THREE MINUTES A MONTH THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
The
importance of breast self-examination
Girls
should start with the examination and getting to know their breasts,
as early as in their teenage years and continue with this throughout
their whole lives. The examination should be done once a month, after
the menstrual period. By regularly breast examination, the woman gets
to know her breast best and quickly finds out when changes arise.
When to do a self-examination?
- In the period after menstruation, 7th-10th day.
- Determine the day of the month and perform regular checkups every month.
- If you are out of cycle, the day of self-examination is not important.
Simple self-examination steps
Breast
self-examinations need to be learned and, above all, you have to get
used to the feeling of your breasts. It takes quite a few repetitions
to “master” the examination, so take your time and get to
know the way your breasts look and feel like. It is recommended that
you examine your breasts in two standing up positions, under the
shower and in front of the mirror. In the latter we also observe the
breasts.
Observe your breasts in a natural position, then lift
your arms behind your head. In particular, observe the shape, changes
in the skin and nipples. Compare the breasts visually with each
other. In the third step, place your hands on the hips and continue
to observe. This should take a few minutes. Finally, feel the circle
around your nipple and the nipple itself and check for any discharge.
Then raise your left arm and place your right palm on your left breast. Stretch your fingers and squeeze them together and stroke the entire breast in circular motions. Feel with the pads of the middle three fingers: index finger, middle finger and ring finger. Start at the outer part of the breast and move your hand towards the nipple. Repeat the procedure for the right breast.
Lean forward and support your left breast with your right hand. Use gentle circular movements of the left hand to gently press the breast. Repeat the procedure for the right breast.
Lean forward, lower your left arm. With clenched fingers on your right hand, feel your left armpit, then repeat the examination with your fingers open. Repeat the procedure for the right armpit.
Complete the examination in a lying down position. You can place a pillow under your shoulder blades and raise your right arm above your head. This position will extend the entire breast. The examination procedure is the same as the examination in a standing position: stretch out your fingers and squeeze them together and stroke the whole breast in circular motions. Feel with the pads of the middle three fingers: index finger, middle finger and ring finger. Start at the outer part of the breast and move your hand towards the nipple. Repeat the procedure for the left breast.
The most common self-examination mistakes:
• we don’t take enough time, we do it (too) quickly and superficially,
• we feel the breast with the same, and not the opposite hand,
• we do not raise our hand on the side of the examined breast over our heads, forget about the lymph nodes,
• we do not touch with finger pads,
• breast examinations are not frequent enough or too frequent, a monthly check is recommended,
• we do not monitor the mobility and sensitivity of the tissue,
• for larger breasts, we do not perform an examination in both positions.
MOGY doctor’s offices, where the breast examinations with the BreastScan method are preformed, issued a special booklet with detailed breast self-examination guidelines or awareness purposes. It is available free of charge at any MOGY doctor’s office and is also available online via the link: My Pink Booklet