20/10/2023
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, how often do you Self-Examine?
Breast self-exams are an essential part of breast health awareness. Regularly checking your breasts for possible lumps or changes can help detect breast cancer or other abnormalities early.
Steps to perform a breast self-exam:
Step 1: Choose a Comfortable Location
Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can stand or sit. You can perform a breast self-exam in front of a mirror or lying down.
Step 2: Look for Visual Changes
Stand in front of a mirror with your arms at your sides and examine your breasts visually. Look for any changes in size, shape, or contour. Check for visible lumps, dimpling, or skin changes.
Step 3: Raise Your Arms
Raise your arms above your head and look for the same visual changes in your breasts. Also, observe if there are any changes in ni**le position or if there is any discharge.
Step 4: Examine Your Breasts with Your Hands
You can perform breast self-exams using different techniques:
Circular Motion: Use the pads of your three middle fingers and, with a firm but gentle touch, make small circular motions on your breast. Start from the outside and work your way in, covering the entire breast.
Up and Down: Alternatively, you can use an up-and-down pattern, like mowing a lawn. Cover the entire breast, moving from one side to the other.
Axillary (Underarm) Area: Don't forget to check the underarm area and the tissue up to your collarbone.
Step 5: Vary Pressure and Use Different Positions
While examining your breasts, vary the pressure from light to firm to ensure you detect lumps of different sizes. You can also perform the exam while lying down, as this can help spread the breast tissue evenly.
Step 6: Check Ni***es and Areolas
Examine your ni**les and areolas (the darker area around the ni**les). Look for any changes, such as redness, scaliness, or discharge.
Step 7: Repeat on the Other Side
Repeat the entire process on the other breast.
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