October has arrived, so has the time to contribute our bit in spreading a word of awareness for Breast Cancer. In a country like India, it is still taboo to talk about women's health issues, which can turn out to be a potentially fatal disease. AMRI Hospitals advises women to be “breast aware” and keep an eye on changes to their breasts, talk to a doctor, and go for medical examinations, without any hesitation. Breast cancer prevention begins with making necessary lifestyle changes.

Keep a regular check: Make a Screening Schedule

Self-breast examination and medical screenings both are equally necessary for women to know and understand changes in their body. In between regular screenings, one must observe abnormalities such as lumps, hard knots in the breast or under the arm, change in size and shape, soreness or rashes, change in colour and texture, among other things. Oncologists at AMRI Hospitals advises that every woman should discuss ongoing issues with doctors openly and get a clinical breast examination done every three years.

Be Physically Active

Staying physically active has shown numerous beneficiary results in overall health. Exercising for at least 159 minutes in a week, or indulging in 40 to 60 minutes of vigorous activities helps maintain the right weight and prevents chronic ailments, including breast cancer.

Watch your weight

Excessive weight appears to increase breast cancer risk in women. Many of us are not aware that reducing calorie intake by 30% can minimize rish of having breast tumors by 80 to 90% in adult women. Managing weight while consuming a healthy and nutritious diet can lower the risk of breast cancer in women between the age of 35 and 50 by almost 60%.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Consuming large volumes of alcohol is clearly linked to spiralling the risk of developing cancer cells in the body, specifically breast cancer. Too much alcohol can easily break down into chemicals that damage DNA cells and possibly lead to the development of a tumor. A non-drinker has a much lower risk of breast cancer than a person who consumes 3 to 4 drinks a day.

Know the importance of Breastfeeding

In the US, breast cancer is the second-most leading cancer in women after skin cancer. Research shows that the unconventional practice of not indulging in breastfeeding children can be one of the reasons behind it. Breastfeeding can reduce women’s risk of breast cancer by lowering the number of menstrual cycles a woman experiences, helping to lessen the growth of hormones relating to the disease.

Avoid radiation exposure

People, especially women, should avoid undergoing numerous medical-imaging methods in early life, including high doses of radiations. Cumulative exposure to radiations might expose you to developing breast cancer; go for such examinations only when absolutely necessary.

Be aware of your family history

It’s the 21st century, and a need of the hour is to have an open talk about life-threatening diseases and its outcomes. Women need to acknowledge if there is a strong family history of breast/ovarian cancer, or if men have an earlier account of prostate cancer, which might be the highest leading factor for preceding generation.

Avoid excess fat

It’s not wrong in saying, Obesity opens the door for growth of life-threatening diseases. The ongoing debate about the link between diet and breast cancer only depicts the number of risk factors that a high-fat diet brings, including breast cancer in women, especially after menopause.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of lungs and heart issues, strokes, and spread of at least 15 types of cancers, including Breast Cancer, besides being the root cause of several other fatal diseases. You can take help from therapy sessions and medicinal treatment to quit smoking at an early stage.

Limit Hormone Replacement Therapy

Many women go for combination hormone therapy for post-menopause symptoms. However, it is important to know the prevailing risks that have shown mixed results on individuals when stretched for a longer duration. While limiting the term might show significant results in preventing chronic heart diseases or osteoporosis. It is necessary to talk about the risks and benefits of treatments with your doctor before, as sometimes medications and non-hormonal therapies could give out better results.