It’s October, which means breast health is taking its turn in the spotlight. Every year, right around this time, breast health and the warnings of breast cancer are everywhere.

And frankly, it can be downright scary to see all the information flooding your feed.

You might start to worry if you’re checking the right way. If you’re checking often enough. If your breasts are normal. You might panic about what you think is a lump. You might be experiencing pain in your breasts. 

With all these sensations and the constant stream of breast health, you might freak out. 

We’re here to help take this anxiety off of your shoulders and bring you the facts in today’s article.

Today, we’re going to talk about:

• Why you should be regularly completing self breast exams
• What it could mean if you found a lump
• What it could mean if you feel pain in your breast
• What is considered normal breast tissue
• How often you should be checking your breasts, and
• How to complete a self breast exam

Let’s get started, shall we?

Super Important Note: We are not doctors. Please consult your doctor or medical professional with any concerns you may have. This is strictly an informational piece and should not be used to diagnose or treat medical conditions. 

Why It’s Important To Check Your Breasts

Breast cancer affects 1 in every 8 women. Before that statistic scares you, you must think about the risk factors involved. If you are…

• Under the age of 55
• Overall healthy
• Do not have a family history of breast cancer
• Do not have a personal history of breast cancer
• Have not had radiation treatments before the age of 30

You are less likely to be at risk for breast cancer. If you would like to know more, we recommend this article. 

All that aside, the reason it’s so important to regularly check your breasts is that early detection increases your chances of beating cancer. 

If You Found A Lump, Don’t Panic

The first thing we think when we find a lump is the dreaded C word. Before you let your mind go in this direction, here’s food for thought:

The majority of breast lumps found are benign, meaning NOT cancerous. In fact, “Ninety percent of lumps are benign and can be due to a whole host of causes, from menstruation to cysts to remnants of an old injury.” 

This means lumps you find in your breast could be due to hormones and normal fluctuations of the breast tissue, cysts, fibroadenomas, or you could have fibrous or dense breast tissue. There’s a whole slew of reasons for what you found, and the majority of them are very common and not life-threatening. 

If you find a lump remember: Don’t Panic! But do see a doctor or medical professional as soon as possible for any new lumps or abnormalities you find, just to be sure. 

If Your Breasts Hurt, Stay Calm

Before we go too far, let’s get one thing out: pain does not mean cancer. There are SO many reasons you might feel pain in your breasts, and the majority of them are not cancerous. In fact, we have an entire article dedicated to this topic! You can find that here: My Period Is A Pain In The Boob. 

The highlights of that article are:

• Your menstrual cycle impacts your hormones, which impacts your breast tissue
• Breast tissue can become very tender depending on where you are in your cycle
• Birth control can cause side effects, such as breast pain
• Nutrients from the food you eat can also impact your hormones and breast health

What Is Normal Breast Tissue

The first thing to point out here is what’s normal for one person is not always normal for the next. Breast tissue greatly varies from person to person. Breasts can be dense, fibrous, lumpy all over, and more. It’s important to find the baseline for your breasts so you know what’s normal for YOU. This can be done with a quick trip to the doctor to check up and make sure everything is OK, and then you know where your starting point is. 

Things that are not always normal and should be evaluated by a doctor include:

• Nipple discharge that’s not due to pregnancy
• Hard or abnormal shaped lumps
• Skin changes to the feel of the breast, such as dimpling
• Skin changes to the color of the breast, such as redness
• Pain that does not go away or worsens
• Changes in the size or shape of the breast

How Often Should You Check Your Breasts

General rule of thumb here is to check your breasts monthly at home, typically 3-5 days after the start of your period, and annually at the gynecologist. Although recent updates to the guidelines now encourages those under 40 to visit the gynecologist for a breast exam every one to three years. Your doctor will be the best person to tell you how often you should plan to visit. 

How To Check Your Breasts

The best way to learn how to check your breasts is through video! Check out this video to learn how to complete a self exam.

Let us know! What questions do you have about your breasts? 

Until next time! 

Be well, 

Tara & the Be Prepared Period team