– Hoda Kotb
October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” and we’re celebrating here at Collier Home Care with seven ways to reduce your breast cancer risk.
In 1985, Betty Ford, the wife of 38th United States president Gerald Ford, named October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The purpose of doing so was to educate everyone on how to spot the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, as well as to raise funds for continued research on how to combat this deadly disease. An estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. in 2020.
You may have a higher risk of breast cancer if someone in your family has a history of breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer. Although this is a difficult topic to discuss, knowing if your parents, siblings, aunts, uncle, nieces, nephews, or grandparents have had a breast cancer diagnosis can help you learn about your risk of breast cancer.
Maintaining a healthy weight and eating healthy fresh fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk for breast cancer. Studies have shown that women’s breast cancer risk has increased with obesity especially following menopause. Living a healthy lifestyle will serve you well in other areas of your life too!
Putting in a good 30 minutes of exercise every day has conclusively shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer and other ailments. A research team at the University of Sydney concluded after studying 80,000 adults that strength training is more effective at prolonging life than cardio workouts.
If you smoke, quit. If you are around people that smoke, move away from them. Smoking not only causes many different types of cancer such as breast cancer, it also can cause damage to your lungs, heart, blood vessels, eyes, skin, and bones.
Women and men should be careful about how much alcohol they consume. Studies have shown that women who drink between 3-6 drinks of any kind every week increase their risk of breast cancer by 15% and drinking excessively can have drastic effects on the body.
Studies have shown that menopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be more likely to develop breast cancer.
Screenings are used to detect cancer before a person has any symptoms. All women should be familiar with the known benefits, limitations, and potential risks associated with breast cancer screenings.
Asking for someone to lend a hand can be hard to do, but it’s important. Oftentimes seniors will call us when they want to stay safely, securely, and independently in their home.
Depending on what you need, Collier Home Care offers between one and 24 hours a day home health care services, plus live-in care. It is our pleasure to care for you, your family, and your loved ones!
It is our pleasure to care for you, your family, and your loved ones. If we can help with home care services or determine an appropriate level of care, call us at (239) 920-3902 or reach us here.
Turn up the pink!