How Lifestyle Choices Can Influence Breast Cancer Risk?

Post On : 01 Jun ,2024

There is no denying that wrong lifestyle choices and stress can increase the chances of getting a fatal disease, like breast cancer. Adopting sedentary lifestyle, poor personal behaviours, and lack of physical activity are some of the crucial risk factors that can influence the life-threatening breast cancer.

It becomes imperative to focus on improving your lifestyle and pay more attention to your health. Being a working woman, you should create a work-life balance and regularly monitor your condition, especially if your family has a history of cancer. It is good to understand the bad lifestyle choices and replace them with good ones to reduce the risk factors.

Here are some potential lifestyle-based risk factors that need to be considered:

1. Consumption of Alcohol Increases the Risk

Consuming alcohol is directly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. According to doctors in Queensland, Women who consume 1 alcoholic drink a day have a small increase in risk compared with those who do not drink. What’s worse? There is a 20 per cent higher risk of getting cancer if you drink 2 to 3 drinks daily. It can also increase the risk of liver cancer.

2. Women with Obesity

Being obese or overweight after menopause is one of the common reasons behind breast cancer. Fat tissue after menopause can increase estrogen levels and increase the chances of getting the fatal disease. It is because obese women tend to have higher sugar or blood insulin levels that are directly related to breast cancer.

So, it is good to manage your weight through regular workouts and balanced meals.

3. Lethargic Lifestyle

Having a lethargic lifestyle can lead to breast cancer, especially after menopause.

Latest research also found that regular workouts or physical activities can reduce the chances of breast cancer risk. Make sure you involve in physical activity half an hour daily. You can do a brisk walk, jog, hit the gym or simply dance to keep your body moving.

Health experts in Queensland suggest that an adult should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise each week to stay fit.

4. Not Having Kids Can Trigger the Symptoms

Women who haven’t had kids or who had their first kid after the age of 30 have a higher rate of getting breast cancer. Studies found that multiple pregnancies or getting pregnant before 30 can reduce the risk percentage.

5. Breast Feeding and Breast Cancer Risk

Studies have also found that breastfeeding can lower the risk of breast cancer. However, it is good to continue for a year or two. It could be because the breastfeeding reduces the total number of menstrual cycles and can reduce the potential risk.

6. Birth Control Methods

Did you know some birth control methods use hormones that can increase the risk of getting the disease? Here are these common methods:

Oral Contraceptives: Consuming birth control pills can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Birth Control Shots: Getting progesterone shots every 3 months might increase the risk.
Birth Control Implants: These also use hormones that can lead to a serious condition.

It is good to create awareness about breast cancer in QLD and get yourself screen as quickly as possible.