As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, it’s important to remember that breast health is a year-round commitment. It’s vital to be proactive about your breast health. Here are a few ways you can stay on top of it all.
Give yourself regular breast self-exams.
Self-awareness is the first step in breast health. Be informed about your own body by performing regular breast self-exams—make a date with yourself once a month! You’ll learn more about the variance throughout the month in sensitivity and texture, and you’ll want to understand your breast tissue so that if any change did occur, you could be on top of it. Concerns about breast lumps, breast pain or discharge? Consult your doctor.
Moisturize.
They will thank you! During weight loss, weight gain, pregnancy and during your menstrual cycle, the skin around the breast goes on a roller coaster. Find a natural, safe moisturizer to keep the girls happy and nourished.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
While there’s no food or ingredient that can prevent or cause breast cancer, dietary choices (as well as lifestyle decisions such as physical activity levels, not smoking, and keeping body weight under control) do make a difference when it comes to risk of developing the disease.
Incorporate fruits and vegetables daily.
A study recently found that nearly 100,000 women whose diet comprised mainly of plants, cut the risk of developing breast cancer by 15 percent. Dietary fiber is also something to consider. Since the development (and spread) of many types of breast cancer can be related to excess estrogen, eating a high-fiber diet can support the digestive system’s regular elimination of waste, including the excess hormone..
Know your family history, and stay on top of screening.
Just because a relative was diagnosed with breast cancer does not mean another will develop it, but understanding your family history is essential to learning about risk and prevention.
If breast cancer runs in your family, ask about genetic testing or high-risk evaluation and monitoring and determine a schedule for future screening. It's also important to consult with your doctor to better understand common screening and diagnostic tests like clinical breast exams, mammograms and breast ultrasounds, and which are right for you!
Schedule a consultation.
Are you considering breast augmentation, breast reduction or breast lift? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Majewski to better understand the surgical process, whether or not you’re a candidate, what to expect from the procedure and more!
