had just posted an article on how to handle stressful situations – like hurricanes, for example – right after Hurricane Gustav brushed by 2 weeks ago.  Now Hurricane Ike looks like it’s going to hit Houston this weekend.

What to do?  What to do? What to do? First, take a deep breath.  (you might also ask yourself why you choose to live in the Gulf Coast – but that’s a different story! <grin>)

Like I said, first take a deep breath.  Understand that you control how you will respond to stressful situations. If you feel that little twinge of panic deep in the pit of your stomach, take a deep breath and regain control.  No matter what happens out in the world, you control how you will react.  You control how you will feel.  You control what you will think.

It’s a proven fact that during any kind of disaster or emergency situation, more people die or get hurt because of panic than do from the actual disaster.  Look at any fire in a crowded theater, for example.  Usually, 3 or 4 people burn to death or die from smoke inhalation but 30 or 40 people get hurt or crushed to death in the wild panic to get out the door.

Most people living in the Houston area are familiar with the concept of “shelter in place.”  This means that many times, during a natural disaster like a hurricane or tornado, you are actually safer staying where you are than getting out in the open on the highway.  Witness the city-wide evacuation for Hurricane Rita three years ago.  Traffic was tied up for a day and a half as everyone panicked and tried to get on the road all at the same time (it took one person I know more than 20 hours to make what is normally a 5 hour trip to Dallas).  More than 20 people died on the highway as a result of the evacuation.  However, no one died as an actual result of the storm (which ended up turning north and bypassing Houston anyway).

What’s my point? It’s this:  during any kind of dangerous situation when fear begins to swell up inside of you and you get the natural inclination to panic, pause for a moment.  Take a deep breath and regain control.  Only then will you be able to make a clear and rational decision on how to best respond. It could make the difference between surviving the situation or making the situation worse.

Keep me in mind as I “hunker down” this weekend and ride out the storm!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: hurricane, survival, panic, stress, ike, storm, control

Related posts:

1. Coping with Stress
2. Don’t Let Stress Damage Your Health