As more light is being shed on the Shower to Shower ovarian cancer lawsuit, parents are understandably working harder than ever to protect their family from carcinogens. Accidents happen, even for big-name manufacturers, but an accident that results in something as serious as cancer should not go unnoted.
However, if the company knew that Shower to Shower causes ovarian cancer, as evidence has suggested, they should have to answer for the pain and suffering that they have caused loyal customers. No family should ever have to go through something this traumatic from an everyday product. Here are a few simple tips to help protect your family from dangerous carcinogens:
- Do Your Research
This encompasses both research on carcinogens as a whole to get a better understanding of them as well as research on specific products. You do not want to introduce products into your everyday life only to find there may be carcinogens present in them. It is important to realize that not all carcinogens are alike — for example, one piece of bacon does not equal the effects of smoking a cigarette.
Substances that are considered carcinogens will have several different levels of potential for causing cancer. Some substances will cause cancer after high levels of prolonged exposure. There are also all kinds of risk factors to be aware of such as the intensity and length of your exposure as well as your genes.
Check out some lists of carcinogens online to make sure that none of those substances is applicable to your family’s everyday life.
- Stop Smoking
You have heard this all before: stop smoking. For starters, it is just not cool. It is widely known that cigarettes and the smoke they create are home to cancer-causing agents.
Secondly, cigarette smoke contains chemicals that will directly damage your DNA and your genes that are designed to protect you from cancer. These chemicals enter into your bloodstream and then get pumped around your entire body. This is why smoking not only increases your chances of lung cancer but also at least 13 other types of cancer. It is predicted that in the 21st Century, tobacco will be at fault for over 1 billion deaths.
- Avoid Processed Meat
Both cured and processed meats are considered to be a group 1 carcinogen. The way that meat is prepared can also affect your exposure to chemicals that cause cancer as well.
These chemicals tend to be formed during times when meat is prepared in methods that utilize high temperatures, including grilling and frying methods. These chemicals, HCAs and PAHs, are formed in charred or smoked meats as well as meat that is prepared at a high temperature and exposed to that heat for a long time.
- Wear Sunscreen
The sun (and sunbeds) release UVA and UVB that damage your skin cells. If enough of this damage to your DNA builds up, this will cause your cells to begin growing uncontrollably over time, which can lead to cancer.
Make sure that you and your family are avoiding getting sunburned. Sunburn is a telltale sign that your skin cell DNA has become damaged. Even getting sunburned only once within every two years has the potential to triple your risk of developing melanoma skin cancer.
- Make Healthy Choices
Ultimately, the best way to protect your family from carcinogens is to make sure each one of you is leading the healthiest life possible. Avoiding alcohol and being wary of excess body fat tissue are important, as both can make your cells behave differently than usual, which can create the opening that cancerous cells need to grow.
