Day 2 of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: The Big O basics

As women, sometimes we just put up with our body because our body doesn't act normal all the time. You know what type of foods give you gas, you know that at certain times of the month you bloat, etc., etc. After awhile you just take those little variances as "just the way your body works" and ignore the functions.

That is a deadly frame of mind, because that is how Ovarian Cancer sneaks up on females: the subtle body functions that we take for granted. Whether it is every day or once a month, you shouldn't ignore your body.

Remember ovarian cancer’s subtle symptoms.

• Bloating; pelvic and abdominal pain; difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency). Many people do not know that ovarian cancer causes these symptoms in the majority of women who develop the disease.
• Additional symptoms may include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation and menstrual irregularities. 
• Factors that increase risk include: increasing age; personal or family history of ovarian, breast or colorectal cancer; and never having been pregnant or given birth to a child. 
• About 10 to 15 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a hereditary tendency to develop the disease.
• And there are many women out there WHO DO NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF OVARIAN CANCER in their family, yet develop Ovarian Cancer. So again, know the symptoms.