October is breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and can affect women of all ages, especially women over the age of fifty. (Men can also get breast cancer, though their risk is significantly lower than women.) As women age, the risk of breast cancer increases dramatically. That is why it is very important to continue doing self-checks and visiting the doctor for regular checkups as you age.
Here are a few ways to help prevent breast cancer:
- Regular self-check ups
- Regular mammograms and doctor visits.
- Regular exercise helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer for any woman regardless of their body type. Exercise is also very important for breast cancer survivors.
- Stop smoking and limit the alcohol you consume to also reduce the risk of not only breast cancer, but other cancers and diseases. Smoking and high alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer development.
- Maintaining a healthy weight is also a big factor in preventing breast cancer. Because of this, it is important to eat a healthy diet on top of exercising regularly. Like with limited alcohol consumption and stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight will help prevent may other cancers and diseases besides breast cancer.
These are just a few ways to help prevent breast cancer. There are many great websites on the internet to learn more about breast cancer and the ways to prevent it as well as the different treatment options. It is important to visit your doctor if you find a lump in your breast during a self-examination or suspect you may have breast cancer. Detection at an early stage makes a big difference.
