EARLIER in the week, I got involved in a chat about Breast
Self Examination, BSE. A particular young lady disclosed how much she is
benefitting from routinely performing the process over the years.
This lady has never been diagnosed with any malady of
the breasts, but she has strong belief that getting into the habit of
performing regular breast self-exams enables every woman to check for changes
(such as lumps or thickenings) in a timely and convenient way.
Being breast aware gives her confidence physically and
psychologically. She was affirmative that a woman can notice changes by knowing
how her breasts normally look and feel and that feeling her own breasts for
changes (breast awareness), or by choosing to use a step-by-step approach (with
a BSE) and using a specific schedule.
Her argument is simple. With BSE, complications such
as breast cancer are detected in the early stages, and with early detection,
chances of survival are greatly improved.
Breast self-exam
File Photo: Breast examination
I discovered, quite unexpectedly, that breast
self-exam is not really as big a passion as expected among the women folk in
these parts. So this is the topic up for discussion today.
A breast self–exam is a check-up a woman
does at home to look for changes or problems in the breast tissue. A breast
change does not necessarily mean there is a problem.
The self-exam includes looking at and feeling the
breast and any unusual changes can be easily detected and addressed. Many women
feel that doing a breast self-exam is important to their health especially in
detection of breast cancer. Quite so many breast abnormalities are picked up
during breast self-exams.
Know what “normal” means for you
A woman should know her body. Such knowledge is the
key to good health. If you don’t know what you normally feel like, you
won’t be able to recognise signs of illness or infection.
Breast self-exam help you feel more comfortable with
your body and gives a baseline of how you look and feel when healthy. A
self-exam also allows you to take action in protecting yourself from cancer and
cysts, since with regular self-exams you are more knowledgeable about your body
than going for a scheduled examination.
Don’t fear the unknown
I discovered that quite a number of women do not
perform BSE not because they are not aware of it, but for fear of finding
something. The fact is, even if you find something, it’s often nothing to
be alarmed about. Since breast cancers found early and treated promptly
are almost always cured, learning how to examine your breasts properly can help
save your life.
Among other women I spoke to was a Staff Nurse/Midwife
who advised that every woman aged 20 and above should start conducting breast
self-exams. The exams should be performed once a month after your
menstrual period, when breasts aren’t tender or swollen. The nurse explains
that breast tissue can change depending on the time of the cycle and become
swollen, tender or more lumpy than usual.
Performing breast self-exams at the same time each
month means you are most likely to feel significant changes or lumps, and
following a schedule helps you remember to do it.
If you’re not always regular, do it on the same day
every month. If this is your first BSE, ask your health practitioner for
detailed instructions and so that you can be sure that what you feel is normal
and healthy.
She says you shouldn’t get upset if you feel some
lumps or hardness; that’s natural. It is also normal if your breasts are
not exactly the same size. Though not all lumps found during BSEs are
malignant, self-exams can catch cancer during its early stages.
Three quick steps
Step 1: First, stand facing a mirror, with hands on your hips.
This will allow you to become visually acquainted with how your breasts appear.
Look for changes such as redness, dimpling or a scaly skin, or a change in size
or shape. Nipple changes should also be noted, whether it’s in the shape,
colour or contour of the nipple. Nipple discharge, which could be clear, cloudy
or bloody, should be reported.
Step 2: While standing or sitting, raise one arm and place
your hand behind your head. With the opposite hand, use the pads of the fingers
to feel your breast in small circular motions. Some women prefer to start in
one corner and go back and forth and up or down across the breast. Others
prefer a spiral pattern, working around the breast and inward toward the
nipple. No matter what technique you choose, you want to cover the entire
breast from the clavicle to the rib cage. You also want to reach the side of
your breast under the armpit. Repeat with your other breast.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 while lying down. This will give you a more
accurate impression of the terrain of your breasts. When lying down the breast
tissue spreads evenly over the chest wall and is as thin as possible, making it
much easier to feel all the breast tissue. Use the finger pads of the middle
fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use
overlapping dime-sized circular motions of the finger pads to feel the breast
tissue.
Pressure points
Use three different levels of pressure to feel all the
breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue closest to the skin;
medium pressure to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue
closest to the chest and ribs.
It is normal to feel a firm ridge in the lower curve
of each breast, but you should tell your doctor if you feel anything else out
of the ordinary. If you’re not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or
nurse. Use each pressure level to feel the breast tissue before moving on to
the next spot.
Adopt the right pattern
Move around the breast in an up and down pattern
starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm
and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone. Be sure to check
the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck
or collar bone.
There is some evidence to suggest that the up-and-down
pattern (sometimes called the vertical pattern) is the most effective pattern
for covering the entire breast without missing any breast tissue. Repeat the
exam on your left breast, putting your left arm behind your head and using the
finger pads of your right hand to do the exam.
It pays to take control of your breast
health. Be aware, informed and not afraid. The best way to
cure cancer is to detect it early. Use all three steps – Breast
self-exam, Mammography and clinical exam to find breast cancer early.
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