Breast Cancer Prevention: 7 Ways To Reduce The Risk

Breast cancer affects women more as compared to men. Breast cancer is amongst the most common forms of cancer that affect many women worldwide. According to estimates, about 2 million breast cancer cases are reported in the US annually.

The big question regarding breast cancer is if there is something one can do to prevent it? The answer to it lies in accepting a range of healthy habits and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Factors like having hereditary history are beyond anyone’s control. However, managing a number of controllable factors in routine life can help in the prevention of breast cancer.

What Lifestyle Changes Can Help In Its Prevention?

A healthy lifestyle can dramatically reduce your risk of breast cancer. This fact is well supported by research too. Studies show that a healthy lifestyle successfully reduces breast cancer risk even in women with increased risk factors. Let us go through some key lifestyle changes that can work well in the prevention of breast cancer.

1.    Limit Alcohol

 Alcohol increases the level of estrogen hormone in the body. High levels of estrogen in the body are a major risk factor that can possibly cause breast cancer in women. So, cutting back on alcohol is key in the prevention of breast cancer. Start off your journey to recovery by finding yourself the treatment facility that meets your needs.

Nevada residents can get a number of addiction treatment facilities, such as detox and inpatient treatment options. Drug rehab centers in Nevada can be the right option for you to get rid of alcohol. Recent years have seen a lot of awareness campaigns for breast cancer. Such campaigns mainly involved celebrities who were survivors of the battle. Even famous people participated in spreading awareness about breast cancer.   

2.    Maintain A Healthy Weight

A healthy weight as per the ideal BMI also helps to mitigate the risk of breast cancer. If you already have a healthy weight, then you need to stick to it. If you are overweight, then you should adopt healthy strategies to lose weight. Those who are not sure how to get started should go to an expert nutritionist.

You can even start off by reducing the number of calories that you consume each day. Taking in fewer calories helps to burn the stored calories. In addition, increasing the level of exercise is another effective strategy to help you lose weight.

3.    Be Physically Active

An active lifestyle can work well to reduce the risk of breast cancer. A sedentary and inactive lifestyle can add to the risk of breast cancer since it directly influences body weight, inflammation and hormone level. Another key question is how much physical activity is sufficient.

According to The American Cancer Society, adults should aim to manage at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity during a week. In the case of vigorous activity, a person can aim to manage 75-150 minutes of physical activity.

4.    Breastfeed Your Baby

Studies have shown that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer development. If breastfeeding continues for a period of one year or more, it can work exceptionally well in breast cancer prevention. Breastfeeding is not only beneficial for mothers. Rather, breast milk is the most nutritious thing for babies during an initial couple of years.

However, the results cannot be generalized in a country like America, where breastfeeding for such duration is less common. Experts encourage women of childbearing age to breastfeed their children as it has a protective effect against breast cancer.

5.    Limit Post-Menopausal Hormonal Therapy

Hormonal therapy usually taken after menopause can have serious health consequences. One major consequence of hormonal therapy is the increased risk of breast cancer. Before beginning with any hormonal therapy, ask yourself one simple question whether the results of therapy outweigh the risk. You can go after adopting non-hormonal and non-medicinal ways to manage the symptoms.

The combined hormone therapy makes use of both estrogen and progesterone hormone, and the reduction to develop breast cancer considerably increases. The risk is generally high in the current users of combined hormone therapy or the recent users. Experts believe that breast cancer risks go down after five years of treatment.

6.    Limit Birth Control Pills

Using birth control medications such as pills increase the risk of breast cancer. Such medicines make use of hormones. The risk goes away over time when you discontinue its use. Do not make use of birth control pills for consecutive longer durations as it can seriously increase your risk of breast cancer. Do consult with your doctor before getting started with any kind of birth control medication.

7.    Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is found to be effective against many types of cancer. You can also adopt a healthy diet regime as an effective preventive measure against breast cancer. A healthy diet plays a significant role in keeping various risk factors to the lowest level.Following a diet does not mean starving oneself and waking up dizzy; you need to ensure the right balance.

The diet helps to manage weight diabetes, maintain hormonal balance and generally promotes good health. Some studies support the role of the Mediterranean diet in order to prevent breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet focuses on health benefiting food sources. 

What Else Should One Look For?

Every woman should know about the symptoms of breast cancer. One should be vigilant of any abnormal changes around the breasts, such as changes in texture, skin color, and a new lump in the breasts. Consult with your doctor and go through a proper diagnosis. Initial detection and the right treatment can increase the chances of survival.

Take Away

Breast cancer is a very common type of cancer that especially affects women. Women can adopt a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent such types of cancer. In addition to a healthy diet, physical activity and healthy lifestyle, women can adopt another preventive measure to keep the risk of breast cancer to the lowest level and sustain a healthy life.