The mention of breast cancer makes women scared out of their wits.
Nearly every woman knows a friend or a family member who is battling the deadly disease.
The good news is that the disease is curable if diagnosed early enough. And the treatment is getting better by the day!
However, some unavoidable risk factors like old age, family history, and being born female can’t be controlled, therefore putting all women at risk.
However, various methods can help prevent the disease. They include:
Avoid smoking
Both smokers and non-smokers are aware of the adverse effects of smoking on their bodies.
Apart from lowering your quality of life, there are higher chances of getting lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, reproductive effects in women such as ectopic pregnancies, premature low birth-weight babies, heart attack, and stroke.
Tobacco initiates the development of breast cancer, especially for premenopausal women. Women who smoke should seek medical help or go for rehabilitation to help them quit.
Maintain a healthy body weight
Eating a meal rich in vegetables with different fruits, whole grains, and fiber-rich legumes like beans and peas is essential for your health.
If you are obese, there are higher chances of being diagnosed with the disease, especially after menopause.
The excess fat in your body will raise the estrogen level, which facilitates the development of breast cancer cells.
Doctors recommend a Body Mass Index (BMI) that ranges from 18 to 24.9 for healthy women.
If you are between 25 and 29.9, you are overweight, and those above 30 are obese.
Women are encouraged to keep fit and eat healthy to reduce their weight and minimize the likelihood of getting the disease.
Avoid post-menopausal hormones
Ladies should be cautious not to take post-menopausal hormones for too long because they can cause chronic diseases like osteoporosis.
Research has proven that hormones may have adverse effects on women’s health since they trigger the development of some ailments while minimizing the risk for others.
Keep in mind that both estrogen and progestin facilitate the growth of breast cancer cells. This results in increased breast density, therefore making it difficult to detect breast cancer on mammograms.
The best thing about these hormones is that if you stop, then the risk will be the same as someone who has never used the hormones.