Body Awareness
Body Awareness
 |
| Body Awareness |
• Unexplained weight loss or tiredness
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Increasingly out of breath
• A cough or croaky voice that lasts longer
than 3 weeks
• Unexplained persistent pain or ache
• A change in the size, shape or colour of
a mole
• An unusual breast change
• Sickness
• A change to bowel motions that lasts
longer than 6 weeks
• Blood in your stools
• Blood in your urine
• Problems passing urine
• Small hard lump or changes in your testicles
• Testicular cancer is the most common
cancer found in men between the ages of
15-45. You should examine your testicles
once a month for a lump or any changes
Every year, around 4000 men
are diagnosed with cancer in
Northern Ireland. That is a
startling statistic but over half
of all cancers can be prevented
with a healthier lifestyle.
The 3 most common
cancers in men:
Lung
600 men are diagnosed with
lung cancer each year.
Tobacco is the major cause -
1 in 6 people with the
disease have never smoked.
Bowel
600 men are diagnosed each
year. If you are aged between 60
and 71 please use the bowel testing
kit when it is sent to your home as part of
the bowel screening programme.
Prostate
1,000 men are diagnosed each year.
If you are experiencing any
symptoms (see back page) speak
to your doctor
Some simple tips include:
Healthy Weight
Keeping to a healthy weight is
one of the most important
things you can do to lower
your risk of cancer.
Healthy Diet
• Eat at least 5 portions of
fruit and vegetables every day
- these can be fresh, frozen,
canned, cooked or raw
• Eat more fibre - switch to brown bread,
wholemeal pasta, brown rice rather than
white
• High salt intake is linked to
stomach cancer so aim for
under 6g per day
• Eat less red meat (beef, pork,
lamb) and less processed meat
such as sausages, bacon and
salami
• Cut back on foods high in fat
and sugar
Exercise
Exercise lowers your risk of cancer and
helps you to enjoy life.
Aim for 30 minutes of vigorous activity
(football, running, cycling) or 60 minutes of
moderate activity (brisk walking,
gardening, golf) every day.
You can also break it down into
smaller chunks - 2 x 15 minutes.
Any amount of exercise is better
than none at all.
Care in the Sun
Even in Northern Ireland you can get
skin cancer from the sun, especially if
you play sports or work outside.
Follow this simple advice:
• Wear a T-shirt and hat
• Stay in the shade from 11am to 3pm
• Use SPF15+ sunscreen
• Keep an eye on moles. If you notice
any change in colour, shape, size or how
they feel, tell your doctor.
Alcohol
If consumed at all, limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day
• 1 pint beer = 2 drinks
• 1 measure of gin/vodka/rum = 1 drink
• 1 small glass of wine = 1 drink
Smoking
The best thing you can do for your
health is stop smoking.
Top tips for stopping:
• Pick a quit date and stick to it
• Get support - one-to-one or group
• Use stop smoking aids e.g. gum,
patches, tablets
• Quit with a friend
• Make a list of all the reasons why you
want/need to stop smoking
• Call NI Smoker’s Helpline for help and advice
on 0808 812 8008
Chemicals
Always read and practice health and safety
guidelines. Some chemicals may cause cancer
if you breathe them in or get them on your skin
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