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Steps to Do Your Breast Self-Exam

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

A breast self-exam is a home checkup that a woman performs to check that there have been no lumps or changes in the breast tissue. It is recommended that every woman begins to examine her breasts once a month from her first menstruation. In this way, she can become familiar with the typical appearance of her breasts and more easily notice and immediately identify any changes that they may present.

Although breast self-examination cannot diagnose breast cancer, it is considered effective in determining lumps that could be malignant and that, discovered and treated early, may no longer be a risk to a woman’s health. Given the importance suggested by the practice of this checkup, in this FastlyHealarticle, we inform you about the steps to perform a breast self-examination.

Breast self-exam: when to do it?

The best time to perform a breast self-exam is when the menstrual period has ended or one week after. Why? Because at this stage, the breasts are less sensitive. In the case of women who have gone through menopause, it is recommended to carry out the checkup on the same day every month.

Breast self-examination includes two types of checkups:

  • Visual: it allows for the identification of changes in the size and shape of the breasts and changes in the skin and the nipple.
  • Palpation: Helps to identify hardness, bumps, discharge, lumps, or balls.

Steps to Doing a Visual Breast Self-Exam

This part of the breast self-exam involves looking for changes in the appearance of your breasts. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Stand in front of a mirror without a shirt or bra.
  2. Place both hands on your hips and press down hard to contract the muscles.
  3. In this position, pay attention to the appearance of your breasts and observe if the skin and nipples show redness, flaking, or indentation.
  4. Then, look at the shape of your breasts, size, contour, or if there is any sagging or wrinkling.
  5. Lift each of your breasts to check underneath them and on both sides.
  6. Raise one of your arms to head level and monitor how the armpit looks. Then repeat with the other arm.

Steps to Do Your Breast Self-Exam: Palpation

The part of the breast self-exam that palpation suggests should be done as follows:

  1. The best position to examine your breasts is lying on the bed without any pillows since these make it difficult for the breast tissue to flatten on the chest.
  2. Lie on the bed without a top or bra and put your right arm behind your head.
  3. With the middle fingers of your left hand, begin to gently but firmly press all of the breast tissue of your right breast. Next, examine the entire underarm area.
  4. Using your fingertips, start in an up and down circular motion until you have reviewed all of the breast and underarm tissue.
  5. Repeat the previous step but exert a little more force to be able to explore the deepest part of your breasts. Don’t be alarmed if you feel your ribs during the touch.
  6. When touching your breasts, it is recommended that you do it in different directions: up, down, towards the center, and to the sides.
  7. Once you have finished examining your breasts and armpits, you should check your nipple. To do this, press your nipple gently and firmly with the help of your index finger and thumb.
  8. Check if you feel any nodule when you press on your nipple or there is any discharge.
  9. Once you have finished exploring your right breast, you must repeat the entire procedure with your left breast.

When to go to the doctor?

When doing the breast self-exam, you must analyze its shape, size, and texture if you find any abnormality. When a mass is malignant, it is usually firm, irregular in shape, and lumpy to the touch, giving the feeling that they are attached to your chest.

Similarly, any significant change you have noticed in your breasts should be analyzed by your doctor since many women tend to confuse any change in the tissue with breast lumps and differentiate common nodules with new and alarming nodules. Therefore, before any sign of alarm, it is always convenient to go to the specialist.

Also, if your breast self-exam is always expected, you should not forget that you should check your breasts at least once a year. Therefore, if it has been a long time since you have visited the doctor to explore your breasts, you must schedule a consultation soon. Remember that breast cancer can only be diagnosed through mammography and breast echo, and if you are already 35 years old, you are at the age to do it.

This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Steps to do a breast self-exam, we recommend that you enter our category of Female reproductive system.

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