This article is dedicated to all those who have lost their battle with Cancer
I remember the first time I learnt about cancer. I had volunteered at a hospital in order to get credits for a scholarship I was after. I had not at all put much thought into what I was going to do there. As far as I was concerned, it was simply a means to an end. I was an ignorant teenager who wanted something worthwhile to keep her occupied and spending time there seemed like a modest way to exhaust my overwhelming energy and get a scholarship while at it. Surprisingly, that ended up being the most life changing decision I have ever made. It was then that I discovered a lot about life, death and medicine. It was then that I discovered ‘cancer’, how terrible and relentless it was, how unbiased it was in selecting its victims, how incredibly painful and exhausting it was to treat it.
Over time, I became more curious about it and started reading up, about the different forms of cancers out there. Normally, cells die and more are generated in good ratios but in cases where cancer is involved, the cells grow out abnormally and need to be stopped. In today’s post I want to shed some light on the form of cancer that affects female folk, that is; cervical cancer. Most people who eventually succumb to this (and actually any type of cancer), do so due to late diagnosis. It is my hope that this article in one way or another, might help someone out there get help before it is too late.
Cervical cancer is mostly sparked by the human papilloma virus. There are many types of the HPV virus but not all of them cause cervical cancer. The HPV virus is however, a sexually transmitted disease and can be prevented.
Due to the different types of the HPV virus, the only sure way to diagnose the cancer early is to have pap smears regularly done. A pap smear is a medical test where the cells in the cervics are scrapped off and tested for any irregular changes. If these changes are detected and treated, cervical cancer can be prevented in due time. If these abnormal cell changes develop further, a few red flags should prompt you to go to a doctor. These include:
- Abnormal bleeding from the vagina
- Pain in lower belly or pelvis
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Pain during intercourse
These symptoms should warrant a pap smear, detection of abnormal cells will result to tests for pre cancerous cells in your body. A biopsy may also be done. Here an early diagnosis might mean life or death. This and more information can be retrieved from the internet but I personally accredit my findings to the WebMD.com.
In memory of those who have succumbed to the deadly illness. Let us begin 2017 being more aware of our health. Enjoy your weekend and have a Merry Christmas. To get a male perspective on Prostate cancer, please click HERE to read my colleague Mitchell’s post.
SOURCE & USEFUL LINK
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer-topic-overview
