How to guide Brease Self Exam:
Stand in front of a mirror that is large enough for you to see your breasts clearly and then visually check each breast for anything unusual. Your looking for puckering, dimpling, rashes on the skin or any discharge from the nipples.
Now you should clasp your hands behind your head, this will lift your breasts and may allow you to see something you missed.
Next, let your arms hang at your side and then press your hands firmly on your hips and bend slightly toward the mirror as you pull your shoulders and elbows forward. You are looking for any change in the shape or contour of your breasts. As you do this you will feel your chest muscles tighten.
once you've done all the above gently squeeze each nipple and look for any discharge.
Now you are ready for the final part of your exam, so lay down on your back because it flattens your breasts out and spreads the tissue more evenly over the chest.
As you lay on your back, take one hand (on the side you are going to check) and place it behind your head.
Use the pads of the fingers of your other hand to check the breast and the surrounding area firmly, carefully, and thoroughly. Some women like to use lotion or powder to help their fingers glide easily over the skin. Feel for any unusual lump or mass under the skin. Feel the tissue by pressing your fingers in small, overlapping areas about the size of a dime. To be sure you cover the whole breast, take your time and follow a definite pattern: lines, circles, or wedges. The important thing is to cover the whole breast and to pay special attention to the area between the breast and the underarm, including the underarm itself. Check the area above the breast, up to the collarbone, and all the way over to your shoulder.
- If you want to work with lines, start in the arm pit and move your fingers downward little by little until they are below the breast, then move your fingers slightly toward the middle and slowly move back up. Go up and down until you cover the whole area.
- Circles start at the outer edge of your breast, move your fingers slowly around the whole breast in a circle. Move around the breast in smaller and smaller circles, gradually working toward the nipple. Don't forget to check the underarm and upper chest areas, too.
- A wedge starts at the outer edge of the breast with your fingers moving toward the nipple and back to the edge. Check your whole breast, covering one small wedge-shaped section at a time. Be sure to check the underarm area and the upper chest.
The American Cancer Society recommends using three different levels of pressure to examine your breasts:
Light pressure - to examine the tissue closest to the skin
Medium pressure - to feel a little deeper
Firm pressure - to feel deeper tissue closer to the chest wall
What do you do if you find a lump?
If you discover lumpiness, feel something "different" in the tissue, feel a definite lump, experience any new or atypical pain, or notice any difference in size, shape, or texture of your breast, report to your health care practitioner. Additionally, if you notice any changes in the nipple area such as redness, leaking, dimpling, or puckering, be on the safe side and tell your doctor.
Do not panic it is natural to be frightened when discovering a lump, but do not let the prospect of cancer delay you from taking action, remember the lumpiness may be due to menstrual changes, but if you have nipple discharge or skin changes such as dimpling or puckering, you should see your physician right away.
