How To Do a Breast Self-exam
October 19, 2020
How To Do a Breast Self-exam
A breast self-examination can save your life by detecting breast cancer in its early stages. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. 2.1 million women get breast cancer every year and 1 out of 2 women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer dies of it. The saddest part is that breast cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat and if diagnosed and treated in the first stage, the survival rate is 90%.
A breast self-exam is very simple and easy to learn. You can do it in the shower, in front of a mirror and while lying down.
Breast self-exam in the shower
Place your three middle fingers flat on your breast and run them all over your breast and under the armpit. Repeat this by pressing down with medium and firm pressure. You should check for symptoms of breast cancer such as lumps, hardened portions of tissue, thickenings or other changes.
Visual inspection in front of the mirror
Stand in front of the mirror with arms at the sides and check for any changes in shape, dimpling, puckering, swelling or changes in nipples. Raise your arms overhead and inspect your breasts again. Place your hands on your hips and press down firmly to flex your chest muscles and check your breasts again. Your breasts may not be exactly identical, but one side should not change suddenly or develop changes between two self-exams.
Breast exam lying down
When lying down, place a pillow under one shoulder and place that hand under your head. Use the other hand to examine your breast and armpit. Your breasts are flattened when you lie down and you will be able to feel any changes easily. Squeeze nipple and check for discharge, crusts or lumps. Repeat for other breast by placing the pillow under the other shoulder.
A self-exam should be done once a month to detect breast cancer early, but the best way to detect breast cancer at the earliest, even before you can feel lumps in a breast is a mammogram screening. If you are over 40 have a mammogram every year. When detected early, breast cancer can be treated successfully.
A monthly breast self-exam between mammograms will help you discover any changes in your breasts immediately.
If you have noticed any changes or require a mammogram screening, consult our experts.