Cancer is associated with your lifestyle and environmental factors and does not discriminate; it affects everyone. Unfortunately, colon cancer does not receive much attention like other forms of cancer, but it is the third most common globally. Luckily it is possible to prevent colon cancer San Antonio from doctors who can formulate the best prevention tips. You can lower the risk of colon cancer with these tips.
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Get Regular Screening
Colon cancer screening is the first step to lowering your risk of the disease; the screening will catch cancer in the initial stages when it is treatable and prevent the occurrence of abnormal growths, which turn cancerous. Colon cancer screening varies, and you might find easier tests, but they require frequent or professional testing. Thus, if you have a family history of colon cancer, you would get the tests done frequently, but if you don’t have close family with the condition, you will begin the test at 45 years.
You can opt for yearly home stool tests; you will collect your stool at home and send it to the laboratory for colon cancer testing. Alternatively, you can opt for Stool DNA every three years; this test detects blood plus hidden in the stool. On the other hand, sigmoidoscopy is a virtual test on the colon which detects growths that might be cancerous. Finally, you may opt for a colonoscopy which uses a small camera and flexible tube to inspect the colon. This test is invasive, and you will need sedation and a ride home after the hospital visit, but it is conducted once every ten years.
Avoid Obesity by Eating Healthily
You can maintain a healthy weight to fight colon cancer, as weight raises the risk of colon cancer. Thus, it is better to diet and exercise to curb weight gain and prevent colon cancer.
Avoid Smoking and Drinking
Smoking is directly linked to colon cancer and other forms of cancer; thus, avoiding smoking might be the best thing you would do for your health. Smoking will lower the risk of stroke, emphysema, and heart disease, but quitting is hard since nicotine is addictive. Thus, you may talk with a therapist who helps with the best quitting mechanism and ways to overcome the addiction.
Get Active
Physical activity lowers the risk of many health issues like colon cancer, and staying active throughout the day is better. You can stand and walk for a few minutes if you work in a stationary workstation. Moreover, you can engage in physical activities you like during your free time; you might walk, cycle, dance, and garden.
Limit Red Meat Consumption
Red meat alleviates the risks of colon cancer, especially if the meat is highly processed. Thus, avoiding bacon, bologna, sausage, and other highly processed red meats is better. To lower risks, you may avoid eating more than three red meat servings weekly.
Colon cancer is rampant but does not get attention like other cancers but impacts many people. Thus. You should learn how to prevent it; you can get regular screening, avoid red meats, eat healthily, quit smoking and drinking, and maintain a healthy weight.