What is blood cancer?
Blood cancers are of different sorts, and are medically known as hematologic cancers, which impair the production and function of blood cells. Most blood cancers being in the root: bone marrow, it’s here that blood cells are made.
What causes blood cancer?
The root cause of blood cancer is unknown. Cancerous growth can affect any part of your body. In blood cancer, the cancerous cells multiply fast, and thus attack various aspects of the circulatory system. Blood cancer may affect the blood cells, the lymph channels and bone marrow cells.
The blood cancer that affects you can of different types: it might be any of the three types, namely leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma according to the kind of cells they affect.
Leukemia is the cancer of blood cells, causing abnormal growth of white blood (cells that take part in immunity). Such high growth of white blood cells is known as leukemia.
What are the types of blood cancer?
- Leukemia is known according to the severity of the condition. Acute leukemia is a condition that worse fast an makes you sick, whereas chronic leukemia is progressive and may not manifest symptoms for years.
- Lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia attacks while blood cells lymphocytes and myelogenous leukemia is associated with granulocytes, platelets and blood cells. The other types of leukemia are hairy cell leukemia and acute promyelocytic leukemia.
- Lymphoma is the cancerous growth that affects lymphocytes ( a kind of blood cells). Myeloma affects plasma leading cancerous growth.
- Multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma occurs because of the excess growth of the bone marrow in plasma that sends M-protein a blood protein in the blood stream. The cancer causing plasma cells can eat into the bones and make them weak, which makes the fracture with a little load.
What are the symptoms of blood cancer?
- Extreme Fatigue
If leukemia becomes chronic, you may have anemia, and feel extreme fatigues even though you didn’t do any physical task. You sweat profusely and suffer from intermittent occurrence of bruises.
- You often get sick
You’re vulnerable to common illnesses because of weak immunity. However, when the condition becomes acute, the symptoms are likely to occur at a rapid rate.
- Swollen glands in under arms, neck and groins
If you’re suffering from lymphoma, most manifest symptom is that your lymphatic node swollen. Of course, you don’t feel any pain.
- Loss of appetite and for no reason
You feel less appetite and lose weight, may have fever. You may also have fever suddenly and you sweat at night.
- Bleeding
You may have bleeding in gums and rectum, and profuse menstrual bleeding.
Can I protect myself against blood cancer?
Blood cancer is a dreaded illness. There is no proven way to prevent leukemia. In most cases, people getting blood cancer such as acute lymphocytic leukemia do not carry any risk factors. Therefore, there is no way to prevent them. However, you can protect yourself against by taking preventive measures. This includes leading a simple and healthy lifestyle, quitting tobacco, staying physically active and so on.
- Lead a healthy lifestyle
Consume green vegetables and fruits. Avoid red meat. Ensure you take a balanced diet. Avoid eating junk food because of the additives and preservatives. Trans fats and saturated fat accelerate the onset of blood cancer.
- Quit alcohol and smoking
The negative effects of drinking alcohol are too known – your concentration, coordination and in the long run, they increase the risk of blood cancer.
- Exercise regularly and adequately
Ensuring to take a healthy balanced diet, perform exercise as part of a regular workout with natural fresh air.
When should you see a doctor?
If you bleed in nose often, have more bleeding during menstrual cycle, bone pain, not having appetite for no reason, or feeling exhausted even if you don’t labor, see your doctor immediately.
