How to perform a breast self-examination

 How to perform a breast self-examination

Follow these steps to make sure you perform a correct breast self-examination

Experts recommend that women perform a breast self-examination once a month, to notice and feel any changes that may occur in the breast, as this is an essential and essential part of regular breast examinations, to help you detect any changes that may be abnormal.

Why should I perform a breast self-examination?

Breast self-examination cannot replace other periodic breast examinations such as mammograms, but it can help in early detection of cancer when the chances of treatment are more accessible and successful.

Regular self-examination also helps to raise awareness about the condition of the breasts and to notice any abnormal changes. Most of the changes detected may not indicate breast cancer, so it's important to talk to your doctor about this for further testing.

When should a breast self-examination be done?

A breast self-examination should be done once a month at the same time. During the period of the menstrual cycle, a breast self-examination should be done a few days after its end. As for after menopause, and for women who suffer from irregular menstruation, a breast self-examination should be done at a specific time every month. Doing a self-examination takes only minutes, and it can become part of your daily routine, for example, you can do it in the morning while taking a shower. With your breast self-examinations, you will become more aware of what is normal and notice any changes that may occur.

How to do a breast self-examination?

Some women may feel anxious about being able to do a self-examination correctly, while some women may avoid doing it. The team of experts in the Breast Health Clinic at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi shares with you some helpful steps and tips to ensure you perform a correct breast self-examination.

1.  Start by looking at the breasts through the mirror, keeping the shoulders straight and the hands on the buttocks
2. Now raise your arms up to notice the same changes
3. While looking in the mirror, notice if there is any sign of fluid coming out of the nipples, this fluid can be watery, milk, yellow liquid or blood
4. While lying on your back, feel your breasts using the right hand for the left breast and the left hand for the right breast by following a soft and precise touch, in a circular motion of the fingers while keeping them aligned together
5. Finally, feel your breasts while sitting or taking a shower. Many women may find that the easiest way to feel and feel the breast when the skin is wet, so they prefer to do this step while showering. Make sure to check the entire breast area using the same hand and finger motions mentioned in step four

What changes should be noted?

• Tumors or masses
• feeling pain
• Swollen or swollen lymph nodes in the armpit area
• Abnormal nipple secretions
• asymmetry or swelling
• The presence of changes in the skin of the breast, such as redness, a change in the thickness of the skin, or the presence of prominent fullness
• The skin of the breast has turned into an orange peel
• Inversion or retraction of the nipple, where the nipple becomes pushed inward.

Always remember that breast self-examination is a necessary part of the periodic examinations to assess breast health, but it cannot replace other examinations that can help you in early detection of cancer when the chances of treatment are more accessible.