 Breast
cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women. Heart disease is the first. When
it is detected early enough, it is often successfully treated;
when it is not detected early, it is often fatal. For this
reason breast examinations are of extreme importance to all
women. Either your gynecologist or your general health practitioner
should perform regular breast exams on you, but it is even
more important that you perform them regularly on yourself.
It
is important to begin a routine of self exams at an early
age, because even though the incidence of breast cancer is
extremely low in women in their teens and twenties compared
to their thirties and forties, it does occur. Also, it is
necessary to be able to feel what is normal breast tissue
for you and what is not. Abnormal clumps or lumps of tissue
are potential symptoms of problems and need to be detected
and dealt with. It is these types of lumps that you are checking
for while doing breast self exams.
Breast
tissue is naturally lumpy, and it takes a little bit of time
to become familiar with what is normal for you. The consistency
of your breasts will often change throughout the menstrual
cycle, becoming more lumpy just before menstruation. The best
time to examine your breasts is soon after you finish your
period. You must examine your breasts at approximately the
same time each month in order to monitor yourself effectively.
Breast
Self-Exam
To examine
your breast, use the flat of your fingers, not the tips, and
feel around your breasts, one at a time, in a circular direction
going from the outside (big circles) in (little circles).
Monitor your breasts in this way for any abnormal lumps or
tenderness. Sometimes it is helpful to raise your arm over
your head on the side that is being examined, or to lie down
to perform the exam. If you feel anything that is very hard
(as hard as a frozen pea) it is a good idea to have your health
care provider feel it also, just to make sure that is feels
normal. By doing breast exams in your teens, you will be making
them part of a monthly routine that you will do for many years
to come. For a Breast Q and A, see Breasts.
If you have fibrocystic
breasts or breast pain,
read this...
Please read about
breast cancer and breast
cancer screening. It can save your life or your mother's
life or someone else's.
For Breast Cancer Information ->
Click
Learn how to do a breast self-exam
and do it monthly.
Read
about breast cancer and
breast cancer screening.
It can save
your life or your mother's life or someone else's.
Helping
Someone Diagnosed With Breast
Cancer
Breast
Cancer and What You Eat
Risks
of Breast Cancer and Second
Hand Smoke
Some Fast Cancer Facts
|
