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Breast Exams
When breast cancer is detected early enough, it is often successfully treated; when it is not detected early, it could be fatal. This is why breast examinations are of important to all women, either your gynecologist or health practitioner perform regular breast exams on you, but it is more important that you perform them regularly on yourself.
Start to begin a routine of self breast exams as your cancer treatment at an early age, even though teens and twenties chances are low to have breast cancer. It is also 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 Exams
Here is how 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 women 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.
Adapted from Coolnurse.com
Start to begin a routine of self breast exams as your cancer treatment at an early age, even though teens and twenties chances are low to have breast cancer. It is also 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 Exams
Here is how 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 women 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.
Adapted from Coolnurse.com
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