Happy spooky season friends! To celebrate the lovely month that is October and Breast Health Awareness Month, we wanted to give you some basic tips to help keep you Boo-bies happy and healthy 👻
Tip #1: Get to know your breasts
Most doctors recommend giving your breasts a once over once a week to once a month so you can learn what looks and feels normal for your body. This makes sure that you're familiar with your natural lumps and bumps, so it's easier to notice if something is out of the ordinary. Starting with checking yourself out once a week also helps you to recognize how your breasts may change as you go through your cycle, and once you’re comfortable with that, you can back down to once a month.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc recommends feeling your breasts while in the shower with 3 fingers and a firm (but not hard) amount of pressure. You could also use a body oil or thick lotion out of the shower, as long as there’s something helping you to avoid any friction. It is also recommended that you take a look at your breasts in the mirror for any visual changes as well feeling around while laying down (this is when your breasts are the most flattened, so anything unusual may be more noticeable).
Tip #2: Check your armpits too
Your armpits contain special lymph nodes that work to help cleanse the body of toxins and fight off any infections or sickness. If they’re noticeably tender or swollen for longer than a day or two, give your doctor a call to make sure there’s nothing serious going on.
Tip #3: Make a doctors appointment
The best way to make sure your breasts are healthy is to get your doctor to take a look, but they can’t do that unless you schedule an appointment (or if you’re cool with your doc like that).If you’re 21 or older, your GYNO probably checks out your breasts every 3 year or so when you go in for a pap, but people aged 45 and up should plan to get a proper mammogram once a year. Whether it's a regular checkup or making sure that new bump isn’t causing trouble, seeing your doc is never a bad idea!
So go ahead, get friendly with your…
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/axillary-lymph-nodes#1
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam
