How to carry out breast self-examination?

Everyone knows that it is necessary to carry out self-examination of the breast, but how many people know and remember it correctly.

When is it necessary to carry out self-examination of mammary glands?

Breast self-examination for adverse changes should be carried out every month. Regular visits to the doctor do not exclude the need for this procedure. Moreover, no special equipment is required, enough mirrors and own hands, and it takes a little time - 10-15 minutes. Self-examination is necessary in the first week after menstruation, because at other times the examination can be ineffective - before the monthly and during them the breast swells and there may be some soreness.

The procedure for self-examination of the breast

Self-examination consists of two stages - examination and palpation.

Inspection is carried out as follows

1. Undress and stand up straight in front of the mirror.
2. Carefully examine the mammary glands, paying attention to the skin condition, size and shape, the state of the nipple, the presence of discharge from the nipple or crust on it.
3. Raise your hands and examine your chest again.

Palpation is carried out with light pressure gradually it, strengthening, but painful sensations to admit it is not necessary. You need to palpate in the following order.

1. Throw your left hand behind your head. Using the fingers of the right hand, gently touch the left breast, moving in a spiral - from the armpit to the nipple.
2. Feel the left breast, moving vertically, from top to bottom.
3. Repeat the same operations with the right breast.
4. Gently squeeze the nipples with your fingers to check if there is any discharge
5. Further the examination continues in the supine position. You need to lie on your back, placing a small roller under the shoulder blade of the side that you are examining.
6. Examination is carried out when the hand is in three positions - lies along the body, is wound behind the head and is diverted to the side.
7. With fingers of the right hand, palpate the left breast, first the outer half, then the inner half. The outer half is probed, starting the nipple and moving up. The inner half is palpated from the nipple, moving to the sternum. You need to go through all areas, noting whether there are seals, nodes, changes in the thickness of the skin or in the structure of the breast tissue.
8. Fingers of the right hand need to feel the axillary and supraclavicular area.
9. The same manipulations must be made by examining the right breast. The movements are mirrored.

And in order to not forget the order of the actions, use this memo.

What should I look for during breast self-examination?

When conducting the survey for the first time, many ladies are surprised by the uneven structure of the breast. This should not be a cause for concern, the mammary glands are composed of lobules of different sizes and densities. You need to worry if you notice the following changes:

change in the shape of the breast;

• asymmetric change in breast size, light asymmetry is present in everyone, you need to fear when suddenly it appears;
• any condensation that appears on the skin of the breast;
• retraction of nipples;
• any changes in the skin of the breast - the formation of wrinkles or wrinkling;
• the appearance of compression in the axillary or supraclavicular areas;
• any swelling of one or both mammary glands;
• swelling of the veins on one or both mammary glands;
• any discharge from the nipples, except for the period of pregnancy and lactation;
• change in the shape of the nipple, shortening the radius of the areola.

If you have any suspicions or doubts during self-examination, then you need to make an appointment with a doctor (mammologist), you do not need to delay it with a visit to a specialist. The sooner the disease is detected, the more effective the treatment will be.