Happy Friday Ya’ll!!
We are looking forward to more SNOW!! Actually I don’t know if I am really looking forward to more snow. What I really want is the ice to melt away, so running isn’t treacherous.
Even in the winter months, I love to be outside. The cold can make it challenging, but fresh air does the soul and body good. Being outside is important to one’s health, but it can also be hazardous to one’s health as well. We all know that the sun can be hazardous to one’s health, even though the vitamin D is needed. Too much exposure can lead to cancer.
February is Cancer Prevention Month. Having had lost relatives to cancer and have had my mom battle cancer in her breast (recovering), as well as knowing friends who are battling cancer or have in the past, this is something that hits home for me.
The American Institute for Cancer Research states that one third of all cases of the most common forms of cancer are preventable, which is approximately 374,000 cases each year that wouldn’t occur. It is my hope to bring awareness to the forms of prevention, which is why in this post I hope to educate my readers in the environmental hazards that can cause cancer.
The following are environmental hazards that can cause cancer:
- Asbestos – A natural mineral mined for centuries for its durable qualities and has most commonly been used in construction –
- Asbestos can still be found in older commercial buildings and homes: could be found in tiles, roofing, pipes, asphalt shingles, concrete and other construction materials
- Asbestos has been used in car parts like brake pads and gaskets as well;
- Household items may be made with asbestos such as some hair dryers, ironing board covers, and electric blankets (which is why I am not a fan of heating pads or electric blankets and NEVER use them)
- In Texas asbestos was even found in their drinking water!
- Other common places to find asbestos can be found in the following link: https://www.maacenter.org/blog/community/common-places-to-find-asbestos/
- It can cause many serious health problems like asbestosis, lung cancer, and asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma.
- Most exposure is occupational
- Awareness is essential because no level of exposure to asbestos is safe. After exposure, there’s a long latency period, which means it can take 10-50 years to realize the serious health issues it can cause if exposed.
- Asbestos is still not fully banned in the United States, though progress has been made with the EPA currently investigating the substance as part of the Lautenburg Act.
- Radon –Naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer; Invisible, odorless gas that seeps from the ground and goes into the air; it’s present naturally in outdoor air, but can also accumulate in areas that aren’t well ventilated
- Radon can enter homes/buildings through cracks in the foundation or walls, can be released from building materials, or some well water contains levels of radon
- Residential exposure to radon gas from soil and building materials is estimated to cause between 3% and 14% of all lung cancers, making it the second cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke.
- Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates.
- The best prevention is awareness, since we can’t see or smell this gas
- Be proactive and have your home tested for radon regularly; it’s the only way to know if it is present in your home at dangerous levels; radon reduction systems are available to inexpensively fix the problem and reduce radon to an acceptable level
- Household Products and Cleaning Supplies
- When doing home improvement projects or even cleaning your home, it’s important to be aware of the products we’re using and what they’re made of
- Keeping the indoor air clean is essential for healthy lungs and helps to prevent exposure to dangerous pollutants that can cause lung cancer and other diseases
- If remodeling your house consider the wood you’re using for new floors and cabinets and avoid laminates and plywood products that may contain formaldehyde (colorless, strong smelling chemical used often to treat wood), which can cause leukemia and other rare cancers
- Regularly dusting is a must, because dust can actually become a danger when not regularly cleaned; dust can hold onto toxic chemicals beyond just pet dander–like paint particles, bacteria, and any chemicals in cleaning products or the material the dust is settled on; regularly vacuuming with a HEPA filter and removing dust so it’s not sitting in the air, reduceing exposure to these harmful toxins (https://www.ewg.org/cancer/Ten-household-tips-for-cancer-prevention.php)
- Remember to be aware of the cleaning products you use, since so many contain toxic chemicals: I have included a post on my tips for green cleaning and products that are non-toxic. Making your own cleaning products is relatively simple and cost effective.
- For more information on chemicals and products in and around that home that can increase our cancer risk visit this link.
- Toxins in cleaning supplies can disrupt our hormones. endocrine disruptors, and also interfere’s with sleep
**Also, it’s important when exercising outside, to go when air quality is safer, typically in the early morning hours and late evening’s hours, or exercise indoors. Air pollution from cars and factories, can lead to cancer (see graphic above).
This Cancer Prevention Month, I hope we will all be made more aware of our environment and how we can protect ourselves from certain kids of cancer and disease. Awareness is the first and most important step for prevention. You can’t make any steps toward prevention, without first being aware and educated on common environmental exposures that are carcinogenic.
These are just some environmental hazards that put us at risk. By just beginning to chose safer cleaning products, you can eliminate many hazardous chemicals that have been shown to contribute to cancer. Just breathing in these chemicals is doing more harm than good. It’s easy to switch to “greener” non-toxic options, making your home a less toxic environment.
It's Cancer Prevention Month - Know your environmental exposures that can cause cancer #cancerprevention #cancer Share on XUntil Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit