Stomach cancer is characterized by a growth of cancerous cells within the lining of the stomach. These cells form a life-threatening tumor by accumulating in an area and eventually spreading to nearby tissues. Whatever the type of stomach cancer, it is difficult to diagnose because most people typically do not show any significant symptoms in the earlier stages of the disease.

The common types of stomach cancer are adenocarcinomas, lymphomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and carcinoid tumors.

It’s well-accepted that the chances of developing cancer are affected by the lifestyle choices you make. So, the best route to take for the various types of stomach cancer is to prevent them.

The following tips will help you prevent this deadly stomach condition:

1. Stay active
Daily exercise is important as being fit and active can lower the risk of cancer and other health problems. It’s important to fit in at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. As the saying goes, “More is even better, but any amount is better than none.”

2. Fight obesity
Obesity can increase the risk of developing stomach cancer. Use diet, exercise and lifestyle changes to start losing weight. Initially focus on not gaining any more weight and then after stabilizing it, aim at losing it.

3. Kick the habit
Smokers have double the risk of developing certain types of stomach cancer than nonsmokers as about 18% of stomach cancer cases are attributed to smoking. There are many aids such as nicotine replacement, medication and if you smoke, it’s never too late to quit.

4. Eat healthily
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Keep red meat to a minimum. Aim for high-fiber foods, as they reduce the risk of stomach cancer. Take a multivitamin with folate. Replace bad fats with healthy fats. Make sure that you do not eat pickled and smoked foods, fish and salted meats. Eat more slowly and take smaller proportions. You can also consult a dietician to help you maintain a healthy diet inorder to prevent different types of stomach cancer.

5. Protect yourself from carcinogenic chemicals
Many types of stomach cancer can be caused by working with them, such as asbestos, cadmium, radon, chromium and nickel compounds.

6. Limit alcohol intake
Cut back on alcohol consumption. If you are a man, do not take more than two drinks per day and if you are a woman do not take more than one drink. Make sure you don’t over drink as that can increase the risk for various types of stomach cancer.

7. Regular medical care
Regular self-examinations and screenings for various types of stomach cancers can increase the chances of early detection. Ask your doctor about the best cancer screening schedule. Also, ask which tests you should get done and when.

8. Treatment for H pylori infection
It has been observed in a study that patients whose stomach lining is chronically infected but does not have the symptoms of an infection need to be treated with antibiotics. This reduces the chances of developing various types of stomach cancer.