Stomach cancer which is also called gastric cancer more often affects adults during their 50s and 60s. However, in the last few years cases of young adults suffering from stomach cancer have also gone up. Several risk factors have been found to be the real reasons behind stomach cancer. If people manage to make certain changes in their lifestyle and try to eliminate these risk factors then they can considerably reduce the stomach cancer risk.
Poor diet
Poor dietary habits such as overeating pickles, salty foods, and smoked meat have been found to be one of the reasons for stomach cancer. Apart from that, heavy alcohol consumption, substance abuse, and obesity also increase the chances of getting stomach cancer. Avoiding all these things is necessary if you want to eliminate the possibility of getting stomach cancer.
H.Pylori infection
H.Pylori bacterial infection causes gastric issues and often after the problem gets chronic can turn into stomach cancer. Regular treatment and follow-up can reduce the chances considerably.
Family history and genetic conditions
Growing cases of stomach cancer have been quite alarming and a great cause of concern. More often, people who have a family history of gastric cancer or certain genetic conditions like Lynch syndrome have more chances of getting this type of cancer. In Lynch syndrome, the DNA repair mechanism gets altered thereby making the body more susceptible to cancer.
That is why those with a family history of cancer should get themselves screened at regular intervals. While it is not possible to modify the genetic disposition of a person, with regular follow-up and screening it is always possible to discover the problem at its initial phase thereby increasing the chances of survival.
Be aware of the symptoms
The symptoms of stomach cancer are common in most of the patients young and old. These include persistent indigestion, abdominal discomfort and pain, black stools, nausea, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing, and in some cases unexplained weight loss.
If you are suffering from either of these symptoms, it is better to consult a healthcare expert to avoid any further complications.