Most of us spend many years learning in school before we go out into the world to live our life. We learn the three R’s, basic ways to cope and we are inspired to become pioneers of whatever interests us. This isn’t any different for cancer and other terminal illnesses. The more you learn the better fit you’ll be to fight it.
Staying at your ideal weight, eating right and exercising regularly not only helps you feel wonderful everyday, but these habits can lead to a reduction in the risk of cancer development. If you want to prevent cancer, you need to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercise for at least half an hour a day and drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
Sun exposure is a leading cause of cancer, skin cancer being one of the most common types of cancer. To protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays, wear a hat and apply liberal amounts of sunscreen.
When you’re undergoing treatment for cancer, try to stay active and keep up an exercise routine. Blood flow increases as you work out. Keeping your blood pumping through your body will enhance the treatments you receive by moving them to all the places they need to go quickly.
Understand that cancer treatments generally come with unpleasant side effects that you need to address. Your doctor will be able to tell you what affect treatment and drugs may have. You may have to deal with hair loss by wearing a hat or a wig, or you may choose to wear makeup to add color to your face.
Most people know smoking can lead to lung cancer, but few know it also can lead to colon cancer. The ingredients in cigarettes expose your colon to toxic carcinogens, and tobacco can lead to formation of colon polyps. These are a few of the many reasons you need to quit smoking.
Perhaps the people around you will not meet your expectations. It is important to let those who are supporting you know that you appreciate all they are doing for you.
Active Participant
Be an active participant in your treatment. Your treatments will be more successful than if you just sit there. Be an active participant in your treatment. Doing this won’t help you make a recovery.
Do not believe anyone who tells you alcohol will help you. It’s actually the grapes in wine which give the benefit to preventing cancer from developing. Consuming a lot of alcohol actually puts you at a much higher risk of getting cancer.
Don’t continue seeing a doctor who doesn’t openly communicate with you. When you have a question, you want it answered promptly. Your concerns should be addressed immediately.
If the medications for your cancer treatment are making your stomach upset, try to stop drinking coffee. Coffee contains caffeine which is known to intensify issues caused by cancer medication and treatment. Avoid drinking it as much as possible. You should also avoid other caffeine sources, like soda and chocolate.
Tell your friends and family about the diagnosis in an open and honest manner. If you are strong and brave, you can feel kind of isolated; therefore, you should be honest about your feelings and utilize your support system. Open and honest communication is what will serve all of you best at this time.
Avoiding cancer in the first place is preferable to being able to beat it. Use sunscreen, cover your skin, don’t smoke, don’t chew tobacco and stay away from toxic chemicals to reduce your risk of developing certain forms of cancer.
Take time to have fun. Being diagnosed with cancer does not mean you have to fundamentally overhaul your life. Continue to find time for things that bring you enjoyment, such as the cinema, reading a great book, or heading out to a football game. While your life now has a new dimension to it, and allowances have to be made for that, fundamentally it is still your life to live.
Be aware of signals from your body. When your body tells you to rest, take the time to take a nap. If your body is feeling run down, switch up your diet to something that is healthy and will give you more energy. Heed the advice your body gives you in the form of malaise.
Alcohol can increase your risk of cancer. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol makes you far more vulnerable to certain types of cancer. For example throat, mouth and esophagus cancers are prevalent in those who drink too much alcohol. If you do drink alcohol, keep it to a minimum.
Make sure you tell your family member with cancer that you love them as much as you can. Sometimes when you are caring for someone with cancer you forget just how powerful those three little words are. This will help your loved ones know that you are there for them and they can count on you to be there in the future.
If your cancer treatments are giving you diarrhea, try to eliminate the coffee that you may find so dear. It may help you feel a bit more awake, but it is contributing to the diarrhea that you are fighting. Refrain from consuming any caffeinated drinks or foods to reduce the severity of diarrhea.
If cancer is something that you have already began to cope with, perhaps it’s time to ease things up a bit and bring the entertainment system into your room. Rules can be broken when it comes to watching TV in bed, so let your guard down and give yourself some mind-numbing amusement. You probably will spend a significant amount of time in bed once you begin your cancer treatments. A TV in your bedroom will help time to pass more quickly while you are recovering.
As you use the tips you’ve just read here and begin to educate yourself, you will find that having the right amount of information about the topic will prepare you to deal with the situation should it ever arise. In short, you should be a student of cancer, whether you’re trying to prevent or trying to get rid of it.