Member since 12 December 201719 January 2018 at 12:02
While you can’t change some breast cancer risk factors – family history and aging, for example – there are others that you can control. Here are 5 ways to help protect your breast health:
Watch your weight as being overweight or obese increases breast cancer risk. This is especially true after menopause and for women who gain weight as adults.
Exercise regularly because many studies have found that exercise is a breast-healthy habit. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more.
Limit time spent sitting. The evidence is growing that sitting time increases the likelihood of developing cancer, especially for women. Those who spend 6 hours or more each a day sitting when not working had a 10% greater risk for invasive breast cancer.
Limit alcohol. Research has shown that women who have 2 to 3 alcohol drinks a day have about a 20% higher risk compared to women who don’t drink at all. Excessive drinking increases the risk of other cancer types, too.
Avoid or limit hormone replacement therapy. Researchers say postmenopausal women who take a combination of estrogen and progestin may be more likely to develop breast cancer.
One can start driving after 6 weeks post-surgery to be on the safer side. If other additional treatments are going on, it is best to ask your doctor for such instructions.
Mammograms are performed today for two reasons: they help detect breast cancer and also help confirm a diagnosis if another screening option shows the presence of cancerous cells. Mammograms might be able to help screen for breast cancer in some cases, but they do nothing to help prevent or treat br....
Shmilona Punn
While you can’t change some breast cancer risk factors – family history and aging, for example – there are others that you can control. Here are 5 ways to help protect your breast health: