How to prevent leukemia
There are no known ways to prevent leukemia that will ensure 100% of the time that a person will not develop one of the forms of this disease. The main way to aid in the prevention of leukemia is to learn the risk factors and to live a healthy lifestyle avoiding the things that are present in individuals that develop various types of leukemia.
Before you begin changing your lifestyle, you must learn what risk factors trigger leukemia.
A few of the risk factors include:
• A family history of leukemia or other blood disorders
• Exposure to high levels of radiation
• Exposure to chemicals such as benzene
• Viral infections such as HTLV-1 and mononucleosis
• Smoking
• Blood disorders such as thrombocythemia
• Genetic disorders such as Down Syndrome
• Individuals that have received certain chemotherapy or radiation therapy treatments
• Exposure to herbicides (such as used in the farming industry or used in Agent Orange)
• Exposure to insecticides (such as used in the farming industry or used in Agent Orange)
All of the above are various risk factors associate with the four major types of leukemia.
A few things you can do to live a healthy lifestyle that will help in keeping your body healthy that can aid in the prevention of Leukemia include
Watch for changes in your health including sudden weight gain or loss
Exercise regularly – active individuals are less likely to develop leukemia than those that do not exercise
Avoid large exposure to herbicides, insecticides, and other chemicals.
One way to start living healthy lifestyle is by eating a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods each day including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, skinless poultry, and fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products. You can also add certain foods to your diet that have been labeled “super foods” by the American Cancer Society due to their cancer fighting abilities.
These include:
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Flax seed
• Cold water fish such as tuna
• Beans
• Spinach
• Soy foods
• Sweet potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Walnuts
Talking to your doctor about your concerns will also provide you with all kinds of healthy lifestyle changes that may aid in the prevention of leukemia.
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