I believe most people don’t know that February is National Cancer prevention month. It’s a reminder that there are people still trying to win this fight, and that there are things we can do to help in preventing it. Following these tips doesn’t mean you won’t get cancer, but they are proven to reduce the risk of getting cancer. After the times we’ve experienced this past year, we should all be more aware of what else we can do to prevent other illnesses and help spread awareness about how serious this actually is.
- Don’t use tobacco:
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Any type of tobacco consumption can cause you harm. Doctors everywhere tell us not to, and it’s because of all of the harmful things it’s linked to. But, at the end of the day some people still choose to ignore it and years later pay for the price. Tobacco use has been linked to multiple types of cancers such as lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney cancer.
- Eat a healthy diet:
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Eating a healthy diet has many benefits, as we all know and yet still sometimes choose not to practice. Some of the recommendations that Mayo Clinic has for a healthy diet are:
Eat plenty of fruits and veggies: Good vitamin and mineral source and reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
Avoid obesity: Choose fewer high calorie foods and reduce the risk of 13 different cancers.
Drink alcohol in moderation: By lowering the amount of alcohol we drink we are reducing the risk of breast, colon, lung and kidney cancer.
Limit processed meats: When processed meats are preserved, cancer-causing substances form.
- Protect yourself from the sun:
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Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, since we often don’t acknowledge how much damage the sun does to us. There’s a few things we can do to reduce the risk of unhealthy sun exposure:
Avoid midday sun: This means to avoid the sun at the times of 10am to 4pm.
Stay in the shade: Some things you can also do is to wear sunglasses and hats.
Cover exposed areas: Try to wear more covering clothing, such as loose fitting clothing, bright and/or dark colors since they reflect ultraviolet rays.
Don’t skip on sunscreen: Doctors recommend to at least wear 30 spf and to reapply frequently.
Avoid tanning beds and sun lamps
- Get Vaccinated:
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Now that we know the importance of vaccines thanks to COVID-19, we should know why it helps with reducing the risk for cancer. They can prevent viral infections which could increase the risk of cancer. Hepatitis B could increase cancer risk, especially in adults who are sexually active. HPV has also been linked to the increase of cervical and genital cancers.
- Get regular medical care:
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It’s important to get regular checkups to know that you’re doing everything right, and staying healthy. If you don’t want to walk into a doctors office you can always do self-exams but if you do find something odd or that doesn’t seem normal please consult a doctor.
Cancer is an illness that has affected some more than others. The importance of this month is to be aware that there is a way to help others by spreading the word. The more information that is available, the more help everyone can get. Hopefully we all can apply at least one thing from this article, and help spread more awareness.