Cancer can develop anywhere in the body.
The majority of blood cancers, also known as hematologic tumors, begin in the bone marrow, which produces blood. When aberrant blood cells begin to develop out of control, they disrupt the function of normal blood cells, which fight infection and make new blood cells.
This is a life-threatening condition. It’s essential to know about leukemia symptoms, to have an idea of blood cancer. It’s better to catch it sooner rather than later.
Let’s understand the causes of blood cancer, leukemia symptoms and ways to prevent it.
Table of Contents
Leukemia: How Does it Develop in the Body?
Blood contains three types of cells:
- White blood cells, which fight infection
- Red blood cells, which transport oxygen
- Platelets, which aid in blood clotting
Your bone marrow produces billions of new blood cells every day, the majority of which are red cells. Your body produces more white cells than it needs when you have leukemia.
Normal white blood cells can fight infection, but leukemia cells can’t. They start to alter the way your organs work because there are so many of them.
It’s possible that you won’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen, platelets to clot your blood, or regular white blood cells to fight infection over time.
As stem cells in bone marrow begin to divide and multiply, they develop into all the needed types of blood cells. In patients with leukemia, cell growth goes “haywire,” and there is a rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells.
How Many Types of Leukemia Are There?
Acute Leukemia
Acute leukemia is a type of leukemia that develops quickly. The aberrant blood cells in acute leukemia are immature blood cells. They are unable to carry out their regular functions and reproduce rapidly, causing the condition to rapidly worsen.
Acute leukemia necessitates prompt and intensive treatment.
Chronic Leukemia
Chronic leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood. Chronic leukemias come in a variety of forms. Some cause the production of too many cells, while others cause the production of too few cells.
More developed blood cells are involved in chronic leukemia. These blood cells multiply or increase at a slower rate and can operate normally for a while. S
ome types of chronic leukemia have no symptoms at first and might go unreported or untreated for years.
What are the Leukemia Symptoms?
Different types of leukemia can cause different problems. You might not notice any signs in the early stages of some forms. When you do have symptoms, they may include:
- Weakness or fatigue
- Bruising or bleeding easily
- Fever or chills
- Infections that are severe or keep coming back
- Pain in your bones or joints
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Weight loss
- Night sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen lymph nodes or organs like your spleen
What are the Risk Factors of Leukemia?
A study shows that genetics is the most common cause of childhood leukemia. Although the actual source of the DNA mutation that causes leukemia is unknown, scientists have uncovered a number of risk factors that may raise your chances of having the disease.
These are some of the risk factors:
- Previous cancer treatment: People who’ve had certain types of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for other cancers have an increased risk of developing certain types of leukemia.
- Genetic disorders: Genetic abnormalities seem to play a role in the development of leukemia. Certain genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, are associated with an increased risk of leukemia.
- Exposure to certain chemicals: Exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene, which is found in gasoline and is used by the chemical industry, is linked to an increased risk of some kinds of leukemia.
- Smoking: Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of acute myelogenous leukemia.
- Family history of leukemia: If members of your family have been diagnosed with leukemia, your risk of the disease may be increased.
How to Prevent Leukemia Cancer?
You may have heard that particular meals, supplements, or other goods can lower your cancer risk. While that may sound appealing, you should be aware that the majority of those claims aren’t backed up by sufficient scientific evidence.
There are a few foods that have been linked to the prevention of certain malignancies. Most of these foods are nutritious additions to any diet, so giving them a try is a no-brainer.
How to prevent leukemia cancer? The greatest strategy to prevent leukemia cancer until more study is done, is to lower the risk factors you can manage.
You can minimize your chance of leukemia by making a few lifestyle changes. Other types of cancer can be reduced by doing these steps. They are as follows:
Stop Smoking
Smoking raises your chances of getting a variety of cancers, including leukemia. You can reduce your risk of leukemia by never smoking or quitting.
Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
Obesity is another risk factor for leukemia that you can manage. Taking steps to maintain a healthy weight can help you avoid leukemia.
You can begin by eating a well-balanced diet and including physical activity into your daily routine.
Stop Inhaling Certain Substances
Certain substances should not be inhaled. Benzene and formaldehyde have been linked to an increased risk of leukemia.
Takeaway!
There is no surefire strategy to avoid leukemia. The cause of leukemia in both adults and children is frequently unknown. Some risk factors are well-known, yet many of them are beyond your control or avoidance.
However, you can minimize your chance of leukemia by changing your lifestyle. Quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight are the most effective ways to reduce your risk.
Although none of these methods are guaranteed to prevent leukemia, lowering your risk is a step in the right direction.
If you feel like you are having leukemia symptoms, and you are conscious about it, make sure to consult a well-known oncologist at once. Book an appointment via Healthwire.pk or call at (042) 32500989.
