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Signs and symptoms of lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths for both men and women. While smoking is a surefire way to boost your risk of a lung cancer diagnosis, there are other habits and lifestyle factors that can play a role in developing lung cancer. Risk factors include exposure to radon and asbestos, air pollution and exposure to toxic chemicals.

lungcancer

If you smoke, it is imperative that you quit. You are not only increasing your risk of lung cancer, but also of many other serious life-threating diseases such as heart attack, stroke, emphysema, asthma and lung, breast, throat, stomach and other cancers. While not all lung cancer is caused by smoking, up to 90% is.

While the symptoms of lung cancer won’t alert you enough to prevent the disease before it occurs, an early diagnosis is always best. Symptoms of lung cancer include:

  1. A persistent cough that does not go away
  2. Shortness of breath
  3. Onset of wheezing
  4. Recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis
  5. Coughing up blood
  6. Hoarseness
  7. Weight loss or loss of appetitive

The American Cancer Society states, “More than half of all cancer deaths could be prevented by making healthy choices like not smoking, staying at a healthy weight, eating right, keeping active and getting recommended screening tests.”

Active prevention is the best way to avoid a cancer diagnosis. Below are the top 10 tips for cancer prevention:

  1. Optimize your vitamin D — Spend an adequate amount of time in the sun
  2. Avoid eating excess protein — Replace excess protein with high-quality fats
  3. Eat living foods like sprouts — Sprouts allow your body to extract more nutrients from your food
  4. Use nontoxic cleaning supplies — Replace chemical cleaners with natural options
  5. Use natural beauty products — There are thousands of toxic chemicals used in cosmetics
  6. Ditch your nonstick cookware — PFOA in nonstick pans can increase your risk of cancer
  7. Drink clean, pure water — Use a home filtration system to filter out harmful chemicals
  8. Eat organic and locally grown food — Avoid pesticides and herbicides by eating organic foods
  9. Skip canned foods — Canned and packaged foods may contain BPA, a chemical linked to cancer
  10. Ditch your microwave — Reduce your toxin exposure by avoiding the microwave