Monday, November 16, 2015

5 REASONS THAT CURB PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT CANCER AND 5 TIPS TO OVERCOME THEM!


Every 1 in 10 cancer patients feel reluctant in talking about cancer and related symptoms which can be stern most of the time. Here are reason and tips so that there is a good way to bring in confidence and be the one you want to be!

       WHY NOT TALKING ABOUT CANCER? 


  • People expect that they are never getting this disease 
Most of the people in the world think that they are the last ones to procure this disease.  In the gender category of men, almost a quarter of men have never told to their relative or a friend about the cancer in them 


  • The word Cancer is believed to be a ‘Taboo’

Even in the 21st century taboo still exists and one of taboos would be cancer (which is a myth) and when they are diagnosed with the disease, they tend to freak out because they think they are ‘unclean’.





  • It is my body and what happens to it is my business

      This attitude might bring in the selfish element whereas in reality it results in depression. There is a no-use-talking-to-anyone feeling that gives birth in some people because everyone around them seems useless to them.


  • Fear of being isolated

      Most of the cancer patients do not talk to others about cancer because they fear that they would never be understood instead be judged.     
  

  • Fear of posing as a sympathy figure in the society

There is always a fear that they would be figured as a sympathy symbol and that he or she will not be able to lead a normal life ahead.


WHY IS THERE A NEED TO TALK ABOUT CANCER?

1.       None of us are immune to cancer
There wouldn’t be anyone who is completely immune to the disease and accepting that fact would bring a confidence and positivity.

2.       Talk about it and the taboo will be diluted
Only by opening up a dialogue can the taboo surrounding it be diluted and can get more people will feel like talking more about and be aware of those facts.

3.       Everyone will help you, just give it a try!
Talk to the people who you trust and believe in (can also be someone who is in the same state) .

4.       Need not always be a hero
Even when people look up to you as a hero, there can be times when you have to remove the mask of being a hero and let your feelings flow. Be who you are because sometimes we all need a support and be proud to accept it!

5.       Ignorance is never bliss!
Ignoring symptoms will not help you in any way; it can only push you down. Talk about symptoms and how you feel every day.


Silence always comes in with fear and being a hero is not to be silent but talking about it and bringing up a change. It doesn’t matter if you don’t talk…..but imagine if your one talk can make even a small difference…..it will even save a life…BE THE CHANGE!





Thanks for reading and please keep visiting our blog to discover and appreciate more Yoddhas. 
Feel free to contact the Yoddhas team at team@yoddhas.com 
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Cheers!

Author: Shruti Manmadhan Nair                                         Co-authored by Rahul Yadav
                                         

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Beware of breathing! All you need to know about Lung Cancer.


What is that something that you do every second of your life? 
Breathe!   
Without this action it is impossible to survive. 
This breathing action is done with the help of the lungs and it is the most active organ of the human body. It is very essential to maintain its health at all times. Knowing what you inhale in your everyday lifestyle is important. An unhealthy lung leads to many infections and also Cancer. Lung infections are curable but not Cancer. It is always better to prevent than to cure any disease.


Lung Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in one or both of the lungs. These cells or tumors reduce the lung’s ability to provide bloodstream with oxygen.
A total number of 1,370,000 people have died of lung cancer which is more than the number of deaths caused by any other type of cancer. 

 

Some important facts:

  • Lung Cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer around the globe.  
  •  Most people die of Lung Cancer compared to other type of Cancer such has breast,colon and prostate Cancer. 
  • Smoking is responsible for 90% of all cases of Lung cancer. 
  •  More than half of the Lung Cancer patients pass away within a year of diagnosis. 
  • Passive smoking increases the chances of Lung Cancer for about 20-30%




What are the causes and symptoms of Lung Cancer?

 

Causes:

  • Smoking causes Cancer, smoking kills.
  •  Exposure to tobacco smoke or passive smoking increases the chance of lung cancer.
  •  Air pollution also causes Lung cancer. Air containing carcinogens and exposure to this increases the risk. 
  • Smoke coming out of burning coal contains carcinogens is a significant risk of developing Lung Cancer. 
  • Low intake of foods rich in beta-carotene.

Symptoms: 

  • Loss in appetite and reduction in body weight. 
  • Cough that does not quit. 
  • Feeling weak or tiredness. 
  • Chest pain which gets intense when coughing, laughing or heavy breathing. 
  • Abnormal changes in loudness of the voice. 
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Coughing Blood.

Treatment for Lung Cancer:

 

 The treatment for this Cancer depends upon the type of lung cancer that the person is diagnosed with. The tumor is located and the stage of the cancer is identified. General health of the patient is also taken in consideration.

Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are common treatments used for lung cancer. These treatments are used alone or together.  


Home remedies: 

The patient experiences shortness of breath. To cope up with this there are few tips:

  • Choose an activity such has music or meditation or any other activity that help you to relax. Fear makes it only harder to breathe. 
    
  • Use your energy effectively. Save your energy for important tasks. Remove the non-essential tasks from your day.
      
  • When you are in shortage of breath focus your mind on breathing.
                    


 Some other useful tips:
  • Do not dehydrate your body. Take small sips of water frequently in a day. 
  • Dry ginger or ginger-tea to reduce nausea. 
  • Brush your teeth after you vomit which help to avoid tooth decay. 
  • To have a good sleep avoid caffeine.

Tips for treating Constipation:
  • Drink enough fluids to keep you hydrated. 
  • Avoid alcohol containing drinks. 
  • Increase your physical activity by exercise as advised by the doctor.




Thanks for reading and please keep visiting our blog to discover and appreciate more Yoddhas. 
Feel free to contact the Yoddhas team at team@yoddhas.com 
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Author- Akshith Vijaykumar

Sunday, November 8, 2015

FACTS ON CERVICAL CANCER

               Cervical Cancer is the 2nd most widely occurring cancer in women. It is most common for women in the age group of 30 and older. Every year about 12000 cases of cervical cancer occur in women and estimated deaths in a year are approximated to be around 4000 worldwide.



Here are some lesser known facts about cervical cancer.

  • HPV is considered to be one of the major causes of cervical cancer. HPV is a group of viruses present worldwide.
  • High risk type of HPV infection results in cervical cancer in women. HPV viruses is available in 2 types (16 and 18) which cause 70% of cervical cancers.
    
  • Cervical Cancer’s development is quite slow and begins with a precancerous condition known as Dysplasia. HPV spreads through genital contact, vaginal, anal, oral sex.
  • Smoking, HIV, Birth Control Pills consumption for more than 5 years, giving birth to 3 or more kids, weakened immune system, Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) during your mother’s pregnancy are some of the reasons for cervical cancer.
           
  • A Pap test and HPV test are prescribed for cervical cancer detection. Screening for cervical cancer begins at 21.
  • A Pap test needs to be taken every 3 years for age groups between 21 and 29.
  • A Pap test and HPV Test need to be taken every 5 years for ages between 30 and 64.
  • Lifestyle changes like limiting number of sexual partners, practice safe sex, Exercising regularly, Eating a healthy diet and to quit smoking are some of the ways to prevent cervical cancer.
          
  • Vaccines are available for reduction in infections due to HPV. Girls in the age group of 11 or 12 should get 3 doses of Cervarix or Gardasil.HPV vaccines are not recommended for pregnant women.
  • Consulting a health care professional/doctor for regular screening/early detection, treatment follow-up, a well maintained healthy diet along with having all the chemo, radiation sessions are a must for cervical cancer patients.    



Thanks for reading and please keep visiting our blog to discover and appreciate more Yoddhas. 
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Author- Shashwathi.S



Thursday, November 5, 2015

AN EARLY DIAGNOSE CAN BE AN ANGEL IN DISGUISE




A swollen feet and a bulging tummy...that’s how I remember my uncle during his last stages of cancer as. “ I am not hungry anymore, its hard to walk for a long time and I don’t know why”, my kaka (uncle) would say with a fear in his eyes and a stammer in his speech.

It was 2 years ago when my uncle passed away due to ‘ignorant cancer’ and that’s what I would love to call it as. My mother and I would tell maushi(aunty) and kaka to check out with a doctor and diagnose the problem as soon as possible.  Both would reply negatively and carry on with their lives monotonously.  Since my mother is a paramedic, she would understand certain symptoms that were giving birth on my kaka’s body. A know- it-all kaka would not bother on such “small symptoms” as he ‘feels’ active while he is not. The sudden weight deterioration would catch hold of my attention and I would try convincing on the same but stayed adamant on his decision of ignoring it.
Later, a blood vomit made it all obvious about the whole scenario of cancer and the stages. He was diagnosed with third stage liver cirrhosis and some days to live on it. A storm of confusion and fear struck the whole family even then there was hope that someone would carry the situation up and everything would be fine. Chemotherapy was out of the remedy list we had.

The hope shattered in a few weeks when he was bed ridden for a couple of days. There was very little expectation on his survival and was just a result of a late diagnose that had crawled into the dooms day. Doctors had to clean their hands off from the situation when a helpless hurricane struck in. We had to just wait for him to die and not try to get any help on his survival when early diagnose could have been an angel in disguise for him rather than letting the cancer grow on his body. I couldn’t force him much because he was the Mr. Know-it-all to me and it was hard to digest the fact that something unknown had grabbed him from me.


Early diagnose is a necessary factor as it would be a real life saver element to every cancer patient. No one knows what can kill us and being over confident over it cannot mend things up. There are certain things that are out of our box of knowledge and we should be alert enough to know what is going on in our body. Google and Quora may not be the answer to everything and it is a necessity to see a doctor in certain intervals. The cells in our body may not act the way we want and that may not be a result of drinking or eating something. It is also not necessary that an alcoholic or a drug addict falls prey to Cirrhosis. It maybe a luck in game for anyone and there are no final destination ghosts playing on us. Cells and tissues may not be in favor of us and we should accept the fact. Kaka wouldn’t have even thought of such diseases till he was a victim himself. Knowledge may not help us to such an extent because it can sometimes blindfold us to the unknown and that was exactly what had happened to my uncle. Knowing the symptoms can help us tackle the disease much faster and safer than others knowing about our diseases apart from us.




Thanks for reading and please keep visiting our blog to discover and appreciate more Yoddhas. 
Feel free to contact the Yoddhas team at team@yoddhas.com 
Lastly,

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Cheers!

Author: Shruti Manmadhan Nair