Cancer - A Misfortune Or Carelessness!

Developing cancer is either totally your bad luck where you haven’t been doing anything wrong in your diet and lifestyle still develop it or it is out of bad lifestyle, eating habits and negative attitude towards life. But death due to cancer is totally due to carelessness in which a person didn’t pay attention to initial symptoms and left cancer for thriving in the body. The truth has been said that cancer isn’t a killer but delayed diagnosis and wrong or improper treatment is. Awareness, early diagnosis and treatment is the key to survival. Cancer does not always mean death if some earlier signs of cancer are noted and action is taken timely.

• In normal conditions our body functions normally, i.e. we eat, pass urine and stool, breath, and drink water. Any alteration from this is abnormal and must be noticed like difficulty in swallowing, difficulty in urinating and defecating, passing blood in urine or stool, long continued severe pain in any part of the body.

• The appearance of new moles on the body which keep on growing with an irregular border, painful and bleed.

• Hoarseness of voice

• Long persisting cough and blood in saliva. Cough lasting more than a month.

• Loose stools or any change in bowel habits without any dietary changes lasting more than a few weeks needs to look into.

• Presence of blood in stool without any obvious reason like ulcers or hemorrhoids.

• Unexplained low blood count, i.e. anemia. Anemia needs to be evaluated unless there is any obvious source of blood loss.

• Not all breast lumps are cancerous but all of them should be investigated. Also if there is any bloody discharge or discharge only from one nipple that should also not be ignored at all. Self-examination of the breast daily once a week is necessary and it is easy too. Check for any nodule or discharge from the breast.

• Any lump in the testicles should be evaluated thoroughly. Men should also do a self-examination of the testicles, once in a month.

• Urinary symptoms like less urine, pain while passing urine, blood or burning in urine, especially in men shouldn’t be ignored. It can be a sign of bladder or pelvic cancer

• Hoarseness without any respiratory infection or persistent for more than 3-4 weeks.

• Normally lymph nodes swell due to any surrounding infection and then shrink eventually when the infection goes away. If it remains for a longer time and without any infection in the body, should be investigated.

• A mole that is multicoloured with irregular borders, bleeding can be cancerous. Especially which is growing rapidly and is painful shouldn’t be avoided at all.

• Long continued heartburn and difficulty in swallowing even after using over the counter antacids. This can be a sign of esophageal cancer.

• Bloody discharge or bleeding from the vagina which is unusual or after menopause can be due to cancer of the uterus or cervix.

• Unobvious or unexplained weight loss, fever or night sweats can be an early sign of different types of cancer.

• Continuous itching in the genital or anal area, non-healing sores and pain in back, head, bloating and indigestion which is there for a long time without any cause, should be inspected.

Cancer can be horrifying and debilitating but if diagnosed early by giving attention to the symptoms mentioned above and treated properly can fight off. Cancer is no more incurable if treated early. In cases where this disease is out of carelessness if some points are kept in mind and followed, prove to be preventive. If not preventive then definitely reduce the risk of developing it at least.

• Do not overuse the birth control pills. Using them randomly can increase the chances of cancer.

• Excessive consumption of alcohol shouldn’t be done as it irritates the gastric mucosa and increases the incidences of malignancy. However, an occasional glass is fine and does no harm.

• Avoid using pesticides around you or having things on which they are sprayed as many of them are definitely carcinogen.

• Say no to smoking as tobacco in any form is an invitation to death. Smoking for a long time like 10-30 years can make you pay a heavy price for that.

• Long continued anxiety and stress create havoc in the hormonal system of the body which ultimately results in diseases. Try to keep yourself more optimistic and relax in daily life.

• Prefer organic vegetables and fruits as other ones have pesticides used while growing them which are definitely a source of getting carcinogens in the body.

• Limit intake of processed and packaged food as they increase the risk or certain types of cancer.

• Stay active and try to maintain healthy weight.

Cancer can be the biggest slayer of the health but one can fight it and keep it at bay if mentioned tips are read and implement. Early diagnosis can prevent many lives. So spread awareness and let more people know about it. ​