Thursday, October 23, 2008

Breast Cancer - How to Prevent this Disease

Breast Cancer - How to Prevent this Disease

Breast cancer is a disease where the breast and the surrounding tissues are attacked by malignant cancer cells. The person with breast cancer is bound to experience a lot of problems including problems with health and a fenago of emotional trauma.

Fortunately, the medical science has developed and prospered enough to prescribe certain effective measures to prevent this serious disease. Most people who are vulnerable to this disease should be happy to learn that they can prevent the development of this disease.

There are several factors you should give utter importance to in order to work towards the prevention of this disease.

Here are some measures you can take in order to prevent breast cancer:

A) Restrict alcohol in take

There is a strong association between consumption of alcohol and breast cancer. Here, the type of alcohol you consume makes no difference. You may claim to indulge in the finest of wine, beer or mixed drinks. No matter what, an alcohol consumption is just an alcohol consumption period. You should focus on limiting your alcohol consumption rather than justifying the brand, quality or amount of alcohol you take. Avoid alcohol completely in the word, Abstain!

B) Weight control

It is very important to maintain a healthy body weight. Consider your height and check the ratio of your body weight to the height. Consult a health care professional regarding the ideal weight you should maintain. Exercise for about 30 minutes daily and focus on healthy foods such as salads and fruits. Excess fatty tissue will circulate estrogen in your body.

C) Physically active lifestyle

It is extremely crucial to maintain an active lifestyle if you want to maintain a healthy blood sugar level in your body. Regular exercise will help you in this regard. You need to aim for at least 30 minutes of work out each day. Consult a health care practitioner and start an exercise regime today. Go for regular walking, Jogging or aerobics sessions. You will be able to keep your bones strong.

D) Limit fat intake

According to several studies and researches, people who take a large amount of fats in their diet are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Hence, you must make sure that your diet has limited amount of fat and oily subscribers in it.

E) There are some other preventive options available for breast cancer.

These include going for certain therapies, eating certain medications and also keep yourself checking for any traces of lumps in or around the breast and under the armpit, change in the size and appearance of nipples and breast.

One must stay far off from long term use of hormone therapies. Birth control pills, antibiotics and pesticides should also be strictly avoided. Exposure to pesticides may cause a lot of health problems to an individual. One of the serious health risks may be in shape of breast cancer development.

Breast cancer can be prevented by including natural or synthetic forms of retinoid (vitamin A) and flax seeds in your diet.

Self examination of breast also plays a significant role in preventing breast cancer.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Breast Cancer Symptoms - How to Detect Before it is Too Late

Breast Cancer Symptoms - How to Detect Before it is Too Late

Breast cancer is a serious disorder that attacks women. It is a disease that women dread about. In medical terms, this disease can be defined as a formation of malignant or cancer cells in the breast tissues.

The disease has been termed as heterogeneous. This means that it is a different disease that appears and forms differently in different women of different age groups. Younger women are said to be more vulnerable to this disease.

This disease can be cured if detected early. This is the reason that young women are advised to carry out a self-examination for any kind of lungs inside their breast every three to six months. They should also go for a medical examination in every six months.

When failed to detect, this disease can result in to some real threatening stages. In certain severe and final stages of breast cancer, women are advised to go for a breast removal surgery or masectomy. This is really dreadful moment in a woman life.

Fortunately, this disease can be treated successfully if detected early. Hence, it is very important to learn about the symptoms of breast cancer and keep tabs on any of the warning signs that may hit our body anytime.

Here are some potential breast cancer symptoms to help you learn about this disease and detect it on time in a better and effective way.

- The warning sings

Usually, breast cancer does not carry any pain. However, a woman is still advised to visit her health care practitioner on a regular basis to know about the development of the disease in her body.

Common symptoms

a) Change in breast and nipple feel

You may suddenly experience tenderness of nipple or even a lump or thickening near the breast or underarm area without any specific reason.

b) Change in the appearance of breast or nipple

This means that there is a change in the shape or the size of the breast or a nipple. The nipple may appear scaly, read, swollen, turn slightly inward or contain ridges or pitting similar to the skin of an orange.

c) Nipple discharge

Sometimes, you may also experience nipple discharge. The discharge may be clear or bloody.

d) Pain

You may sometimes feel pain in the nipple.

e) Swelling

Women with breast cancer can even observe swelling or mass inside the arm pit.

f) Lump

A lump near the arm pit or breast is a clear indication of breast cancer.

g) Rash

You would find a rash on a nipple or the surrounding area.

All the above mentioned signs and symptoms are an indication that you may be suffering from breast cancer.

However, there are several other ways to detect breast cancer such as self examination. You can conduct a self examination at your home. Just inspect your breasts for any lumps or swelling, changes in contour of each breast, dimpling of skin or changes in the nipples.

Remember that early detection of this disease is the only way to cure it. You need to focus on the signs and symptoms of this disease in order to detect it. Watch out for the symptoms and be safe.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Breast Cancer - Signs of Breast Cancer

Signs of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer deaths.

Every woman's breasts are different so it is important for each individual woman to be familiar with her breasts in order to recognize any peculiarities.

Unfortunately, the early stages of breast cancer may not have any symptoms. This is why it is important to follow screening recommendations. As a tumor grows in size, it can produce a variety of symptoms including:

* lump or thickening in the breast or underarm
* change in size or shape of the breast
* nipple discharge or nipple turning inward
* redness or scaling of the skin or nipple
* ridges or pitting of the breast skin

If you experience these symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean you have breast cancer, but you need to be examined by a doctor.

Breast cancer is very rare before age 20 and is rarely diagnosed in women younger than age 25. Past that age, the incidence rises steadily to reach a peak around the age of menopause. The rate of increase is lessened after menopause, but older women are still at increasing risk over time.

Although a specific cause for breast cancer has not been identified, there are risk factors that increase the likelihood that a woman will develop a breast cancer. These risks include:

* Maternal relative with breast cancer.
* Women who start their menstruation early and/or go into early menopause, increasing the length of reproductive years, are at greater risk.
* Obesity. Women who are overweight are at increased risk
* Women who have never had children are at greater risk.
* Women who had their first child over age 30 are at greater risk.
* Previous breast cancer.
* Previous endometrial cancer.

Aside from the genetic predisposition, the common factor in many of these risks is increased endogenous estrogen exposure over a long time.

It is recommended that women over 35 check their breasts monthly. However, it is also important that all women do regular breast checks. Your doctor can show you how to effectively check your breasts. Any lump, regardless of size, should be reported to your doctor. Many of these lumps are simply fatty lumps or cysts but it is far better to be safe than sorry.

Catching breast cancer early makes a big difference in the type of treatment needed as well as the overall prognosis