Check your bumps for lumps!
They come in all different shapes and sizes and every second person has their very own pair! What are we talking about? That would be breasts of course. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and because 1 in 8 women will be diagnoses with breast cancer in their life-time, NetFlorist has decided to lend a helping hand with this guide on how to perform a breast self-exam:
Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Check the skin for puckering, dimpling, or scaliness. Look for a discharge from the nipples.
Step 2: Now, raise your arms above your head and look for the same changes.
Step 3: While you’re at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).
(Please note: If you see anything unusual, such as the ones stated above, bring it to your doctors attention)
Step 4: Next, feel your breasts whilst lying down. Lie down and place your left hand behind your head and use your right hand to feel your left breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your rib-cage.
Repeat on the right breast.
Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in step 4.
Many people have been touched by cancer in someway or another, be it through our own personal battle with the disease, or through a friend or loved one. If you would like to get involved and do your part for breast cancer awareness you can donate to the following organisations below.
CANSA- Donate here.
PinkDrive- Donate here.
Reach for Recovery- Donate here
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