Top 10 Ways To Prevent Breast Cancer
We always think that breast cancer is generic well in this day and age anyone can simply contract diseases or illnesses we never though we would get. It’s simple to take care of your breast and prevent getting breast cancer. You just need to live up to these simple things and your health will be on par. Here are the top 10 things you need to do to prevent getting breast cancer:
1. Avoid becoming overweight:
Breast cancer normally starts developing during menopause for most women, avoid being over weight?obese when you do start hitting menopause. Avoid gaining weight over time, and try to maintain a body-mass index under 25 (calculators can be found online). Rather at a controllable weight over a weight that raises the chances of you developing breast cancer even though its not generic.
2. Eat healthy to avoid tipping the scale:
Healthy diet always keeps the doctor away. Embracing a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugared drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods, keeps your health in check. Eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast and eat red meat in moderation, if at all. Eat whole grains. Always choose vegetable oils over animal fats.
3. Keep physically active:
Even though we may all claim that there’s no time to workout. It’s always the right thing to do not only for your help but your body in turn starts looking great. Research suggests that increased physical activity, even when begun later in life, reduces overall breast-cancer risk by about 10% to 30%. All it takes is moderate exercise like a 30-minute walk five days a week to get this protective effect.
4. Drink little or no alcohol:
It’s fine to go out for a drink or two every now and then but, keep in mind that alcohol use is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Women should limit intake to no more than one drink per day, regardless of the type of alcohol you are consuming.
5. Don’t smoke:
Smoking is not only a risk to your lungs and heart anymore. Thorough research suggests that long-term smoking is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in some women. Avoid excessive smoking.
6. If you bear children, breast-feed your babies for as long as possible:
It may be a public fax-pas to breast feed your child where and when you want to but, it’s great for your health and your babies health too. Women who breast-feed their babies for at least a year in total have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer later on in life.
7. Avoid hormone replacement therapy:
Menopausal hormone therapy increases risk for breast cancer. If you must take hormones to manage menopausal symptoms, avoid those that contain progesterone and limit their use to less than three years. “Bioidentical hormones” and hormonal creams and gels are no safer than prescription hormones and should also be avoided.
8. Get regular breast cancer screenings:
It may be embarrassing to pull out your breasts in front of other individuals but in the medical industry nothing is ever embarrassing trust me they’ve seen it all. See your doctor for a breast consultation. Thereafter follow your doctor or health care provider’s recommendations to decide what type of screening you need and how often you need it.
If you are at high risk for breast cancer, such as having a particular gene like a BRCA gene, or have a strong family history or have had high-risk benign breast disease in the past, talk with your doctor about other options for you which might include:
A. Extra screenings. For some women, MRI or ultrasound screenings can add valuable information to regular mammogram screening.
B. Estrogen-blocking drugs. Women with a family history of breast cancer or who are over age 60 should talk to their doctor about the pros and cons of estrogen-blocking drugs such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, and aromatase inhibitors.
C. Prophylactic surgery to remove breasts and/or ovaries. Women who have had both breasts surgically removed reduce their risk of breast cancer by over 90 percent. Women who have had both ovaries removed have about half the risk of developing breast cancer as women with intact ovaries. Clearly these options are most appropriate for women at very high risk.
9. Wear the right bra’s:
Always wear a bra that’s able to hold your breast in place and give your breasts the right support. A clean bra also contributes to avoiding breast cancer. Choose the right bra’s for you and wash them regularly.
10. Avoid Exposure To Radiation:
Medical tests like PET scans, mammograms, CT scans and X-rays are known to increase the risks of cancer. Also avoid standing close to elevated microwaves. Radiation has never been good for your health really.
Take care of yourself and breasts. Always feel your breasts on a regular basis for any lumps or tumors to keep your health in check and detect anything during the early stages of its development.
Mbali Ntuli 
