Breast refers to the main organs of the female reproductive system. It undergoes various changes during puberty, gestation, and plays one of the main roles - feeding the baby. On the other hand, this female organ is the most vulnerable and can cause serious problems in the body. The mammary gland depends on the state of the hormonal background, which can change over time. A woman should visit a breast specialist regularly or have a breast self-exam at home, preferably once a month.
Self breast examination
Monthly examination and palpation of the mammary glands is necessary to detect changes in their structure and the presence of seals in the chest. The main task of self-examination is to identify a malignant tumor at the first stage of its development. This pathology today belongs to the most common malignant tumors in the female reproductive system. Only timely detection and treatment will help the patient save her life.
BAs a result of the examination, it is possible to find benign breast tumors and monitor their manifestation and development. This will help to remove them in time, before they become malignant. Regular self-examination of the mammary glands, visiting a mammologist and a gynecologist will help to avoid a serious complication of mastopathy, which can lead to breast cancer.
Rules for breast self-examination in women
Most doctors recommend starting a daily breast exam at age 20 and doing it for the rest of your life. The period of gestation, lactation and menopause should not be an exception. With age, the risk of developing malignant tumors in the breast increases. It is especially difficult to identify pathology during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Therefore, during such a period, more attention should be paid to this issue. It is desirable to conduct an inspection on the same day every month. In the reproductive period, it is necessary to examine the breast a few days after the end of the menstrual cycle. At this time, she is less sensitive and swollen.
During menopause, breast examination can be done at the end or beginning of the month. When using oral contraceptives, a breast examination should be performed on the first day after starting the medicine from a new package.
There are a few basic steps for a breast self-exam:
- Stand up straight near the mirror, lower your arms along the torso. See if the glands are the same shape and size. Next startexamine the breasts separately. You should be alerted by all kinds of changes in the skin, discharge from the nipples, their retraction and asymmetry of the breast, unevenness of the mammary gland, changes in shape and size.
- Next, raise your arm above your head and repeat the same inspection.
- Place your hands on your belt, try to tighten and relax your chest muscles several times in a row. Inspect during this process.
- Pinch the nipples between the thumb and forefinger of the left and right hand. If a discharge appears from them, then pay attention to their color and consistency.
- Now lay back and relax. Using several fingers, examine the chest. Try to feel the left breast with your right hand, and vice versa. Follow the procedure carefully and slowly so as not to miss a single place. According to the results of the examination, it is possible to identify areas of softening and compaction, pain during the examination, changes in the structure of the mammary glands.
- The final step will be to repeat the chest exam while standing.
Regular palpation of the mammary glands will help to identify areas with seals, small formations and further observe their increase and change.
Why the left and right breasts are different
Why is the left breast larger than the right, or vice versa? In general, nature cannot create completely two identical things. If you look closely, you can see that the ears, eyes, arms, legs have a slight difference between them. So the mammary glands, according to medical research, differ one fromanother. This phenomenon has its own classification and is divided into congenital and acquired.
The asymmetry of the mammary glands of a congenital nature does not have an exact cause. The mammary glands during puberty can develop and grow in different ways, and by the age of 20 you can notice a slight asymmetry that will not improve with age. Unless during pregnancy, it can become even more pronounced.
The following factors may cause the asymmetry of the acquired type:
- Mechanical injury. For example, in childhood there was a traumatization of the chest, which was forgotten over time and all defects were attributed to a congenital character.
- Tumor. As a result, the growth of glandular tissue begins, and the breast increases in size.
- Being pregnant is one of the most common reasons why the left breast is larger than the right, and vice versa.
Pregnancy and breasts: its changes
Change in breast size depends on lactation. The left and right breasts are stimulated to an unequal degree, and different amounts of milk come to them. Hence the difference in size.
Reason why this happens:
- expressing milk;
- unequal supply of right and left breasts;
- single breastfeeding, especially at night;
- baby sucking unevenly on right and left breasts;
- one breast does not contain enough milk;
- cracked nipples.
Breast in early pregnancy
Firstsigns of pregnancy:
- mammary glands swell;
- hypersensitivity appears;
- discomfort in the mammary glands, especially in the nipples;
- darkening of the areola.
Breasts in early pregnancy begin to grow under the influence of hormones throughout the gestation period. There is nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, this suggests that the glands are preparing for lactation, and breast milk will be produced in them. The shape and size of the breasts are considered an individual feature of each woman and do not affect the process of breastfeeding. By the end of the first trimester, a yellowish liquid - colostrum - will begin to stand out from the nipples, and after a few days, droplets of milk will appear.
Changes in breasts in early pregnancy
Let's look at how breasts change. The mammary gland in the early stages of pregnancy, and for the entire period of its course, is completely transformed. Observed:
- feelings of an unusual state;
- chest begins to ache and hurt a little periodically or constantly;
- discomfort in the mammary gland while lying down;
- hypersensitivity;
- sometimes it's impossible to touch the chest;
- it hurts to wear a bra;
- breast augmentation;
- feeling of heaviness and fullness in the area of the mammary glands;
- a noticeable venous network appears.
All these symptoms are characterized byhormonal changes at the beginning of pregnancy. During this period, progesterone and chorionic gonadotropin are activated. Many women in the early stages do not notice much discomfort in the chest, which can also be associated with critical days. Remember that hardening in the mammary gland is not a sign of pregnancy, but, most likely, is the beginning of the development of the oncological process.
When to see a doctor
There are several factors that should be seen by a doctor immediately:
- changing the shape and contour of the breast;
- breast enlargement or protrusion of some areas on it;
- significant asymmetry of both breasts, especially with their hyperemia and swelling;
- change in skin color;
- wounds in the areola and nipples;
- seals in various places;
- soreness;
- highlights of all kinds that leave a mark on linen;
- axillary lymph node enlargement.
Suspicion of breast cancer
- Chest lump that appeared unexpectedly and is tighter than the others.
- Nipples drawn into the middle of the chest.
- The deviation of the nipple to the side is very significant.
- The presence of enlarged lymph nodes in the collarbone and armpits.
Detection of a tumor in the early stages can not only save lives, but also improve the treatment process, even without resorting to surgery and removal of the affected organ. Radiation therapy can help preventspread of metastases. Breast self-examination once a month will reduce the risk of death by almost one hundred percent. Even if a woman is not worried about anything, it is necessary to visit a mammologist once a year and undergo an ultrasound of the mammary glands.
Instead of afterword
Remember, your he alth largely depends on your responsibility and attention to yourself. It is very important to be aware of the various methods of breast examination, in particular the independent process that a woman can perform at home. Mammograms are not recommended for women under 40 without special indications. But after this age limit, you need to perform an examination every two years. After the age of 50, the procedure is carried out annually, since at this age the risk of breast cancer is highest.
Preventive measures for breast disease include regular sex life, a he althy and balanced diet, exercise, and stress reduction. And most importantly, this is a monthly self-examination of the mammary glands according to a special algorithm.
