When it comes to the risk of cancer in your senior years, there are many different lifestyle choices that can increase that risk. You must understand that when we talk about risk factors, we mean things that we do that increase the chances of us getting cancer later in our lives. The answer to the question, can a bad lifestyle affect our risk of getting cancer, is yes. We are now going to explain some of those risk factors that you could try and avoid.
Smoking
For decades now, scientists have known that smoking is terrible for our health. Cigarette smoke contains many different toxins, all of which are inhaled and impact on our health. Apart from the respiratory problems that are associated with smoking, there is the real danger of lung cancer, which is strongly correlated with smoking. Smoking is also linked to other forms of cancer, among many other medical conditions.
Poor Diet
A key factor to our health is the kind of food that we eat. If we don’t eat nutritious meals, we increase our chances of contracting all kinds of medical conditions later in life, including different forms of cancer. This is because a poor diet means that our body does not get the nutrients it needs. Instead, it is bombarded by unhealthy food items such as excess sugar and salt. The result is that our immune system doesn’t work the way it is supposed to work, exposing us to serious medical problems. Obesity also becomes a factor, and this can lead to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and more. Eventually, these unhealthy conditions put us at increased risk of getting cancer.
Passive Lifestyle
Our bodies are designed to be active and when we adopt a sedentary lifestyle, we run the risk of contracting serious medical disorders, including cancer. An active lifestyle means ensuring that we get as much physical exercise as possible in order to keep our bodies healthy. Physical exercises help in many ways. For example, it improves our respiratory system by allowing us to breathe better and also increases our lung’s capacity to absorb oxygen. Working out also improves blood circulation, which means that we reduce the risk of inflammation in the body, which, in itself, leads to medical problems. People who have an active lifestyle are also at a lower risk of contracting lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. All this leads to a significantly reduced risk of cancer in later years.
Excessive Alcohol
While we all enjoy a drink or two every now and then, having too much alcohol is associated with increased risk of a number of medical conditions, including cancer. Alcohol is known to affect organs such as the liver and the kidney. Overindulging in alcohol for a long time can lead to these organs being damaged, resulting in compromised health. Excessive alcohol consumption has also been linked with some forms of cancer such as throat cancer among others.
