Self-examination of the breast is one of the most effective ways to detect breast cancer. By having regular mammograms, you can become familiar with the sensation of your own breast. You can detect any abnormal changes immediately. If you find any hard lump or other abnormalities, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible.
When to start self-examining your breasts
1. On the seventh day after the start of your period, when the breast tissue is most tender
2. Post-menopausal women can choose one day a month for self-examination
3. If you are breastfeeding, it is best to wait until breast milk is expressed before doing a self-examination.
How to self-examine the breast
A complete self-examination of the breast should follow the following seven steps.
1. Stand in front of the mirror and look at the breast
2. Lie flat or on your side
3. Press and feel with your fingertips
4. Use different pressure to examine
5. Use the straight line examination
6. Practice with professional guidance
7. Set up a breast health program
Stand in front of the mirror and observe the breast
Stand in front of the mirror.
1. Look carefully for changes in the size and shape of the breasts, such as whether the skin of the breast is sunken, wrinkled or swollen.
2. whether there is any abnormality in the color of the nipples and muscle tissue
3. whether there is any discharge from the nipples.
Flat or side-lying examination
The examination covers all breast tissues, starting from the armpit, extending to the rib cage under the breast, across to the anterior sternum, up through the clavicle, then across the anterior shoulder and back to the armpit. Most breast tumors occur in the upper outer part of the breast. To examine the right breast with the left hand, the right arm is bent at a right angle and placed flatly upward. Then use the right hand to examine the left breast and repeat the same position.
1. Lateral Turning Position: When examining the right breast, lie on your left side and then place your right shoulder flat. The side-lying position is good for examining the protruding part of your breast, especially for women with larger breasts, and this method is more effective for examining the protruding half of the breast.
2. Laying position: Place a pillow or rolled towel under the shoulder of the same side of the breast to be examined.
Fingertip examination
Use your index finger, middle finger and ring finger to make small circles on your breast to check for hard lumps. Keep your fingertips close to the skin and do not leave the skin while making small circles. It is better to apply moisturizer or talcum powder to the breast area and then press it. You can also press on wet skin in the shower or bath.
Examining with different pressure
Use different levels of pressure to examine each part of the breast. Start with light pressure, then use medium pressure, then increase the pressure. Continue until you have examined the entire breast tissue. Remember not to miss an area to prevent missing the opportunity to find a tumor.