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How to Perform a Breast Self Examination

Breast cancer is a disease every woman fears. These days, it is a much publicized, well-documented illness and much governmental and private sector money is being spent to discover ways to cure it. Over your lifetime, your probability of getting breast cancer is one in eight, making it responsible for 30% of cancers that women develop. As a result, you probably have seen a friend or relative go through the trauma of dealing with breast cancer already.

Although a cure has yet to be found, treatments are becoming more effective and the death rates for breast cancer are dropping. One of the keys to surviving and recovering from breast cancer is early diagnosis and treatment. This includes women over 50 getting mammograms and examinations done on a regular basis, the frequency to be determined by your doctor. You should begin at an even earlier age should you be in a high-risk group, particularly if you have a family history of breast cancer.

Concern over breast health should start long before middle age. Women should be conducting Breast Self Examinations (BSE) from the beginning of menstruation through the duration of their lives. Performing regular self-examinations is essential to early diagnosis and treatment, resulting in greater chances for surviving and overcoming the disease. You should conduct your breast exam every month, the best time being a few days after your period ends when estrogen levels are low. Your breasts will always have some lumps in them, but if you make a comparison on a regular basis, you will notice that your breasts are the least lumpy at this time. Make sure that you perform your self-exam the same number of days after your period every month. If you have gone through menopause, it is still essential for you to be checking your breasts. In fact, the risk of developing breast cancer rises drastically after 50, making it increasingly important as you age. It is easiest to pick a day and do your self-exam on the same day of every month.

There are three basic steps to conducting a breast self-examination properly:

Step 1: First, in a well-lit area stand in front of a mirror with your arms relaxed at your sides and take a good look at your breasts. You should be taking note of the basic size, shape, color and contour of your breasts and nipples. Next, do the same visual examination with your hands above your head, turning slowly from side to side so as to see from various angles. Now put your hands on your hips and push down while pushing your shoulders slightly forward. You should be looking for puckering of the skin, a difference in bulging from one breast to the other, or your nipple being slightly drawn in from the breast in a way that is unusual. At this point, you should also check to see if there is any discharge coming from the nipple.

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