Top Throat Cancer Risk Factors
As with many different kinds of cancers, your risk of developing throat cancer increases as you age. Most patients with throat cancer are men over the age of 65, and they’re actually three times as likely as women to develop throat cancer.
Our head and neck cancer doctors in Los Angeles can offer treatment for cancer, but we also encourage those to be proactive in their health.
It’s important to do everything you can to stay healthy to avoid developing cancer.
Lifestyle Factors
Having a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of developing cancer; whole fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that build a healthier body.
On top of preventing cancer through lifestyle choices, you can also increase your risk of developing throat cancer through certain lifestyle choices. The most obvious of which is smoking. Inhaling tobacco smoke can greatly increase your risk of throat cancer. It’s unclear if smoking cannabis has the same detrimental effects, as a study by UCLA recently showed that it does increase your chances of cancer.
Diseases
Certain diseases can also increase your risk of developing throat cancer.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to other complications. Researchers have linked HPV to rising rates of throat cancer. To protect your body against HPV, you can get the Gardasil shot if you are a man or woman under the age of 27.
Many of the patients that our ENT doctors in Los Angeles treat have acid reflux. If your lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, you may experience the taste or movement associated with acid being regurgitated into your throat. Chronic acid reflux, or GERD, can increase the risk of throat cancer depending on how frequently you experience these symptoms.
The Epstein-Barr virus, also known as Mono, is easily transmitted by kissing or sharing straws, foods, and drinks. Studies have shown that having Mono can increase your likelihood of developing throat cancer later in life.