Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases. Not that there’s any disease that one can wish upon. However, the body pains, medications, and other financial constraints that come with cancer are unprecedented.

Doctors have established around a third to half of the cancer cases are preventable. Better lifestyles and other daily habits determine the risks of cancer. Here are some of the ways to prevent cancer.

• Quit smoking 

Smoking is one of the leading risk cases of cancer. Tobacco use exposes people to various cancers like those of the kidney, cervix, lungs, mouth, pancreas, esophagus, and more. With all these risks imagine how much risk you alleviate by quitting the smoke.

Avoid any form of tobacco, including passive smoking. When you smoke, stay away from family and other people to protect them.

Quitting smoking is such a hard task. You are likely to relapse as you also suffer from withdrawal effects and cravings. Once you decide to quit, fight hard to fight the cravings. Look for support groups near you for encouragement. You can also start by looking for tobacco replacement products like chewing gum, skin patches, inhalators, and nasal and mouth spray.

• Pay attention to your diet 

Your health status is a direct reflection of what you eat. While you don’t get a guaranteed cancer-free life out of making the right food choices, you get to lower the risks of cancer.

Eat plenty of fruits, legumes, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, take a lot of proteins like fish and poultry to help you build a stronger body against infections. Avoid processed food like hot dogs, sausages, and bacon. You should also slow on high-calorie foods like refined sugar and fats. Limit processed foods like processed meat and refined grains.

Keeping a healthy diet needs discipline and strong will. All around you are bombarded with ads on fast foods. The fast foods also seem delicious and they come pre-cooked hence don’t spend any much time cooking. However, none of those supposed pros come closer to staying healthy and preventing cancer.

• Protect your skin

The skin’s extended exposure to the sun is one of the leading causes of cancer. A little bit of sun is not bad for the body. It helps rejuvenate the body for the production of various minerals in the body. However, extended exposure is the issue. The sun has harmful UV rays that might cause cancer.

The best way to handle skin exposure is to avoid the stronger sunlight like at midday. If you head outdoors then keep the skin protected by wearing protective clothing like a long-sleeved shirt or a hat. You can also stay under a shade on a sunny day. Put on sunscreen on the exposed parts of the skin and wear sunglasses to protect yourself from the UV rays.

• Avoid risky behaviors 

If you are looking to increase your chances of staying cancer-free then you need to avoid risky infection-causing behavior. The infections from these behaviors increase the risk of cancer.

One of the risky behaviors to look out for is sexual activity. Practice safe sex by avoiding multiple sexual partners and using condoms when having sex. Also, understand your partner’s sexual history before the act. Having multiple sexual partners increase the chances of contracting sexual infections like HPV and HIV. HPV increases the risk of cervical cancer in women. HIV on the other hand increases the risk of cancer of the lung, liver, and anus.

Another risky behavior to avoid is sharing needles when taking intravenous drugs. Sharing the needle increases the chances of infectious diseases like Hepatitis A and B and HIV. These in turn increase the chances of contracting liver cancer.

• Get vaccinated 

Just like the vaccine is the main solution during the coronavirus, it also plays a role in protecting against cancer. Vaccination protects you from various viral infections like Hepatitis B and HPV.

Your lifestyle determines if you need the vaccination or not. For example, you might need the Hepatitis B vaccine more if you engage in sex with multiple women. The health workers who are exposed to infection from patients can also benefit from it. The HPV vaccine is for boys and girls around ages 11 to 12.

Talk to Take2Health on the best vaccine options to prevent you from infectious diseases and cancer.

• Avoid exposure to toxins 

Gone are the days when homes and workplaces were some of the safest places. Instead, toxins have since taken up many fueling cancer occurrences. Toxins in these places come in various forms that you have to watch out for.

Unsafe drinking water laced with industrial releases like pesticides and other poisons is one of the common toxins at home. Old building materials like asbestos are also toxic as they can cause lung cancer and tumors.

Avoid exposing yourself to home products that emit fumes and odors like cleaning products, paint, and pesticides. If you have to use these products then ensure proper ventilation and that most of the fumes don’t stick in the house. Most of the fumes from the various products contain benzene which causes cancer.

• Get proper medical care 

Proper medical care is the most essential way to keep safe from cancer risk. Ensure regular screening and self-examination for the various types of cancer. For example, regular stool tests for colon cancer and mammograms for breast cancer.

The screening and tests allow you to notice cancer in the early stages when it is still easy to treat and manage. Take the npc cancer blood test Hong Kong to help detect any cancer presence as early as possible. Talking to the doctors also gives you insights into cancer prevention and management.

Bottom Line 

The impact of lifestyle on cancer risk is always up to question. Most people are always looking for ways to lead unhealthy lives even if it means risking cancer. However, if living a cancer-free life is what you want, then you have to monitor your lifestyle. Invest in a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of cancer.