Bladder Cancer Prevention: Lifestyle Changes You Can Make Today
What are the bladder cancer symptoms?
What is the bladder?
The bladder is a part of our urinary system that stores urine that is produced in the kidney. When the bladder tends to get filled, it will intimate your brain to send urine sensations to make room for new urine storage.
How does bladder cancer occur?
Like most cancers, bladder cancer occurs due to excessive smoking, consumption of harmful chemicals while eating, or wearing clothes that contain harmful colourants or fabrics. Side effects due to inflammations, chronic infections, bad genes, irregular diet and peeing can also cause bladder cancer.
10 common symptoms of bladder cancer
Early detection is key to preventing and curing any cancer. Know these 10 bladder cancer symptoms to stay ahead of the cancer battle:
- Painful urination or burning sensation while peeing
- Sudden urges to pee that are too frequent
- Blood spotting in the urine, also known as hematuria. The colour is usually dark brown, red, pink or surrounding shades.
- Difficulty in urinating normally
- Consistent back pain in the lower region
- If you have bladder cancer in advanced stages, it may cause pain in bones due to spreading
- Constant fatigue symptoms
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling in lower legs
- Drastic weight loss
Many bladder cancer symptoms may simply be caused due to other illnesses like urinary infections or inflammation. If you notice any of these, you should visit a doctor immediately for an accurate diagnosis. Self-medication is strictly not recommended.
How to prevent bladder cancer through lifestyle changes
Most cancers, including bladder cancer, occur due to the adoption of a bad lifestyle. Here are recommended changes to ensure you can prevent bladder cancer:
- Stay hydrated and pee regularly:
The best way to remove toxins from your body is to ensure you drink water regularly. 8 glasses a day is helpful – but majorly drink whenever you feel thirsty. Many skip drinking water because they don’t like to frequently pee due to constant travelling or laziness. This is a bad habit to have – your body needs water to remove toxins you breathe and consume. With good water intake, ensure you regularly pee as required by your body. The brain sends you urination signals – so listen to them so that your body can get rid of the toxins. - Adopt good personal hygiene practices:
Use natural hygiene practices for your personal care. Use clean water and wash your hands every time you come out of the bathroom. Many times, people use toiletries that may contain toxins that harm their bodies. Ensure you are aware of the contents of your toiletries and try to use organic and natural products if possible. When urinating, opt for toilets that are clean – especially while travelling. You should also clean your own bathroom and toilet regularly with relevant soaps. - Quit smoking:
Smoking is a very common cause of cancer. If you are an addict, it’s better you take measures to restrict your smoking, and slowly avoid it as much as possible. It’s known that smoking contains nicotine and other harmful chemicals that cause cancer. Unfortunately, the air we breathe is also often already filled with pollutants. You are already breathing toxins, and with smoking – you are further inhaling toxins right into the bloodstream. When these toxins reach your bladder and get stored, it causes harm to your bladder cells. This increases the chances of getting bladder cancer symptoms. - Eat clean food:
Unfortunately, many of our food products are processed – due to which it’s common to have toxins in them. You should replace your processed food items with as many organic ones as possible. Meat and junk food are also known to contribute to cancer. One can have such foods – but better to maintain a limit. You should also avoid food that is high in salts, sugar or chemicals like Ajinomoto, food colouring, etc. If you have a high appetite, ensure you regularly exercise to make up for the gained fat. Simple activities like walking can help drastically reduce your cancer chances.
Conduct regular body checkups for early detection
While it is important to have a clean lifestyle – another important prevention technique is early detection. If you notice bladder cancer symptoms, immediately contact your doctor and start the treatment. Early detection means you improve your chances of having a successful treatment for bladder cancer.
