“Knowledge into action” – this is the slogan most recently given by World Health Organization and it’s against the most dreadful disease of modern times – Cancer. Yes, everyone is aware of this disease. Yet no one is caring for it in the false belief that this disease won’t touch me. But truth is that everyone can become a victim of this disease – a new born infant to 70 year old man and it’s most happening due to wrong life style of present times. What you know about this disease, make it practical in life thus protecting yourself from this disease to live long – that’s what this slogan implies.

Till now more than 250 types of cancers have been diagnosed. Cancer is nothing, but uncontrolled, non-purposeful and uneven growth of cells of a particular part of body. According to statistics, more than 1 crore people are dying per year all over the world and now, it’s given the most life-taking disease title of the world. In India also, there are more than 25 lakh cancer patients and each year, 8 lakh people are being added to the list. According to reports given by WHO, if we make improvements in our life style we can reduce that rate considerably. It says 1/3rd of such newly affected cancers can be prevented if everyone is aware of better life styles to be adopted. There lies the importance of awareness of people to resist them against this disease.

Till now, clear conclusions have not arrived yet, why cancers are formed. Yet many possibilities that can lead to this disease have been detected. This knowledge helps to give alarm signal and make people aware of such symptoms. If detected earlier, majority of such cases can be treated and cured completely. This disease is hereditary too. Yet, nowadays most of the cases reported are non-hereditary. So, keeping ourselves away from the hands of cancer is a part of our menus to live long.

These symptoms may be cancer

We should be alert against cancer symptoms. Even an unordinary change of skin colour may be the signal of this dreadful disease. So, you should never neglect even a simple sign if you have doubt. Some of the common symptoms are listed below.

• Rashes, swellings and patches seen on body parts
• White patches seen inside mouth
• Continuous headache
• Pain in right upper part of stomach
• Blood along with sputum while coughing
• If wounds never heal easily – particularly in the mouth
• Women at middle ages should be vigilant against any unordinary change seen in her breast. It may be rashes, skin colouring, bleeding, fluid or anything else. If you have doubt never hesitate to consult a doctor.
• Continuous coughs and throat infection in the case of chain smokers
• If sudden changes occur to moles in your body parts
• If you feel pain during discretion or urination or change in colour or characteristics of fetes or urine like blood or pus, it may be a symptom.
• Bleeding in ladies during non-menstrual cycles
• Continuous pain in throat or neck
• Continuous digestion problems and stomach pain without any reason or difficulty to intake food
• Fatigue or sudden loss of weight
• Also signs of anemia or malnutrition even after taking normal food

Having 2 or 3 of above symptoms doesn’t mean you are attacked by cancer. Yet, it’s good to consult a doctor and clear your doubts. If same conditions persist even after 2 weeks, consult an expert for further diagnosis.

Take care of these things

• A major percentage of cancer patients are suffering from oral cancer and it occurs as an after effect of tobacco, pan, smoking and excess alcohol intake. In pan products, manufactures use to add grinded glass. It cause small wounds to mouth and is easily absorbed by blood stream. It’s very dangerous.
• If you are not having enough vegetables and fruits it may lead to stomach cancer – says experts.
• If you have damaged teeth, consult a dentist and correct them as early as possible. Wounds caused by such teeth can lead to ulcers and later mouth cancer.
• If you are a person using betel and tobacco regularly, it can lead to leukoplakia – a condition of forming white patches inside mouth which may result in cancer.
• If you inhale asbestos powder continuously you may be attacked by lung cancer.
• DDT used at homes to kill pests is harmful to human beings too.
• Pesticides and insecticides used in agriculture also contain cancer causing factors. So, it’s better to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before use.
• These things should be strictly avoided
• Certain food items are highly carcinogenic (have high probability of cancer). Continuous use of such substances may lead to cancer.
• Excess use of animal fat is very harmful to body and it may lead to cancer. Skin removed chicken is healthy. Avoid red meat – pork, beef and mutton as much as possible.
• Non-vegetarians are most prone to stomach cancer. A person should never take more than 80gram non-vegetarian items per day.
• Avoid excess use of chillies, spices and salt.
• It’s better to avoid pickles completely, as they contain excess salt content.
• Never eat burnt or damaged food. Also throw away old food items from your refrigerator. Prepared food once taken from the refrigerator should never be placed back or used after 2 hours.
• Never use fungus affected food. If pickles are affected by fungus it’s a regular practise to remove those fungus affected layer and use as usual. Never do that. Anything affected by fungus should be thrown away.
• Never reheat oil for cooking purposes. Oil remaining after frying something should never be used at any instant. When oil is reheated it’s undergoing many chemical changes forming many substances that are harmful to the body. Those substances are enough to change the chemical properties of oil.
• Avoid fried food items from hotels as much as possible. Same is the case of snacks purchased from a store. They are reheating the oil in the same vessel every time which can freely invite cancer for sure.
• Tinned and junk food should be avoided as much as possible. It’s a general practise of working ladies to buy powder packets of chilli, coriander etc. They even buy instant ackets of coconut powder, ginger-garlic paste etc. Such packets contain preservatives and a lot of artificial colours enough to invite cancer and many other harmful diseases. Better prepare such powders at home itself.
• Smoked meat should be avoided. Same is the case of meat pickles. Such pickles contain a lot of preservatives that can result in intestine or stomach cancer.
• Avoid excess fat and oil. Edible oils in less quantity are good for our health. Never depend on animal fats.
• Aginomoto of Chinese food is very harmful to human health. Never use it, even if it adds a lot of flavours to your food. Avoid artificial spices as well.
• Recent studies have proved that keeping water in plastic containers in freezers can lead to cancer forming substance, dioxin. It’s formed when some components in plastic are mixed with water in lower temperatures.
• Very often artificial substances are added instead of sugar in sweets. It’s very harmful to human health. Same is the case of artificial colours.
• Never buy colourful sweets for kids. Always prefer natural coloured sweets. Saccharine, dulin, cyclamate etc are some of those artificial flavours added to sweets. 

How checkups can be done?

Some checkups can be done ourselves such as verifying if any unusual patches or rashes are appearing in our body or checking if fatigue, continuous pain to body parts is occurring without any reason etc. If you feel doubts just consult a specialist and he will do the best. Cancer found at early stages is easy to cure.

For ladies breast cancer is most common

Normally breast cancer is found in ladies at their 40’s or 50’s. Yet it can’t be assured that breast cancer can occur at middle ages only. Several cases have been reported at 20’s itself. According to Cancer Society of America, every lady should start her personal checkups at the age of 25. Never check just before or after normal menstrual period. It’s common in ladies to see swellings or rashes on their breasts just before or after periods. So, such happenings may be misinterpreted. It’s better to check after 10 days of menstrual period and if you notice any swellings you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Ladies who have reached menopause should do mammography at least once in every year. Pap smear test should be done once in every year after 35, which detects ovarian cancer. 

For men prostrate cancer is most common

Normally this cancer appears at +50. When you reach 50 you should do DRE test. Prostrate specific antigen test can also be done. If you have chances of genetic transmission of this disease, do this check up at 45.

Common to both men and women

Some tests should be done by both at 50 which help to detect cancer in intestine, rectum etc. Fetal occult blood test once in every year and Double contrast barium enema once in 5 years are the common tests. If you have genetic possibilities of becoming a cancer patient, you should compulsory do these tests.

Medicinal foods to resist cancer

Many researches and studies suggest certain food items which can resist cancer up to a limit. If you include such items in your daily diet, you can get good results for sure.

• Antioxidant foods – Supply your body with a lot of vegetables and fruits. Food experts ask us to include ‘rainbow food’ in our daily diet. Rainbow food means multicoloured items – the colours present in a rainbow. Leafy vegetables, carrot, tomato, fruits etc should form the main ingredient of our daily diet. Papaya, beetroot, orange, capsicum etc are rich in antioxidants.
• Green tea is really Mritasanjeevani of modern times – Antioxidants are rich in green tea. Drink 3 or 4 cups of green tea daily. It will keep you fit and stay young. A green tea as soon as you wake up can keep you energetic the whole day.
• 
• Pumpkin, grapes, tomato and guava are highly cancer resistant – Fruits should be washed well before consuming.
• Turmeric and shallots – Curcumin of turmeric and carsetin of shallots are able to control cancer tumours. So use them both regularly. 
• Soya bean – It’s a protein rich food and can resist cancers as well. You should include soya beans and soya milk from childhood itself. 
• Nuts, beans and groundnuts – They can resist prostrate cancer- say experts. They contain vitamin E in abundance. 
• Wheat and oats – Both these can resist prostrate cancer as selenium content food can resist cancer.
• Garlic – It can not only protect your heart but also protect it from cancer. Include 10g garlic everyday in your diet. 

• Healthy habits you can follow

If you want to stay away from cancer and live long certain disciplines are needed in life. Certain bad habits should be abandoned and some good habits to be accepted.

• If you are an addict of cigarettes start reducing it today itself and leave that smoking habit for ever.
• Never use pans or any other tobacco products. Tobacco is a cancer causing substance.
• Drinking is also a bad habit. It can affect your health as well as give you cancer. Just use it once in a while.
• Never try to increase or decrease your body weight suddenly. Keep your body weight according to your height to avoid many health problems.
• Do regular exercise. Giving some exercise to your body can help you to burn some extra calories and make it fit and young.
• Never expose to sunlight too long as more chances for skin cancer are there. You can use sunscreen lotions and lip balms if you have to go out. Yet sun rays in the early mornings and late evenings are good for skin.

Let us practise good food habits

Very often our bad food habits can lead to cancer. If you give attention to the following points, you can prevent this disease to a greater extend.

•  Always eat complete food. Give importance to whole grain food. Fat removed milk, curd, fruits, vegetables, leafy vegetables and any non-vegetarian item should be taken everyday. Your diet should contain carbohydrates, vitamins (A,B,C,D,E), proteins, minerals, potassium, mild quantities of zinc, iodine, manganese, selenium, calcium, fat, iron and phosphorus according to required quantities.
• Controlled diet along with regular exercise and leaving bad habits of drinking and smoking can reduce cancer chances up to 40%.
• Give importance to fruits and vegetables which are great suppliers of antioxidants. Antioxidants not only resist diseases but also keep you young and healthy.
• Fruits and vegetables available in market contain a lot of pesticides. So, wash them thoroughly before use. You can immerse them in salt water for half an hour to detoxify them. Placing under direct under tap with high force water can wash off many chemicals.
• Use whole grain cereals. Rice, wheat etc are most nutritious. Whole wheat atta and whole wheat bread are good for your health.
• Include fiber content foods which improve digestion a lot helping to clean many toxic substances of our body. Fruits and vegetables are reservoirs of fibers. Also, fibers can reduce chances of intestine cancer. Its deficiency can lead to intestine cancer too! Fibers can control the level of sugar and cholesterol in your blood. Mushrooms, leafy vegetables, peas, groundnut etc also contain fibers a lot. 

Protect yourself from cancer to live long

Now most deaths happening around are due to this disease and it can affect any person of any age. So, take care of yourself by giving more importance to your health, supplying it with nutritious and balanced diet and giving regular exercises as well. Give importance to homely food than fast food, pizza, burgers, maida content foods etc. If such habits are started from early ages itself, it’s not a difficult task to follow. Also such precautions can help you to resist yourself against cancer and many new generation diseases. Also, detection of cancer at early stages gives you more chances to live! So protect each and every cell of yours from cancer’s mischiefs if you desire to live long.

• Written by Sandhya Rani.
• In category Aging and Longevity.
• 12 years ago.

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