What is a Colon cancer – Bowel – Colorectal by Tweetanya

Colon cancer is a common type of cancer found in Americans. Here are seven potential risk factors and then some information on how to potentially reduce these risks of colon cancer

1. The risk of colon cancer is usually greater in individuals that are over the age of 50. This also means the older you get, the higher risk you will have at getting colon cancer. Unfortunately there is not much you can do to stop aging. However you can eat healthy and exercise to help keep your body in a healthy state.

2. The next risk factor is genetics. If you  have a parent or other relative that has had colon cancer, then you are at a higher risk of developing colon cancer. Again there is not much you can do about genetics, you may want to start your screening for colon cancer earlier like at age 35 or 40. You should discuss this with your doctor.

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3. The next factor is your personal history. If you have been diagnosed with other cancers or even colon cancer in the past, your risk for colon cancer will increase. So from a preventative standpoint, you should do what you can do to prevent cancer in any form..

4. The next risk factor is food. If you eat a diet high in fat, calories and processed foods, it has been shown this can increase the risk of cancer. This includes colon cancer. You should look into a diet that is low in processed foods and mostly based on plant based sources

5.The fifth risk is smoking and other tobacco products. There is an easy fix for this. You need to dedicate yourself to quitting smoking. Of course smoking can be difficult to quit because of the addictive nature of nicotine but there are many products available and many smoking support groups available. 

6. The next risk factor is your lifestyle. Things like excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise and your weight can all lead to an increased risk of colon cancer. You should take a hard look at your lifestyle and make changes where they are appropriate. 

7. The final risk factor we will discuss is diabetes. Some studies have shown that diabetes can increase your risk of colon cancer by 30 to 40%. Some forms of diabetes can be reduced by changing your diet, exercising and losing weight.

Of course these risk factors do not guarantee that you will develop colon cancer. However if you are at a higher risk of colon cancer you should discuss these factors with your doctor and he start the screening process at an earlier age to also help reduce the risk