Listen to Your Body: 5 Hidden Signs of Breast Cancer You Shouldn’t Ignore
Cancer is a terrible disease that claims thousands of innocent lives every year. Breast cancer is particularly dangerous: unlike other forms of cancer such as skin or lung cancer, there are few things you can do to prevent it.
Of course, it is always good to live a healthy life, exercise, eat well, and use sunscreen when you go sunbathing, but breast cancer is a genetic cancer, which means it is hereditary.
Although you cannot prevent it from developing, there are ways to detect the symptoms earlier, increasing your chances of survival and faster recovery.
The first thing you need to learn is to examine yourself. You need to learn how your breasts feel so that you can detect changes yourself.
Read on to learn 5 ways to detect breast cancer early.
1. Check your breasts after each menstrual cycle
You should check your breasts regularly, and the best time to do so is the day after your period ends. Raise your arm straight up in the air and feel your breast with one finger. You should also feel your armpits. If you feel changes or lumps, you should immediately consult your doctor.
2. Know what you’re looking for
You may already know what feels normal to you, but do you know what to look for when you examine yourself? Most people react to lumps, but lumps do not always mean you have breast cancer. They can appear for many different reasons.
They can be caused by an infection, scar tissue, or a cyst, which are often harmless. That’s exactly why it’s important to check your breasts regularly. You need to know how your breasts normally feel to know if any changes have occurred.
A cancerous lump is often firm, hard to move, and is painful when you put pressure on it. Cancer cells can appear in your breasts and in your armpits.
3. Check the skin on your breasts
After examining your breasts, it’s time to look in the mirror to see if there are any changes in appearance.
You should look out for:
- Wrinkles on the breast
- Folded skin
- Flaky skin
- Rough skin
- Red or swollen skin
- Unexplained changes in breast size or shape
- Asymmetry (only if the asymmetry comes out of nowhere: it is normal for breasts to be naturally asymmetric)
If your breast is swollen or tender for a long period of time, this can also be a sign of breast cancer.
4. Check your nipples
You should also check both your nipples when performing a self-examination. If you see or experience any of the following symptoms, you should consult your doctor immediately:
- Pain
- Redness
- Itching
- Hardness
- Moisture
5. Ask your doctor to examine you
Whether you are going to the doctor because you are worried about something or it’s your annual health check, you can always ask your doctor to examine your breasts, just to be sure.
If you are concerned or feel any changes, you should always consult a doctor for a thorough examination.
Share this important article with your friends so that more people are aware of the early signs of breast cancer.
Together we can save lives!
