Sleep And Cancer Risk
Evidence has emerged that different components of sleep sleep duration, sleep quality, circadian rhythm, and sleep disorders can affect cancer risk. That said, studies on this topic are not always consistent or conclusive, which may reflect difficulties in accurately gathering data about sleep over the long term.
Sleep Duration
Studies about the effect of sleep duration on cancer risk have often been conflicting. Differences in results may relate to how sleep data is collected, the types of cancer considered, and how other factors that can influence cancer risk are accounted for.
Research has found that people who sleep less than six hours per night have a higher risk of death from any cause, and one large-scale study found that people with short sleep have an increased cancer risk.
For specific types of cancer, short sleep duration has been associated with a greater risk of colon polyps that can become cancer. In older adults, some research has tied reduced sleep duration to a higher likelihood of stomach cancer and found potential correlations with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma as well as cancers of the thyroid, bladder, head, and neck.
These studies, though, are far from definitive. Many types of cancer, including lung cancer, have not been found to be affected by short sleep in other studies. Some research has even found fewer cancer cases in people sleeping less than seven or eight hours per night.
Sleep Quality
Circadian Rhythm
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Do Underwire Bras Cause Breast Cancer
Underwire bras do not increase your risk of breast cancer.
There have been some concerns that the wires in the cup of underwire bras may restrict the flow of lymph fluid in the breast causing toxins to build up in the area. However, theres no reliable evidence to support this.
If your bra is too tight or too small, the wires can dig into your breasts and cause discomfort, pain or swelling. Find out more about wearing a well-fitting bra.
Whats The Best Sleep Position
Do you sleep on your back, side, or belly? You may have a favorite sleeping position, or you may change it up now and then. And if you become pregnant, or have certain health problems, the way you sleep can sometimes change. In those cases, getting your sleeping posture right can make a big difference in the way you feel when you wake up. Are you choosing the best sleeping position for your situation?
Sleeping in the wrong way can cause or aggravate neck or back pain. It may also obstruct the airways to your lungs, leading to problems like obstructive sleep apnea. Some research even suggests that the wrong sleeping position may cause toxins to filter out of your brain more slowly. Keep reading to learn how the way you sleep could be impacting your health in several ways.
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Myth: Wearing An Underwire Bra Increases Your Risk Of Getting Breast Cance
Reality:
Claims that underwire bras compress the lymphatic system of the breast, causing toxins to accumulate and cause breast cancer, have been widely debunked as unscientific. The consensus is that neither the type of bra you wear nor the tightness of your underwear or other clothing has any connection to breast cancer risk.
Night Sweats Or Fever
If youâre going through menopause, you may sometimes wake up with damp sheets. But intense night sweats that happen often could also be a sign of leukemia or lymphoma. These blood cancers may also give you a fever.
You can also get a fever when cancer spreads from somewhere else or affects your immune system.
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Is It Bad To Listen To Music While Sleeping
Its fine to fall asleep listening to music, Breus says, but dont wear earbuds or headphones to bed. They can be uncomfortable, and if you roll over wearing earbuds, you could hurt your ear canal. Instead, he recommends pillow speakers. These devices are exactly what they sound like: pillows with speakers inside them.
Does Sleeping On Your Stomach Decrease Breast Size
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No, its not true. Touching or massaging breasts does not make them grow. Others are myths some girls who want smaller breasts think that sleeping in a bra or wearing a bra thats too small can keep breasts from growing, but thats also not true.
Additionally, will my breast size increase if I dont wear bra at night? Due to all that extra muscle tissue, your breasts actually look perkier without a bra. Meanwhile, Roullions study found that the nipples of women who didnt wear bras were lifted 7mm higher on average than women who did wear bras. However, Dr. Seshadri does say that this all depends on the size of your breasts.
Likewise, people ask, does sleeping on your stomach flatten your stomach?
The short answer is yes. Although sleeping on your stomach can reduce snoring and diminish sleep apnea, its also taxing for your back and neck. That can lead to poor sleep and discomfort throughout your day.
What is the healthiest sleeping position?
By far the healthiest option for most people, sleeping on your back allows your head, neck, and spine to rest in a neutral position. This means that theres no extra pressure on those areas, so youre less likely to experience pain. Sleeping facing the ceiling also ideal for warding off acid reflux.
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Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider
Before your appointment, its helpful to write down the questions you want to ask your healthcare provider. Examples of questions you can ask are listed below. Write down the answers during your appointment so you can review them later.
What kind of radiation therapy will I get?
How many radiation treatments will I get?
What side effects should I expect during my radiation therapy?
Will these side effects go away after I finish my radiation therapy?
What kind of late side effects should I expect after my radiation therapy?
What Causes Breast Pain
If your boobs hurt, your mind may jump right away to the C word. But chances are slim that breast pain is breast cancer.
Breast pain alone is rarely, rarely associated with cancer, says Monique Swain, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist in the breast division at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
There are two types of breast pain: Cyclical pain is associated with your period and most often affects both breasts. Noncyclical pain is due to any other reason and doesnt follow a monthly pattern. It can affect one or both breasts, all of the breast, or just part of it.
Most breast pain goes away on its own or can be easily treated. Talk to a doctor if the pain doesnt go away in a week or two or if it gets in the way of normal activities. You should also contact a doctor if you have other symptoms, including a lump thats not related to your period, discharge from your nipple, or signs of infection like redness, swelling, and warmth.
Here are some possible reasons why you have breast pain.
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Traumatic Breast Injury: Symptoms And Can It Cause Cancer
Sleeping on your stomach, even for short periods, can result in back and neck pain because of the exaggerated position of the cervical and thoracic spinal curves. If this position feels comfortable, your standing posture might be causing too great an arch in your lower back, a condition called lordosis that is often responsible for neck pain While a blow to the breast may not cause cancer, it can sometimes lead to false-negative mammograms – a mammogram that shows a suspicious lesion, which turns out to be scar tissue
Does Not Wearing A Bra Cause Sagging
Not wearing a bra for weeks or months can only mean that your breasts have since booked a trip to Sag Harbor, right?
Wrong.
Dr. Blake says wearing a bra doesnt prevent your breasts from sagging and not wearing one doesnt cause your breasts to sag.
Wearing a bra doesnt affect the risk of breast sagging, or what is called breast ptosis. It also wont impact the shape of your breasts. However, if you are a larger cup size, you may feel more comfortable wearing a bra because it might help alleviate or prevent back pain, which is often due to the weight of your breasts. Wearing a sports bra could be helpful in that matter, says Dr. Blake.
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Why You Absolutely Shouldnt Put Your Mobile Phone In Your Bra
By WH Staff | Apr 26, 2021
Dont have pockets? Ah, Ill just put it in my bra. Want quick and easy access? Pop it in my bra. Trying to avoid pickpockets? I guess I can put it in my bra.
Its safe to say there are more than a few of us are guilty of using our bras as a go-to stowaway for all sorts of things, but the decision to put your phone in your bra is absolutely the wrong one.
A Melbourne researcher from Monash University, Dr Mary Redmayne, says that women should not be letting their phone touch their breasts, or be anywhere else on their skin, as many studies have pointed to an increased risk of brain tumours from extended mobile phone use.
While the information on whether smartphone exposure has links to breast cancer is lacking, she explains that people should play it safe and ensure they do not store their smartphones directly against their bodies.
The warning comes after a Monash University study revealed that a quarter of women surveyed had carried their smartphone tucked into their bra, and that while they had concerns about whether smartphone use was linked to sleep issues, cancer and headaches or dizziness, this didnt translate to how closely they kept the phone to their chest.
Its also interesting to note that a number of smartphone manufacturers, such as Apple, warn against storing your smartphone touching your skin.
Risk Factors You Cant Control
- Sex: Women represent 99% of all breast cancer patients and have a 12.1% chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
- Age: The chances of getting breast cancer increase with age. About 65% of women are over 55 years old when they are diagnosed.
- Race: After age 45, white women are more likely to get breast cancer than black women, but black women have a higher incidence before age 45 and are more likely to die from breast cancer.
- Family history: Certain inherited gene mutations increase the risk of developing breast cancer. However, these genes account for only 5-10% of overall cases. Even without those genes, having a grandmother, mother, sister, or daughter diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer increases the risk.
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Myth: Exposing A Tumor To Air During Surgery Causes Cancer To Spread
Reality:
Surgery doesn’t cause breast cancer and it doesn’t cause breast cancer to spread, as far as scientists can tell from the research so far. Your doctor may find out during surgery that your cancer is more widespread than previously thought, however. And some animal studies have shown that removing the primary tumor sometimes enables metastatic cancers to grow, but only temporarily this has not been demonstrated in humans.
Can Squeezing Or Being Hit In The Breast Cause Cancer
An injury, such as falling or being hit in the chest, will not cause breast cancer. Squeezing or pinching the breast or nipple will not cause breast cancer either.
It may cause bruising and swelling to the breast, which can be tender or painful to touch.
Sometimes an injury can lead to a benign lump known as fat necrosis. This is scar tissue that can form when the body naturally repairs the damaged fatty breast tissue.
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Does Cell Phones Cause Cancer
Cell phones emit low levels of non-ionizing radiation when in use. The type of radiation emitted by cell phones is also referred to as radio frequency energy. As stated by the National Cancer Institute, there is currently no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases cancer risk in humans.
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Side Effects Of Radiation Therapy To Your Breast Or Chest Wall
You may have side effects from radiation therapy. The type and how strong they are depends on many things. These include the dose of radiation, the number of treatments, and your overall health. The side effects may be worse if youre also getting chemotherapy.
You may start to notice side effects about 2 weeks after you start radiation therapy. They may get worse during your radiation therapy, but theyll slowly get better over 6 to 8 weeks after your last treatment. Some side effects may take longer to go away. Follow the guidelines in this section to help manage your side effects during and after your radiation therapy.
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Sleep Apnea As A Breast Cancer Risk Factor
Sleep apnea is a condition in which your breathing starts and stops while youre sleeping. It is a very serious sleep disorder, and even more so if you have a history of breast cancer.
Studies have shown that obstructive sleep apnea is linked to breast cancer. One study in particular used the Korean National Health Insurance database to examine sleep apnea among women and how it relates to breast cancer. The study was done from 2007 to 2014, and the results are as follows: in this study, breast malignancy incidence in OSA patients was significantly higher than that in control individuals. Moreover, there was a significant increase in breast cancer incidence in OSA patients aged 65 years.
Its difficult to pinpoint exactly what the link between sleep apnea and breast cancer is. One of the doctors who worked on a study about it told Science Daily that more research needs to be done to figure out the connection. What we do know is that obstructive sleep apnea causes your throat muscles to relax, and in turn, narrows your airways. Because you cant take in enough air, the amount of oxygen in your blood dips, and generally your brain wakes you up. It makes for an unrestful sleep and is hard on your system. As weve already discussed, taxing your system in any way is not good for a person with a history of cancer.
Myth: If You’re At Risk For Breast Cancer There’s Little You Can Do But Watch For The Signs
Reality:
There’s a lot that women can do to lower their risk, including losing weight if they’re obese, getting regular exercise, lowering or eliminating alcohol consumption, being rigorous about examining their own breasts, and having regular clinical exams and mammograms. Quitting smoking wouldn’t hurt either. Some high-risk women also choose to have a prophylactic mastectomy to decrease their risk by roughly 90%. They can take other proactive steps such as having regular MRIs, exploring chemoprevention with treatments such as tamoxifen, and participating in clinical trials.
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Sleep And Cancer Survivorship
Being diagnosed with cancer can bring about a variety of significant life changes. The physical and emotional effects of having cancer and going through cancer treatment can be long-lasting, creating diverse challenges for cancer survivors.
In one study of breast cancer survivors who were between six months and five years post-diagnosis, 78% had above-average sleep difficulties. Survivors have also listed sleep as one of the most important issues for their health.
Addressing sleep problems can be especially important for survivors of childhood cancer . Childhood cancer and its treatment often lead to long-term effects, including impacts on both mental and physical development. Quality sleep may help reduce these effects and bolster the immune system to strengthen their overall well-being.
Cancer survivors should talk with their doctor about creating a wellness plan that covers not just sleep but also other important health concerns like diet, exercise, and follow-up care. This plan can include steps for effective sleep hygiene to promote positive sleep habits.
Why You Shouldn’t Sleep On Your Breasts And Other
Nerve compression may be caused by an injury or from pressure on the nerves as a result of a tumor or swelling. One type of lung cancer, Pancoast tumors, may cause pain in the armpit. This can be associated with swelling of the face, neck, or upper arms, and can easily be missed on a chest X-ray. 7  GERD can be treated but, until it’s diagnosed, it can cause significant damage to the esophagus and surrounding tissue. Complications associated with GERD include hoarseness, pneumonia, sleep apnea, and cancer. The pain that acid reflux can inflict at times can seem very severe, sometimes mimicking a heart attack A tight bra can limit your movement, cause pain, and wear out quickly. You’ll know that your bra is too small if your breasts are not fitting comfortably in the cups or underwire. You also know that your bra is loose if your breasts slip out of the cups in the front or on the sides The military methodRelax your entire face, including the muscles inside your mouth.Drop your shoulders to release the tension and let your hands drop to the side of your body.Exhale, relaxing your chest.Relax your legs, thighs, and calves.Clear your mind for 10 seconds by imagining a relaxing scene.More item
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