Ask The Pharmacist: Don’t ignore bloating – it could be ovarian cancer
Cancer, named by Hippocrates as “karkinos,” actually refers to a giant red crab in Greek mythology. Eating crab legs (something I haven’t done in years) will never be the same now that you know this useless fact, but anyway…cancer means that there is uncontrolled cell growth in a tissue, termed “proliferation.”
Cancer strikes fear into the heart of millions of people each year. Once diagnosed, people are often motivated to alter the number of chemicals in their life, change their diet and lifestyle and sometimes end toxic relationships.
20/20 hindsight occurs, like with my dear brother Danny, who had chronic low back pain and dismissed it. Sadly, it was one of several plaguing symptoms that was connected to colon cancer, and he realized this after his diagnosis. “My brother was a secret,” and he really was. Momentarily, I am going to tell you about a common symptom that you might have which could be tied to ovarian cancer.
No one is immune from hearing the word if they live long enough, especially in a day and age where environmental and food pollutants abound. Then there’s cosmetic ingredients, as well.
New clinical trials and scientific articles have been popping up over the past year about medications and their benefit to ovarian cancer. For example, the medication class of statins (used for cholesterol management) have been investigated for their chemoprotective role, which is good. And recently, a study cleared metformin concluding that it does not raise the risk for ovarian cancer, which is also good.
Here’s more interesting news: you might be able to detect ovarian cancer sooner if you don’t ignore this common symptom...bloating.
The bloating is not the typical kind of bloating that you might get now and then with your menstrual cycle, or after eating beans; the type of bloating is chronic. Additionally, other signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer include pelvic pain, frequent urination, quick satiety, feeling queasy and chronic fatigue.
There are six natural remedies that I’d like to share with you today. I will list them all here for you so you can research on your own. If by chance you want me to elaborate on the benefits of all of these, please sign up for my free newsletter (suzycohen.com) and I’ll email you a longer version of this article that contains that information. In no particular order, here are the six holistic options to consider for healthy reproductive structure and function:
- Medicinal mushrooms
- Chia and flax seeds
- Turmeric
- Resveratrol
- Green tea extract
- Iodine
If you’re struggling with ovarian problems, do personal research because new compelling treatments, natural remedies and anti-cancer therapies are constantly being evaluated and released. There is always hope.
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Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist. The information presented here is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any condition. Visit SuzyCohen.com.