A breast self exam should be performed monthly to check for any changes in your breasts. Remember that changes can occur because of aging, your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or taking birth control pills or other types of hormones. It is normal for your breasts to feel a little lumpy or uneven. It is also common for your breasts to be swollen or tender just before or during your menstrual period. You can follow these steps to examine your breasts:
Step 1: Before A Mirror
- Firmly press your hands down on your hips to tighten your chest
muscles
- Look carefully for any changes in the size, shape, or contour of
your breasts
- Check for anything unusual: discharge, puckering, dimpling, or
changes in skin texture
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Step 2: Lying Down
- Lie flat on your back, and place your left hand behind your head
and a pillow under your left shoulder
- Use the finger pads of the three middle fingers on your right
hand to make overlapping dime-sized circular motions to feel your
left breast
- Apply three different levels of pressure, light, medium, and
firm, with your finger pads to check the breast tissue
- Use each pressure level to feel for lumps before moving to the
next spot
- Start by your armpit and move down to just below your breast
- Use the same circular motions using an up-and-down pattern to
cover the entire breast area
- Repeat on your right breast using your left hand
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Step 3: Sitting or Standing
- Raise your arm slightly
- Use the same circular motions with your finger pads to examine
each underarm
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Breast self-exams should not take the place of regular screening mammograms or clinical breast exams, which can be done at Texas Breast Care Clinic. Screening mammograms and clinical breast exams can help our breast doctors find breast cancer early. Breast cancer treatment is more successful when the breast cancer is found in the early stages.
If you see or feel any of these changes, call Texas Breast Care right away to schedule an appointment. If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed, you need answers
– and reassurance, call or email us at (972) 284-0080.
You can also schedule your consultation only by simply filling out the
form located to the left. |
