Lung Cancer: Common Risk Factors
Did you know that lung cancer is a common killer in our society? It is one of the 4 major cancer types.
Here are the risks you should be clear about so you can reduce your chances of getting it.
Smoking
Smoking is the primary cause of getting people infected with lung cancer. As many as 90 percent people who smoke will eventually get the cancer. Therefore, the more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your chances of getting it. This is because the cigarette contains 4,000 chemicals in which many of them have many substances that can cause cancer. These chemicals are called carcinogens. If you don’t know about this already, you should, especially if you are a smoker. Once the carcinogens do their damage to your body, the damage can’t be undone.
Inhaling Radon
It is a gas. But unlike other gases, you can’t recognize it by its smell, sight or taste. Therefore it is hard to detect it. Besides smoking, Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. In the US alone, Radon gas causes 16,000 to 20,000 people to die annually. Where does this gas come from? Radon gas comes from the soil or through cracks found in your home. If you have not tested your home by calling the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), you better do it now. You will never know. It is like an invisible killer gas.
Chemicals at your workplace
This is especially true for people who work in the mine, fit pipes and build ships. This is because these work places most likely have asbestos. When you inhale asbestos, it can cause lung cancer. In detail, it causes you to inhale fibers and dust and getting them stuck onto your lungs. This will eventually lead to lung cancer. Your risk will drastically increase if you smoke at the same time while being exposed to asbestos.