Cervical Cancer – And, How to Prevent it?

The female reproductive system is unique and complex in structure. The organs that make the miracles happen and give birth to a new life are more prone to get various health complications as one age. Many women health issues could be prevented with the help of healthy lifestyles that balances the diet, exercises and psychological aspects of life perfectly. 

What is Cervical Cancer?

The lowest portion of woman’s womb (uterus) is called uterine cervix and it connects the uterus with the vagina. Cervical cancer is a condition in which the cells of the cervix outgrow abnormally, invading the other parts of the reproductive system over time of not treated. The invasive type of cancer causes more damage by affecting the deeper tissues of the cervix.

As cervical cancer takes time to advance to next stages, with the help of proper medical support and effective cervical cancer treatment there could be increased chances to prevent cancer at the early stages.

How to Prevent Cervical Cancer?

Early detection of any cancerous condition increases the chances of cure at a significant level. However, cervical cancer will not show any kind of symptoms such as pain and discomfort. The only way to ensure the cervical cancer is detected at the early stages is by conducting regular pelvic exams and pap tests.

However, few characterized symptoms could be observed just during the initial stages of cervical cancer. 

1. Pain during intercourse
2. Abnormal vaginal bleeding
3. Bleeding after menopause
4. Odor and discharge from the vagina
5. Pain in the pelvic region

• Pap Test (Pap Smear) - Pap test is a screening procedure that is conducted to check the presence of cervical cancer. In this procedure, the cells in the cervix will be gently scraped using an instrument called speculum and analyzed in the medical laboratory.

• Pap test is simple and could be conducted in all major healthcare facilities. It is a better and easy method to prevent cervix cancer. Women who are above 21 years old need to undergo this simple medical test once in every 3 years.

• The cell analysis will help in finding the abnormal growth of the cells, if any. If the tests are positive, you may need to undergo further tests for confirmation.

• Medical examinations such as colposcopy will give a clear view at the cervix and takes less than 15 minutes for the examination. In this test, the doctor will physically examine the cervix using a specially designed instrument.

• Cervical cancer is one among the very few cancers that could be prevented by taking simple precautions. HPV or the Human Papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer in most of the cases

• Undergo the Pap Smear tests and the HPV tests on a regular basis to check the abnormal growth of the cells in the uterus.

• Get the HPV vaccine shot before becoming sexually active. The cut-off time for this vaccine is 26 years for females and 21 years for males.

• Keep your body weight under control by following strict diet and exercise and a regular basis to prevent cervical cancer.

The health issues faced by women are mostly triggered by age-related organ degeneration, physical inactivity and lack of proper health consciousness for a long time. Women who are above 35 start getting various health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, bone-related health issues, joint pains, cardiovascular diseases and various cancerous conditions, especially cervical cancer.