Stomach Cancer Symptoms and Risk Factors

November is Stomach Cancer Awareness Month. While stomach cancer is not considered one of the more common cancers, it is often not detected early enough for doctors to do much for the patient. Learning more about the disease, its causes and risk factors, is an important step in keeping your loved one healthy. Here are important things to know about the disease, and how senior home care can support your elderly parent with healthy lifestyle choices.

What is Stomach Cancer?

When the growth of unhealthy cells begins in the stomach, it can become cancerous. These cells can start anywhere in the stomach but are most often located in either the gastroesophageal junction or the main part of the stomach. Interestingly enough, most stomach cancers in the U.S. start in the gastroesophageal junction while most cancers around the rest of the world begin in the main part of the stomach. If the cancer is only in the stomach and in its early stages, it can often be cured and the prognosis is good for patients. If it is discovered once it’s more advanced, treatment can be more difficult.

Stomach Cancer Symptoms

Early-stage stomach cancer doesn’t present with a lot of symptoms and the symptoms that do eventually emerge are often similar to other less concerning health issues such as a virus or an ulcer. If your loved one has any of these symptoms for an extended amount of time and has a higher risk factor of developing stomach cancer, she should visit her doctor for screening.

• Stomach pain and discomfort about the belly button
• Getting full very quickly while eating
• Feeling bloated even after smaller meals
• Recurring heartburn or indigestion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Unintentional weight loss
• Lack of appetite
• Blood in the stool
• Round-the-clock exhaustion

One Stomach Cancer Risk Factor Has Been Greatly Reduced

In the United States, the risk of developing stomach cancer has decreased because of one main change in our diets. Stomach cancer used to be much more prevalent before refrigeration when meats were heavily salted and smoked. However, since the majority of Americans have refrigeration and do not consume excess salted and smoked meat, the risk of developing stomach cancer has lessened while other parts of the world that still depend on preserving their meat that way still have high levels of stomach cancer diagnoses.

Other Risk Factors

• Diets low in fruits and vegetables
• Issues with acid reflux or stomach acid backing up into the esophagus
• Having gastritis where the inside of the stomach is swollen and irritated
• Smoking
• Family history of stomach cancer

Creating Healthy Habits to Reduce the Risk of Stomach Cancer

If stomach cancer runs in your family, or if your loved one already struggles with stomach issues such as acid reflux, implementing healthy habits into his daily life can help reduce the risk of stomach cancer developing. He might need assistance and support from senior home care providers to make changes if they are fairly drastic like a complete diet overhaul or stopping a harmful habit like smoking. A home care provider can step in and help prepare healthy meals if your loved one is unsure how to prepare them. With the help of a senior home care provider, your loved one is more likely to implement new healthy habits.

Reference
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/stomach-cancer/about/key-statistics.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior home care in Moundridge, KS, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas today. Call 620-603-0685.

Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas is a Trusted Home Care Agency Barton, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Great Bend, Hutchinson, Larned, Lyons, Marion, McPherson, Newton, Pawnee, Rice, Reno, Salina, Sedgwick, Stafford, and the surrounding areas.