Precaution is better than Cure. In this blog, we will try to highlight everything that we should know about – How to prevent cervical cancer?


What Is Cervical Cancer?
When cells grow abnormally in a woman’s cervix, which connects her uterus with her vagina, it is called cervical cancer. This Cancer may spread to other parts of her body, often the lungs, liver, bladder, vagina, and rectum.

What causes Cervical Cancer?
We have seen that most often, Cervical Cancer is caused by infection with a type of virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). This is easily preventable with a vaccine. According to research, 70% of sexually active adults are likely to be infected with at least one HPV type. The good news is that majority of the infections resolve and only a small part of the HPV infections progress to cancer.

In this type of cancer, the cells are not too aggressive and grow slowly. Hence there’s usually time to find and treat it before it causes serious problems.

Women 35 to 44 years old are most likely to get it.

Who develops cervical Cancer?
Anyone with a cervix can get cervical cancer. Irrespective of whether the individual is pregnant, post-menopausal, or is sexually inactive, they need to get the screening done.

Risk Factors

Early sex – Sex before age 16 or soon after reaching puberty
Multiple sexual partners
Birth control pills for long periods
Smoking
Weak immune system
Suffering from a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
How do you know if you have it?
Early cervical cancer doesn’t usually cause symptoms, so you probably won’t realize you have it. That’s why it’s so important to get regular screening tests.

Remember that you might not notice symptoms of cervical cancer until it has spread. A few signs to watch out for are

Pain when you have sex
Unexplained vaginal bleeding, such as between periods, after sex, during menopause
Abnormal vaginal discharge
Also, the symptoms after the spread of cervical cancer that you need to be aware of are :

Pelvic pain
Trouble while urinating
Swollen legs
Kidney issues
Bone pain
Weight loss and loss of appetite
Unexplained Fatigue
Remember that these symptoms don’t mean you have cervical cancer, and they could just be signs of some other medical conditions.

One of the most frequently asked question- “Is there anything you can do to prevent it?”

Some risk factors, such as family history, can’t be changed. But remember that there are a few lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk.

1-Screening-

I recommend, my dear friends that you get regular check-ups and Pap tests done to prevent cervical Cancer

2-Vaccination

Vaccination against HPV is advised for females who are between 9 to 26 to prevent cervical cancer. But this vaccination is found to be effective when given to people who are not infected with the virus. Hence I recommend that boys and girls need to get the vaccination before they’re sexually active.

What’s the overall outlook?
Cervical Cancer is a slow-growing, but life-threatening disease, if left undiagnosed. Thanks to modern-day screening techniques, you are more likely to discover precancerous cells that can be removed before they get the chance to develop into Cancer.

Take away
The key to defeat cervical cancer is early diagnosis and treatment.

Book your appointment with Dr. Murali Subramanian – Today:+91 9880522891 for Best Doctor for Cervical Cancer in Bangalore or Check out our Facebook page!