TOLEDO, Ohio — September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and local doctors are speaking out about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Teal ribbons are hung up in downtown Toledo and other neighboring communities in order to spread awareness and remind women to regularly check with their doctor about their risk for ovarian cancer.
"It is one of those unfortunate conditions that can be very life-altering and doesn't carry many symptoms that are noticeable," Dr. Sayeema Daudi with Mercy Health said.
Turn the Towns Teal is a national campaign that aims to raise awareness about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer impacts 21,000 woman per year, which is why doctors emphasize knowing the symptoms of the disease. Knowing the symptoms can lead to an early diagnosis and overall better outcome for those who develop the disease.
Ovarian cancer can be tricky because there are a wide-range of symptoms. Some of the most common early symptoms are bloating, nausea, and urinary and bowel issues.
"Ovaries sit in a bowl with the other organs, and so the spread of the ovarian cancer can be very fast without having a lot of symptoms. And so I think the big thing to keep in mind is that if there are symptoms that are present more days than not and are bothersome to our daily activities," Dr. Daudi said.
Family history also plays a big role in someone's risk for developing ovarian cancer. Doctors recommend if there is any sort of history in the family that women pay extra attention and meet with their OBGYN about it yearly.
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