We never tire of reminding women over the age of 35 about the need for regular professional breast diagnostics. The "gold standard" in breast diagnostics is X-ray mammography. The X-ray dose is very low due to the use of modern equipment, so women do not need to be afraid to undergo an examination every year.
At the same time, do not forget about self-diagnosis, and if the slightest suspicious changes are detected, immediately consult a mammologist, regardless of whether it is time for another regular examination or not. Andrey Viktorovich Koloskov, a specialist in the diagnosis of breast diseases at the Mammology Center of the European Medical Center, spoke about how breast self-examination should be performed.
Breast self-examination: technique
Breast self-examination should be performed once a month on the 6th-12th day after the start of menstruation. Women who are not menstruating should have a self-examination on a specific day of each month. Self-examination consists of examining and palpating the mammary glands. The inspection should be carried out in good light. For examination, it is necessary to undress to the waist. The examination should be performed standing and lying on your back.
Before starting an examination of the mammary glands, it is necessary to examine the inside of the bra for traces of secretions. Next, the nipples are examined to see if they have retracted, if their color and shape have changed, and if there are ulcers. After that, the skin of the glands is examined.: is there any discoloration, swelling, retractions, ulceration.
Breast examination in front of a mirror is performed in various positions of the body and hands:
With his hands down;
With his hands up;
Turning to the right;
Turning to the left.
At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points:
are the mammary glands symmetrical in size, have they increased/decreased;
are the glands located at the same level;
do they move evenly when raising their hands.
Breast examination procedure:
Raise your right hand, run the fingers of your left hand over all parts of the right gland, and note the presence of lumps and swellings. Perform a similar examination of the left gland.
The procedure for examination in the supine position:
1 - When feeling the left breast, a small pillow is placed under the left shoulder blade, and the palm of the left hand is under the head. With the fingers of the right hand, all parts of the gland and the armpit are felt in circular movements with light pressure. In healthy women, nodular formations should not be detected.
2 - Palpation of the right gland is performed.
Every woman should know that nipple discharge does not always leave traces on her underwear. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to identify them independently. To do this, the nipple is slightly squeezed at its base with the thumb and forefinger.
So, self–diagnosis is a procedure that every woman should know about, but it must be remembered that only an experienced specialist can give an objective assessment of breast health, and even the most experienced mammologist sometimes cannot do this without receiving the results of studies such as low-dose mammography, digital tomosynthesis, MRI of the mammary glands.
.webp)
