Breast Cancer Awareness Month: The Importance of Breast Self-Exams and How to Do Them
Wednesday, October 5, 2016October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many people know at least one person who has been affected by breast cancer. While you might do everything you can to support breast cancer awareness, are you taking the time to protect yourself? When caught early, breast cancer is very treatable. This means that a simple self-breast exam each month could save your life. Let's talk about the importance of the breast self-exam and how to do one.
About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop breast cancer. It's a scary statistic, but early detection and the treatments that are available can save your life. My mother and grandmother both had breast cancer, but caught it early and survived it. Since breast cancer runs in my family, I know the likelihood I'll develop it is high, so breast self-exams along with yearly doctor's visits are imperative.
The Importance of the Breast Self-Exam
Think of cancer as a weed in your garden. If left unattended that one weed can grow into hundreds. The same can be said for cancer cells. When not caught early enough, breast cancer can spread cancer cells throughout the body. This is why it is so important to do a breast self-exam each and every month.
You may get a breast exam done once a year during a yearly checkup, but that isn't enough to catch breast cancer early. When you do a breast self-exam, you learn what the tissue and fat in your breasts feel like and can detect any changes. When you do the exam each month, it's easier to detect anything that may be different. Should you detect anything different, you want to contact your doctor immediately.
How to Do a Breast Self-Exam
A breast self-exam is very easy to do. Doing it regularly and getting to know your own breast tissue is key. This process takes less than five minutes but could save your life.
It is recommended that you do your physical exam in the shower. You can use soap to lubricate your hand to make sliding your fingers easier.
Start with your left breast and begin by putting your left arm up over your head and bending it behind your head. This motion lifts the breast and gives you better access.
Start at the top of your chest, where your breast tissue begins, and use your first three fingers to make a small circular motion to rub the breast tissue. Continue until you've made a complete circle around your breast, including the tissue under your arms. Continue in a spiral pattern, covering every area of breast tissue, until you've checked under your nipple.
Do the same to your right breast.
You also want to look for any skin changes in a mirror with both arms raised. If you see that the skin has changed color, developed rough patches, or you have nipple discharge, this should be brought to your doctor's attention.
Check out this image from the Cleveland Clinic if you're more of a visual learner:
Spending just five minutes a month could mean the difference between life and death. You want to make sure you're doing a self breast exam each and every month. It allows you to detect changes in the breast tissue early and get the help you need before it's too late.
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