When the news of Martina Navratilova suffering from breast cancer was broken, it shocked everyone and all her fans expressed their concern for this tennis star. She herself admitted that she was broken down emotionally when she first came to know about the disease. However, she kept up a brave front and decided to fight the disease. After long term treatment of this disease, Martina Navratilova got completely cured of breast cancer and has become a success story of breast cancer for all the females suffering from this disease.

Martina Navratilova has also helped to create awareness about the disease so that women understand the signs and symptoms of the disease and early diagnosis of the disease is possible. The risk factors of breast cancer are given below –

• Gender – breast cancer is most commonly found in females. Its occurrence in males is very rare.
• Age: risk of this disease increases as the age progresses.
• Race: it is more commonly found in white women than in African-American women in America
• History of Breast cancer: women having a history of breast cancer in one breast are at more risk of developing the same in the other breast. Also, females having a family history of breast cancer are more prone to it.
• Women who have never given birth to a child or never breast fed a child are at higher risk of developing breast cancer.
• Menstrual history: women who had an early start of menses and a delayed menopause are more prone to this disease.

Symptoms of breast cancer

Breast cancer may not show any signs and symptoms at the initial stage. The lump of breast cancer is too small to be felt in the early stage. Usually the lump at this stage is found only in a routine mammography. A lump may enlarge and be felt at a later stage. A lump, which is a hard, painless mass with uneven edges, points to breast cancer. Following changes in the breast can be expected in case of breast cancer:

• Dimpling of the skin over the breast
• Irritation of the skin.
• Swelling of a part or whole of the breast
• Pain in the breast
• Pain in the nipple and inward turning of the nipple
• Abnormal discharge from the nipple
• Lump in armpits

Women are advised to consult a gynecologist at once if they notice any of the above symptoms. These symptoms can also be a result of a less severe disease like breast cyst, but it is important to rule out breast cancer, anyway.

Treatment of breast cancer

Martina Navratilova has set an example for all those who are suffering from breast cancer. It should be borne in mind that there are various forms of treatment available to fight this disease. The modes of treatment for breast cancer are radiation treatment, hormonal therapy, surgical intervention and chemotherapy. Radiation and surgery are forms of local therapy, where the cancerous part of the breast is destroyed or removed. Hormonal therapy and chemotherapy are forms of systemic therapy. In this, the drug is administered via systemic ways through the blood stream and the cancer cells are destroyed or controlled throughout the body of the patient. The choice of treatment depends upon the stage of breast cancer, the expected outcomes and the probable side effects. These issues can be discussed with the physician before making a choice of treatment. In whichever case, the treatment goes on for a long period of time and the patient and her family should fight it bravely and be determined to come out of the illness, like the Wimbledon Champion, Martina Navratilova.

Life is full of ups and downs. Especially for women it is very tough to manage the home and career together. While racing in both races you obviously get stressed. Never let stress overcome your happiness. Do not become panicky or get crazy over whatever your life brings to you. Each situation has some solution or other, be calm and serene. Here are some tips to help you to manage your stress in daily life.
•    Have a cup of black tea:
The question may come to your mind – how can tea be helpful in stress? This is not just experienced by many people but also has been proved by researchers. They have concluded that drinking black tea relieves your stress very quickly, rather than any other alternatives for tea. The scientific reason behind it is that black tea has greater influence on the brain by which it reduces the stress hormones known as cortisol.
•    Eat nuts:
‘To stay healthy you must eat healthy’ if you follow this rule you can easily drive stress away. Eat nuts everyday and whenever you feel stressed. Nuts are weapons to fight against stress. If you eat some crunchy almonds they will give you vitamin B & E and zinc and this also is one of the best antioxidants. Come on then it’s the time to have one; get one for yourself.
•    Smelling the scents:
Walk up to a place where you can find a nice scent; that is going to reduce all your stress. This type of therapy is well known as aroma therapy. It has potential properties to heal your stress. You can also go to the garden where there are lots of sweet-scented flowers. The perfume of these flowers will certainly relax you and reduce your feeling of being stressed and tense.
You can also do one more thing – soak a few small cotton balls in your favorite essential oil and place them in your car or bedroom or any place in your home where you go frequently. You will feel refreshed by the smell; whenever a breeze passes over the cotton balls.
•    Make vitamin C a part of your diet:
Research has proved that stress hormones can be reduced by vitamin C. So no need to wait anymore to have vitamin C. You can regularly add in your diet all the foods that contain vitamin C such as: oranges, citrus fruits, papaya, lemon, strawberry and also vegetables like cauliflower, spinach and so many other fruits and vegetables that have vitamin C. From now on, you need to enhance your diet with lots of vitamin C and do not let stress scare you.
With the help of these few stress buster tips you can surely keep stress away. Life is short; do not waste it in being stressed;  rather enjoy it fully as a stress free life.