10/16/2022
Breast Cancer Awareness
Use your hands to examine your breasts:
Common ways to perform the manual part of the breast exam include:
a) Lying down.
Choose a bed or other flat surface to lie down on your back.
When lying down, breast tissue spreads out, making it thinner and easier to feel.
b) In the shower.
Lather your fingers and breasts with soap to help your fingers glide more smoothly over your skin.
When examining your breasts, some general tips to keep in mind include:
1) Use the pads of your fingers.
Use the pads, not the very tips, of your three middle fingers for the exam.
If you have difficulty feeling with your finger pads, use another part of your hand that is more sensitive, such as your palm or the backs of your fingers.
2) Use different pressure levels.
Your goal is to feel different depths of the breast by using different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue.
Use light pressure to feel the tissue closest to the skin, medium pressure to feel a little deeper, and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs.
Be sure to use each pressure level before moving on to the next spot.
If you're not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or nurse.
3) Take your time.
Don't rush. It may take several minutes to carefully examine your breasts.
4) Follow a pattern.
Use a methodical technique to ensure you examine your entire breast.
For instance, imagine the face of a clock over your breast or the slices of a pie.
Begin near your collarbone and examine that section, moving your fingers toward your ni**le.
Then move your fingers to the next section.
5) Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice:
A hard lump or knot near your underarm.
Changes in the way your breasts look or feel, including thickening or prominent fullness that is different from the surrounding tissue.
Dimples, puckers, bulges or ridges on the skin of your breast.
A recent change in a ni**le to become pushed in (inverted) instead of sticking out.
Redness, warmth, swelling or pain.
Itching, scales, sores or rashes.
Bloody ni**le discharge.