BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month on the National Day Calendar. The entire month is a reminder that there is a gruesome disease that effects 1 in 8 women and 1 in 1000 men in the United States. We are reminding people to be proactive about fighting this invasive disease and not to forget to support those who are suffering from breast cancer.

#BREASTCANCERAWARENESSMONTH

Breast cancer is a terrible disease will develop into invasive breast cancer over the course of a lifetime for millions of men and women. Being proactive in this fight is crucial. During the month of October, there are reminders everywhere saying “hey, don’t forget to examine your breasts, get your doctor to check them out too, and schedule your mammogram.”

A mammogram only takes a few seconds of pressure on each breast during examination. Though they can cause a bit of discomfort, the exam is worth it. Getting regular mammograms can help detect cancer in its earliest stages when it is most easily treated.

Breast Exam Tips

Self-examination. Breast self-exams should be done monthly. In fact the best time to do them is about 10 days after the onset of your menstrual cycle.

Get to know your breast tissue. Breasts can be capricious, and they will change texture over the course of the monthly cycle, so sticking to one time of the month is best. If you no longer menstruate, then choose a day of the month and do it that same day from then on. If your breasts are generally lumpy and you don’t know what is normal and what isn’t, the best strategy is to simply become familiar with them. Become so familiar with each ridge and curve that if something was to change, you’d notice it right away.

Look in the mirror. Standing in front of the mirror during self-exams is helpful in looking for dimpling, swelling, or redness on your breasts. Simply stand with your hands on your hips, then with your hands in the air, standing straight, then leaning forward. You can dance if you want to, just make sure the door is locked because if someone walked in, it’d be really awkward for everyone involved.

Schedule an examine for your breasts with your doctor. Find a doctor that you’re comfortable with because he or she will be squeezing your breasts and looking at them rather closely every year. A lot of people would rather do it themselves, but if you were to find an abnormality, you’ll need your doctor’s help in getting the proper tests done to determine what is wrong. Only your doctor can provide an order (prescription) for a breast sonogram or diagnostic mammogram.

Schedule a mammogram. Your doctor will help you determine when you should have a mammogram as part of your yearly check-up routine. It is not generally recommended to get a mammogram before the age of 35 unless there is a history of breast cancer in your family. If a patient younger than 35 finds a lump, the first exam ordered will likely be a sonogram because it does not utilize radiation.

Doctors are so confident that they can treat stage I breast cancer that they give patients a near 100% five-year survival rate.

Monthly breast self-exams, annual doctor’s exam, and a mammogram are three things you can do to prevent or catch breast cancer in its earliest stages. Trust your judgment when it comes to your body. Don’t ever feel like you are overreacting if you “think” you feel something in your breast. If it doesn’t feel right, have it checked out. The worst (or best) thing that can happen is that you get checked and it turns out to be nothing.

For more info visit: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month