Symptoms of Breast Cancer and How You can Prevent It

Breast cancer! Just reading those words can make many women worry. And that’s natural. Nearly everyone knows someone touched by the disease.

But there is a lot of good news about breast cancer these days. Treatments keep getting better, and we know more than ever about ways to prevent the disease. But before talking about treatment and prevention of breast cancer, let’s talk about symptoms of this disease.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Not everyone with breast cancer will have symptoms before they are diagnosed. But, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, possible symptoms of the disease include:

• A lump in the breast or armpit
• A thickening or swelling of the breast
• Dimpling of the breast or skin irritation
• Red or flaky skin in the nipple area
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk

It’s important to note that even these symptoms don’t necessarily mean the presence of cancer and often signal a nonthreatening condition, such as infection.

Prevention from Breast Cancer Symptoms

If you’re concerned about breast cancer, you might be wondering if there are steps to prevent it. Some risk factors, such as family history, can’t be changed. However, there are lifestyle modifications you can make to lower your risk.

These simple ways can help lower the risk of breast cancer. Not each of them applies to every woman, but together they can have a big impact.

1. Keep Weight in Check

Maintaining a healthy weight is an important goal for everyone. Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of many different cancers, especially after menopause.

2. Be Physically Active

Women who are physically active for at least 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise is also one of the best ways to help keep weight in check.

3. Eat Fruits & Vegetables

A healthy diet can help lower the risk of cancer of the breast. Try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to keep the chances of breast cancer at bay.

4. Quit Smoking

Smokers and non-smokers alike know how unhealthy smoking is. On top of lowering quality of life and increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and chances of cancer, it also causes smelly breath, bad teeth, and wrinkles.

5. Breastfeed Your Babies

Breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risks of breast cancer. It also has great health benefits for the child.

6. Avoid Birth Control Pills, Particularly After Age 35 or If You Smoke

Birth control pills have both risks and benefits. The younger a woman is, the lower the risks are. While women who after age 35 take birth control pills, have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. This risk goes away quickly, though, after stopping the pill. If you’re concerned about breast cancer, avoiding birth control pills is one option to lower the risk.

7. Avoid Post-Menopausal Hormones

Post-menopausal hormones shouldn’t be taken long term to prevent chronic diseases, like osteoporosis and heart disease. Studies show that they have a mixed effect on health, increasing the risk of some diseases and lowering the risk of others, and both estrogen hormones and estrogen-plus-progestin hormones increase the risk of cancer. If women do take post-menopausal hormones, it should be for the shortest time possible. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of post-menopausal hormones.