Esophageal Cancer: Risks, Symptoms, and Prevention

Posted by Refluxmd on February 3rd, 2018

The esophagus is a long narrow pipe which connects your mouth to your stomach. It helps in moving the swallowed food from the back of the throat to the stomach for digestion. However, when mutations start developing in the DNA of esophagus cells, they make the cells grow and divide uncontrollably. Notably, this accumulation of cells forms a tumor in the esophagus causing esophageal cancer. This tumor can grow and invade nearby organs. Therefore, it is vital to understand the underlying causes, symptoms, and prevention method to avert this dreadful disease.

Risk Factors

Doctors are not particularly aware of the main factors which cause esophageal cancer. However, researchers have shown that the below-mentioned risk factors increase the chances of such tumor.

1.        Ageing
2.        Having gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
3.        Obesity
4.        Barrett's esophagus: having precancerous changes in esophagus cells
5.        Having Bile Reflux
6.        Not eating adequate fruits and vegetables
7.        Ionizing Radiations
8.        Hormonal Imbalance

The above risk factors make people vulnerable to esophageal cancer. Thus, it is necessary to keep oneself away from these risks to decrease the chances of getting ill.

Acid reflux foods to avoid

1.        Tobacco
2.        Smoking
3.        Alcohol
4.        Hot beverages
5.        Fried foods
6.        Fatty foods
7.        Medicines such as aspirin

Know the Symptoms

Cancer is a disease which is not readily identified, and its treatment is also very complicated. So, it is better if one knows the early symptoms of this disease to get rid of it quickly. Here are some early signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer:

1.        Difficulty in swallowing; also known as dysphagia
2.        Abnormal weight loss
3.        Chest pain, pressure or burning
4.        Indigestion and worsening heartburn
5.        Coughing or hoarseness
6.        Choking of food
7.        Vomiting
8.        Pain behind breastbone or in the throat
9.        Frequent pneumonia
10.    Epigastric or retrosternal pain

Whenever you encounter these symptoms, just book yourself a doctor’s appointment and get your health checkup done at the earliest.

Prevention is Better than Cure

Take baby steps towards your health and prevent yourself from esophageal cancer. Follow this prevention measure and stay healthy and safe.

1.        Eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce acid reflux in the stomach. This dietary supplement eventually minimizes the threat of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), thereby, reducing the chances of esophageal cancer.
2.        Quit smoking as it is one of the primary causes of cancer.
3.        Avoid tobacco and alcohol to lower the risk of this disease.
4.        Take a healthy diet and ignore acid reflux foods to avoid GERD.
5.        Get adequate treatment for Barrett’s Esophagus.

Adopting these simple and healthy habits will reduce the risk of esophageal cancer and will help you maintain a good health.

Esophageal cancer is one of the most dreadful diseases which cause many deaths every year. It is mostly caused by unhealthy lifestyle, which includes consumption of tobacco and alcohol, and lack of nutritious food. Furthermore, Barrett’s esophagus makes people vulnerable to cancer. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the symptoms of this disease on time. It is advised that people to take a healthy diet and keep away from alcohol and tobacco to stay fit and live longer.

Author Bio:

Reflux MD provides an overview of all reflux treatment. If you are looking for esophageal cancerget in touch with us so that we can guide you based on the What Foods To Avoid For Acid Reflux.

Original Source: https://sites.google.com/site/refluxmdguide/esophageal-cancer-risks-symptoms-and-prevention