Health World News and Features

The woman’s body has been manipulated throughout tim. Women not only in the entertainment industry are pressured to “measure up” to a stereotyped body image. Take the case of the breast. It is the first victim of this “psychological disturbance” among many women. It undergoes breast augmentation, enhancement, a lift, etc. to achieve that desirable form.

But we must realize that the most psychologically disturbing experience anyone can have is discovering a lump in her breast! Cysts (fluid lumps) or masses growth hence can alter the size and shape of the breast leading to potential distortion and even deterioration of body image. A woman who finds out that she has a lump in the breast will probably suspect cancer. A visit to the doctor to confirm what the lump is all about should be done immediately so that early treatment could be administered.

Since every woman’s breast change several times even in a month’s time following the menstrual cycle, frequent visits are not really necessary! A woman can do breast self examination (BSE). But first, she should know what is her “normal breast” and how her breasts “normally feel” so she can easily identify changes during BSE. Any change that is seen and felt is identified and compared to the other breast.

How to do the BSE:

*Stand or sit in front of the mirror for visual inspection. Raise the hands and place behind the head. Look for dimples, discharges, folds, lumps, thickening, size and shape change, and swelling. Check also the underarm for any lump.

*Next, examine the breast using the second and third fingers of the opposite hand. Start the finger-walk around the perimeter of the nipple, moving about an inch away each time you complete the perimeter creating a bigger spiral until the outermost edge of the breast is covered.

*Continue up towards and under the armpit. If your breast is large relative to the “average” allow the fingers pads to apply heavier pressure to better evaluate underlying breast tissue.

*Repeat the visual scan and finger walk at the other breast.

*Finger walk at the breasts should be repeated when lying down.

Early breast cancer is painless, non-tender when pressed, movable and feels like a mongo seed or a marble upon hand palpation. The mass is movable at early stage then becoming non-movable at late stage, with irregular borders. Other late stage signs are nipple discharge, nipple inversion dimpling and or swelling of breast skin, and or armpit mass.

September 13, 2005 – Philippine Star