Bladder Cancer Symptoms and Risks
Home care assistance can help seniors recover from bladder cancer with daily support.
May is National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated to spreading knowledge about this common type of cancer. Bladder cancer, which develops in the cells of the bladder, is often treatable if detected early.
Awareness months like this exist to educate the public about serious medical conditions, their symptoms, and risk factors, with the hope of reducing the number of cases and deaths.
For individuals undergoing treatment, home care assistance can play a vital role in ensuring they receive the support they need during recovery.
What Causes Bladder Cancer?
The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. Bladder cancer typically begins in the cells lining the inside of the bladder. DNA mutations in these cells cause them to multiply uncontrollably and avoid the normal cycle of cell death. These abnormal cells often form tumors that invade and destroy healthy tissue. If not caught early, the cancerous cells can spread beyond the bladder to other parts of the body.
For those facing bladder cancer, home care assistance providers can provide vital support by managing daily tasks and helping individuals focus on their treatment and recovery without added stress.
Bladder Cancer Risk Factors
While anyone can develop bladder cancer, and some symptoms are immutable, knowing the risk factors can help you and your loved one more quickly if any of the symptoms of bladder cancer appear.
- Being male: Men are more likely to develop bladder cancer than women.
- Age: Most bladder cancer diagnoses occur in those over the age of 55.
- Having been exposed to certain toxic chemicals through work or hobbies: Chemicals linked to bladder cancer risk include arsenic and chemicals used for manufacturing rubber, leather, dyes, and paint products.
- History of bladder inflammation or urinary infections.
- Being a smoker: Using cigarettes, vapes, cigars, or pipes can increase the risk of bladder cancer by making harmful chemicals accumulate in the urine. The body processes the chemicals from smoke and excretes some of them in the urine. Those harmful chemicals can damage the bladder lining.
- Previous cancer treatment or bladder cancer.
Bladder Cancer Symptoms
The most common symptom of bladder cancer that causes people to seek a diagnosis is blood in the urine. It can be bright red or a dark color that resembles a dark burgundy. Other symptoms that your loved one may experience include back pain, the need to urinate frequently, and painful urination.
Getting Home Care Assistance During Treatment
If caught early, bladder cancer is often curable, but going through treatment can still be exhausting for your elderly loved one. If you are unable to help him directly, one great way to assist your loved one as he goes through treatment is to have someone come to his home to provide home care assistance.
A home care assistance provider can help him with household chores when he’s exhausted from treatments or physically unable to perform certain tasks, like lifting heavier objects. A home care assistance provider can also help with meals so that your loved one continues to eat healthy meals during his treatment, even when fatigue makes it too difficult to prepare them.
With home care assistance providers, your elderly loved one can focus on getting better while they take care of their home.
If you or someone you know needs help with Home Care Assistance in Grand Rapids, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 560-4057 for more information.
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