Breast Cancer
A Problem Faced by many Women
There was a time when Breast Cancer was termed to be a dreaded disease. But things have changed now. If detected earlier, this could be easily treated. Removal of your breast during the treatment of breast cancer can be one of the painful things you would have to go through. It may not be the same case for all patients. With the increasing knowledge about the cures and treatment breast cancer can be treated very easily.
Breast cancer occurs when cells in our breasts known as tumours grow out of control causing damage to the nearby tissues and spreading throughout. These tumours which are cancerous are known as malignant tumours and cause a lot of damage to your body. As it takes a lot of time for a tumour to grow, it may not be easy to detect the tumour during self-exam. But these can be detected with mammograms.
Breast cancer’s best treatment – early detection. Once, cancer is detected it becomes easier for the doctors and yourself to fight it out. By the age of 20 all women should start doing Breast Self-Examination (BSE) it is one of the easiest and earliest ways of detecting cancer. These check-ups should be done a few days after your periods. You should do this check-up at least once a month. A clinical breast exam should be done at least once a year.
Some of the signs to look for, while doing BSE
- A lump found in and around the nipple or underarm
- Change in size or shape
- Nipple discharge or the nipple turning inward
- Redness of skin or warmth
- Formation of dimple or change in skin texture
Some of the causes of having breast cancer
Gender: Being a woman is one of the common reasons for suffering from breast cancer. Even though men suffer from this disease too, just being a woman puts you in a lot of danger.
Age: As you grow older your chances of having breast cancer increase.
Family history: If somebody in the family has suffered from breast cancer your chances of having breast cancer increase.
Being overweight or obese: If you are an overweight woman your chances of breast cancer increase after menopause.
Lack of exercise: Being lethargic and lack of any physical activity leads you towards increasing weight and chances of breast cancer
Alcohol: Drinking alcohol becomes very risky as it can increase your chances of breast cancer
Methods to Help Prevent Breast Cancer
- Turn into a vegetarian
- Have plenty of organic food and vegetables
- Avoid red meat and any processed foods
- Avoid alcohol and colas
- You can have something sweet by having Stevia, a herb that is a substitute for any other toxic artificial sweetener
- Having whole grains is very well such as Oatmeal, Kamut and Psyllium, which are a good source of fibre and enter directly into your bloodstream
- Your diet must include wheat, bran and Cabbage as they are a very nutritious food that helps to prevent breast cancer
- Garlic, Ginger, carrots, celery, cilantro, parsley and parsnip have some of the highest cancer-fighting nutrients. Include them in your daily diet.