Breast Self-Examination
The Importance of Breast Self-Examination
Women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel so that they can detect any abnormality and changes, and able to seek medical attention immediately, increasing the chance of cure. Doctors recommend that women should do breast self-examination within one week after the end of menstruation, and for women who have reached menopause, they can fix a date each month for self-examination.
Please refer the following simple method of breast self-examination to observe the breasts whether they have these variations:
- Breast: e.g. lumps, changes in shape or size, persistent abnormal pain
- Breast skin: e.g. unusual redness, sunken, hard-to-heal wound
- Nipple: e.g. changes in shape, inverted, bleeding, secretions
Touch Method
Can be performed in bed or during shower
- Keep right hand raised, place the middle three finders of the left hand on the right breast, gently press in a small circle direction from the outside to the inside of the nipple. Feel whether there are lumps or swelling around the area. Then proceed to check the left breast using the same method.
- Gently press the nipple and check whether there are secretions.
- Examine the left breast, nipple and underarm using the same method.
When discover any abnormalities or changes in the breast, one should seek medical attention immediately. Ultrasound scan can also be performed as a preliminary test if necessary.