Breasts

 

Breasts, only a women thing …

‘Breasts’, ’Boobs’, ‘Nipples’ whenever we hear such words, we feel shy and embarrassed to talk on such a topic in public and think that this is a topic which needs to be discussed in private space. But we don’t realize the fact that it is a very important topic and needs the foremost attention today. Of course, I am not trying to scare you but just want you to know that besides lung cancer, breast cancer causes higher deaths than any other type of cancer out there. That's why we need to know and talk more about it.

Male and female both have breasts but the female breasts are more developed because it has a mammary gland to produce milk to provide nutrition to their babies. In the early stages of life, both males and females have a similar structure, it is during puberty and menstrual cycles that the hormonal changes take place leading to the growth and development of female breasts and the mammary gland which supply milk through a special duct called nipples. There are only connecting tissues and fats inside the breasts which help to keep breasts in place and that’s why they are soft too.

Myth: Breasts are always symmetrical.

Fact: Breasts are usually asymmetrical. So, you should not worry about it, of course, you can go for breasts augmentation (surgery) but it will have side effects to some extent like scars, breast pain, etc.

Breasts are considered to be a symbol of beauty for women. So, we are very conscious about their breast size. We always want them to be of a perfect size which means neither too big nor too small. Also, plastic surgeries and implanting of breasts are very common nowadays. Women who nowadays wear deep neck tops, bikinis, or revealing clothes in which breasts are shown are judged by society. But let’s not forget that whatever we wear is our choice and if it makes you feel comfortable then never worry about what society will say.

Myth: Wearing a bra while sleeping can increase the chances of breast cancer is the biggest myth.

Fact: It is just that when you remove your bra it makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. If you feel like wearing one make sure it’s not too tight. It’s your call, want to wear it then wear it.

 

Breast Cancer:

Breast Cancer is found in every one out of 8 women in the USA. Even men can have breast cancer. While its risk is increasing day by day we need to know more about it

Causes:

Ø  Changes in hormones = abnormal growth of cells in breasts

Ø  Way of living = Smoking, and drinking can lead to a higher risk

Ø  Environmental impacts = Exposure to pollution can also increase the probability of breast cancer.

Ø  Sometimes it is due to genetic reasons too.

Ø  Taking birth control pills can also increase the risk.

Symptoms:

Ø  Lumps on or around the breast. The thickening of tissues will make you feel different.

Ø  Change in size, shape, etc of the breasts or rashes around the breasts.

Ø  Peeling, scaling, crusting, or flaking of the areola and newly inverted nipples

Prevention:

Ø  Get your breasts checked regularly preferably after 30. You can self-examine yourself too by massaging every day and if you feel something different reach out to your doctor.

Ø  Limiting alcohol and smoking.

Ø  Adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy and maintaining proper weight. Also, regular exercise can lower the risk

Ø  Breastfeeding children can also reduce the risk.

 

Myth: No lumps, small breasts means no cancer.

Fact: Even if you don’t find any lumps go for a mammography (x-ray for breasts) because you may have it and you may not know it because it doesn’t hurt sometimes. But sometimes even if you have lumps they are not cancerous. Breast Cancer does not discriminate on the size of the breast.

 

Mammography:

Mammography is specialized medical imaging that uses x-ray to see inside the breasts. It helps in detecting breast cancer at an early stage to women experiencing no symptoms so that proper treatment can be given to them.

 

Myth: Radiation of mammography causes cancer.

Fact: It produces a very little dose of radiation. It's just like an x-ray and doesn’t cause breast cancer.

 

Mastectomy:

After cancer is detected in early-stage mastectomy that means a surgery in which all your breast tissues are removed so that it doesn’t spread further. It is major surgery and the pain after surgery is temporary for some people but lasts longer for others. This surgery has both side effects and risks. So as we all know ‘prevention is better than cure’, we should rather try to avoid mastectomy.

Myth: We will not get breast cancer after mastectomy.

Fact: Breast cancer cells can remain after mastectomy and grow over time causing cancer to reoccur.

 

Breast-feeding:

Breastfeeding helps the moms to burn calories which helps them to reduce the extra weight they gain during pregnancy. It also lowers the risk of depression, cancer, and diabetes. It helps to create that emotional bond with the child. It is proven in many studies that at least for the first six months mother's milk is very nutritious and important for the child.

Myth: Breastfeeding leads to breast sag.

Fact: Sagging can happen due to smoking which loosens your tissues. Although a lot of pregnancies lead to contraction and expansion of tissues again and again which can lead to sagging.

 

Breast care:

As already mentioned above the breasts are a very important organ in our body and both men and women need to take care of them properly to avoid the situation of the breast can which in its worst stage can take away people's lives too.

Ø  Maintain proper diet and weight. BMI more than 23 isn’t preferred.

Ø  Adopt an active lifestyle by doing exercise to keep your body strong.

Ø  Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.

Ø  Get your breasts checked by a doctor if you feel pain or difference in size or appearance.

 

Healthy Breasts look like:

I would like to end my article on a positive note. Indicators that prove your breasts are healthy are:

Ø  Clear skin with no rashes and which is not dry.

Ø  If your breasts temperature matches your body temperature.

Ø  If your nipples are discharging nothing other than milk (like blood).

Ø  If they are pain-free except in some cases when you are on your periods.

 

Thus, if you came so far you might now know how important it is for us to take care of our breasts, also how dangerous breast cancer can be, and how we can take care of our breasts by following some preventing measures instead of going through long and expensive painful surgeries.

 

                    (By Twadanya Jain, Volunteer, Editorial Dept. Advanced Healthcare Foundation)