May 22nd, 2013 by Marie
If you are diagnosed with lung cancer, you and your family may feel distraught. But the good thing is that lung cancer does not necessary means death sentence. There are several treatment options available and a wealth of resources both online and offline designed to teach you how to live with lung cancer.
First, you have to be well- knowledgeable about the disease. According to the National Institute, there are 180,000 new cases recorded every year having lung cancer due to smoking. Second, you have to know the different treatment operations suitable for you. Treatment can be through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, photo dynamic or laser light therapy depending on the type and stage of your lung cancer. All these treatments can definitely help be cured from the disease. In some cases, you will experience difficulty breathing, thus, you have to find out how to deal with it and learn how to control your breathing process. Lastly, you may want to consider joining a clinical trial. You can consult your doctor regarding this treatment, or you can search for them yourself at the National Cancer Institute Web site.
Most importantly, have support from your loved ones, family and friends while dealing with lung cancer. Lean on them and don’t be fearful in telling your emotions.
May 5th, 2013 by Jonette
E-cigarettes, or personal vaporizers, now have quite the presence in more places where the traditional cigarette now is not welcome. It’s pretty common to see people huffing and puffing on their pen-like devices, heads veiled in a cloud of smoke smelling of unusually pleasant aromas, like mocha latte, popcorn, or strawberry cheesecake. These e-cigarettes used to be marketed as means to wean oneself away from traditional smoking and to eventually kick the habit, but now, many people are taking up this new type of smoking for the sheer pleasure of it. Alice’s Caterpillar would have been proud.
However, with these e-cigarettes, is there still a potential risk for lung cancer? There is still much debate surrounding this in the medical community. The World Health Organization recognizes that there haven’t been a lot of studies on the potential health risks that these personal vaporizers entail, but that doesn’t mean that these are truly-risk-free.
photo credit: TheDigitel Myrtle Beach via photopin cc
April 5th, 2013 by Marie
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths. There are many risk factors known for this type of illness, such as smoking, family history, environmental radon exposure, air pollution and workplace exposure to irritants and chemicals. Although there are many identified risk factors, it is also possible for anyone to prevent getting the disease by simply taking measures such as:
1. Not smoking- Studies shown that 9 out of 10 men and about 8 out of 10 women get the illness because of being a heavy smoker. This is known to be the best preventive measure from getting lung cancer, not to smoke. So, if you are smoking, quit now before it’s too late.
2. Limiting exposures at the workplace such as asbestos, arsenic, nickel, and chromium, may help to decrease your risk of developing lung cancer.
3. Decrease exposure to radon. Limiting exposure to radon gas may also lower the risk of lung cancer, especially in people who smoke tobacco. You can lower levels of radon at home by taking steps to prevent radon leakage, such as sealing basements.
4. Doing regular exercise and involving in different physical activity is a great way to lower the risk of getting lung cancer.
5. Having a healthy diet such as eating foods rich in different vitamins and nutrients is still the best advice. You dont need to learn thai to realize that the right diet can help defend your body system from any cancer related sickness. It can also help you makes your immune system stronger and healthier.
February 20th, 2013 by Jonette
Silicosis goes many other names – grinder’s asthma, potter’s rot, or miners pthasis. It has killed many an illustrious and hard-working potter and lens-grinder, and is an occupational hazard that knows no cure. It is caused by inhaling silica dust, causing the irritation and inflammation of the lungs interiors, with the silica dust scarring the upper half of the lungs and causing nodules to form. It is later followed by shortness of breath, fever, coughing, bluish skin, and eventual death.
While this disease is not a lung cancer, it is still important to understand the ramifications of having this disease, as there is currently no known cure for Silicosis. Some ground-breaking methods are currently being tested, such as corticosteroid therapy, application of the herbal extract tetrandine, and inhaling a combination of powdered aluminum, d-penicillamine, and polyvinyl piridine-N-oxide. However, until these methods are irrevocably proven to work, it is still best to keep safe against this lung-damaging disease.
photo credit: Pulmonary Pathology via photopin cc
January 22nd, 2013 by Jonette
For Lung Cancer patients, going through surgery is no joke. The norm of the procedure used to be a lot my dangerous, complex, and difficult. Surgeons had to slice a considerably large cut into the skin, rib bones had to be spread out, and this meant the patient would be ultimately far too weak to go into chemotherapy and other treatments right away. This would take the patient a few more weeks to heal, and precious time was slipping by.
Thanks to the advancement of technology, surgeons now have a new, efficient method of surgery. Thoracoscopic surgery only needs three tiny incisions made where a miniscule camera is inserted to guide other tools to do their work. After the surgery, the patient now does not need to rest as much as with the previous method of surgery, and can benefit much more from the treatments to follow. This type of surgery might even be beneficial to elderly patients.
photo credit: Alex E. Proimos via photopin cc
December 22nd, 2012 by Jonette
When a family member becomes diagnosed with lung cancer, the patient is not the only person who suffers. The patient may choose to keep quiet about the illness – keep it to himself or herself, in the thought that his or her loved ones need not know or suffer from the knowledge. Other times, a patient may feel it is best that he or she die slowly in silence as a way of “culling” himself or herself from the human gene pool. However, no matter how well-kept a secret the disease is, the truth will eventually out.
Lung cancer is not only a disease that eats away at your health, but can also crush your spirit and make you lose the will to live. Lung cancer can come hand-in-hand with depression,. Suicidal thoughts, cutting, and other heavy negative feelings. We want to tell you that you are not alone. Seek help. Reach out to people who love you.
photo credit: Jonathan Kos-Read via photopin cc
December 11th, 2012 by Peter
Lung cancer is the biggest side effect of smoking cigarettes. Since it’s deadly it’s important to recognize all the early signs and symptoms of lung cancer.
The first symptom is constant coughing. The lining of the air passages contain sensitive nerves. There purpose is to protect the airways from any foreign substance like dirt, dust, blood or a tumor. By stimulating the cough reflex, these nerves help the body get rid of particles, therefore keeping the airways clean. If a tumor develops near the airways passages, coughing will be the primary symptom. Coughing is usually the primarily symptom in 20-80 percent of cancer cases.
The second symptom is wheezing. This is the sound that is produced as air tries to pass through an airway that is partially blocked. Tumors usually produce localized wheezing that’s heard on the side of the chest where the tumor is located.
The third symptom is coughing up blood. This is by far the most severe of the three. If the surface of the tumor bleeds, you will cough up blood-tinged mucous. This final symptom should be taken very seriously. You need to see a doctor as soon as possible if this ever happens to you.
After you have been diagnosed with having lung cancer, the next concern is how quickly it my spread. This called the doubling speed and is important in determining which stage you’re in. This will determine how much time you have to receive treatment. This is especially important in small cell lung cancer, since it tends to spread more rapidly. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms visit your doctor right away. He’ll be able to give you all the information on the best treatment options to fit your individual needs.
November 22nd, 2012 by Jonette
In the last post, we focused on the dangers of smoking. It has been established that smoking is undeniably dangerous for the smoker, and will eventually lead to many complications and diseases, not the least of these being lung cancer. However, have we ever stopped to consider other people who may also be affected by smoking?
Passive smoking or second-hand smoking is the other form of smoking that more people need to be aware of. It is the inhaling of cigarette fumes and ea smoker’s exhalation by other people in the area. Although the first crop of carcinogens have been absorbed by the smoker, second-hand smoke nonetheless carries just as much toxic materials and carcinogens to the next person in the room.
Often the victims of second-hand smoke are the smoker’s children. While some smokers might consider this harmless, what they don’t know is they’ve officially just introduced nicotine, tar, and other carcinogens into the child’s system. To top this, second-hand smoke also carries the same addictive properties of cigarette smoking, so essentially the child is now gradually made to crave cigarettes, and will likely take up the nasty habit earlier than others.
photo credit: Brett Jordan via photopin cc
October 22nd, 2012 by Jonette
Everyday, media constantly bombards us with images of something many of us know so well ever since we learned to pay attention to pictures. You see it everywhere – in movies, television, print, and even the internet. It’s been marketed with cool celebrities, iconic characters, and refreshing uplifting imagery. It comes in many variants – menthol, lites, slims, fruit-flavored, rum-flavored, and so on.
Smoking is cool. Smoking is hip. Smoking is counter-culture, and an instant mark of the anti-establishment.
But you know the truth: no matter how you spin it, smoking is harmful for your health.
Smoking doesn’t just lead to lung cancer. Lung cancer is nasty as it is, but taking up the smoking habit also courts other foul diseases – Emphysema, Cataracts, Psoariasis, tooth decay, hearing loss, deformed sperm, and miscarriages are just some of the horrible additions to a smoker’s lineup. Russia has taken this into consideration, and now puts grisly and striking images on cigarette packets in a bid to discourage smokers from lighting up.
Smoking may seem a hard habit to break – to longer one has been smoking, the harder it is to wean oneself from the addiction. There are many methods available to choose from. Some opt to rely on candy to ease them out of heir oral fixation; some rely on nicotine patches. Others prefer to use EFT as a means of treating a deeper cause of the addiction. Whichever method chosen, this must be coupled with willpower and dedication to make it work.
photo credit: Jonathan Kos-Read via photopin cc
October 16th, 2012 by Peter
Surviving lung cancer means more than just beating the physical disease. There are also emotional and mental challenges that come with dealing with cancer. Learning to live with the disease and the required treatments and medical visits that arise because of it is crucial to survival.
The treatments for cancer can be harsh on the body. Surgery may remove a tumor, but it may also remove parts of or entire organs in the process. After surviving the cancer procedure itself, patients must then learn to survive the new condition they find their bodies in. It is possible that the body will function differently due to the surgery. Procedures like chemotherapy and radiotherapy can also have lasting effects on a patient’s general health.
In addition to these physical challenges, many patients also experience emotional trials as a result of being diagnosed with lung cancer and undergoing therapy to treat it. Some fear that the cancer will return after it has been treated. Others find it difficult to cope with the lasting effects of the cancer and the way it interrupts their daily life. They could also experience a sense of isolation if they perceive that their loved ones don’t or can’t understand their feelings.
Negative feelings arising because of cancer are not unusual. The tribulation of surviving the disease – hearing the diagnosis, undergoing therapy, coping with side effects – commonly causes uncertainty and negativity. Those struggling to survive with lung cancer may feel depressed or anxious because of the disease. It is also not unusual for patients to experience anger and fear due to their illness.
Coping with these emotions is part of the challenge of surviving lung cancer. The first step to doing that is simply to admit that those emotions are there and to try to discern why. Additionally, it is important to realize that these reactions are natural and normal, and may even be helpful.
Anger can result from a diagnosis of lung cancer. Feeling angry about being the one struck with the disease, the one who has to endure the stress and worry of treatment, is normal. Some find that this anger is actually a motivating force as they learn to survive with lung cancer. It can help patients to become assertive about what they want and need from treatment. In patients who do not find their anger motivating and helpful, it is possible to include counseling as part of their new routine for surviving the cancer.
In contrast to anger, other patients could feel depressed as they attempt to survive with lung cancer. Some patients no longer feel like their usual selves and lose interest in the things that had been their favorite activities before their diagnosis. Depression can be destructive. A patient who has survived lung cancer but is now depressed may need support from loved ones in order to cope with their new reality.
Despite any of these feelings, patients surviving with lung cancer should take pro-active steps to managing their disease and going on with their lives. Eating a healthy diet it one way to do this, as a balanced diet not only promotes general good healthy, but can also help patients feel like they are in control of some aspect of their lives still. Exercise also promotes good health and can reduce the risk of the lung cancer returning or spreading.
