A simple method of observing your breast tissue at home for lumps and other issues is the BSE. You can contemplate discussing with your health provider any changes or abnormalities you observe through the process of conducting a breast self-examination. One You will be able to monitor your breast health and know when to seek medical care if you understand what is breast self-examination and how to do one.

Reasons to Consider a Breast Self-Examination

To detect lumps, tenderness, nodules, and other signs of breast cancer, some individuals perform breast self-examinations. Furthermore, BSEs can give you an idea of how your breasts look and feel so that you might be aware of any changes in your breasts right away. Still, there are some ongoing debates among doctors and established health agencies about the effectiveness or how well something works regarding breast self-examinations.

For example, breast self-exams are not recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to diagnose breast cancer. Evidence exists that overuse of imaging tests may occur among individuals who perform breast self-exams. Furthermore, research has shown that screening for breast cancer by simply performing breast self-exams alone does not decrease your mortality rate from breast cancer. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends routine mammography screening with your provider starting at age 40.

According to new mammography guidelines recently announced by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, most women should start screening for breast cancer at age 40 and continue every other year until they are 74.

The American Cancer Society does note, though, that BSEs can educate you on what your breasts look and feel like, so you might be more aware of unusual changes in your breast tissue. Any suspicious changes can be discussed with your health professional as soon as they occur.

When to Check Your Breasts

This is normal because it changes due to hormonal conditions that occur within your body throughout your menstrual cycle. For example, you could feel your breasts feel denser, harder, and even more painful just before your period is about to begin.

You could do a breast self-examination once every month, in general. Reliable results from a breast self-examination are best found if you check your breast tissue three to five days after the beginning of your period. Ideally, you should do a breast self-examination at the same time each month if you have irregular periods or have previously experienced menopause.

The Function of the Breast Self-Examination

It should take no more than fifteen minutes to do a breast self-examination. To give the test appropriately, proceed as follows:

• Step 1: Lie on your back and put your right hand behind your head.

•  Step 2: Squeeze down on the entire right breast using the pads of your left hand’s three middle fingers.

• Step 3: Alternate between gentle, moderate, and hard pressure to feel all layers of your breast tissue.

• Step 4: Lean forward and press deeply beneath your armpit under your arm with your right hand up to feel for lumps.

• Step 5: Check if there is any leakage by squeezing your nipples gently.

• Step 6: Change position, switch arms, and repeat the process on the other breast.

• Step 7: Stand up and look at your breasts in the mirror for any signs of redness, swelling, or new lumps. While raising your arms.

• Step 8: Standing with your arms raised, look at your breasts again for any cause for alarm to report to your doctor.

Things to Watch Out for

You should examine and manually look at your breasts for any abnormality when doing self-examination.

• Lumps, pimples, cysts, and nodules

• Changes in the size, shape, or texture of your breasts

• Discharge from the breasts

• Indentation or puckering of the skin (little ripples on your breasts)

• Your breasts have indentations.

• Areas of thicker or tougher skin

• Bruised or sore areas

It’s very important to remember that most changes in the breast, including lumps, are not cancerous. Breasts can feel different from one time to another for many reasons, such as hormonal changes that can happen just before your period, pregnancy, menopause, birth control pills, and just due to the aging process itself.

Restrictions

Because breast self-examinations are quick, low-risk, and inexpensive, they have long been recommended as part of the process of breast cancer screening. Recent studies, however, suggest that the efficacy and value of BSEs are significantly limited.3.

According to some studies, BSEs do not impact the deaths due to breast cancer. Moreover, in the early stages of the disease, small nodules may be undetectable by BSEs. BSEs sometimes produce false positives and unnecessary investigations.

On the other hand, breast self-examinations may raise your awareness on the appearance and healthiness of your breasts. Hence, in future, whenever you notice a change concerning your breasts, you would be able to discuss those changes with your provider over the abnormal one. Regardless of your decision to have a BSE, follow current clinical guidelines for annual screening mammograms starting at age 45. You may need to start testing earlier if you are more likely to develop breast cancer and want to detect the cancer early.

When to See a Doctor

Any concerns you have about your breasts should be shared with your healthcare provider, such as:

The National Breast Cancer Foundation. Check your own breasts 

• Any changes you notice, including new lumps or bumps

• Tenderness and pain not associated with menstruation

• Heat, swelling, or redness in or around your breast

• A lump in your armpit or near your collarbone

• Blood, pus, or fluid leaking from your nipples

A Brief Overview

A simple do-it-yourself way to check for lumps and other abnormalities of breast cancer is a breast self-examination. Breast self-exams can familiarize you better with your breasts, so any unusual changes that you note would be picked up at their earliest instance, even if not all organizations or clinicians recommend doing it.

Ultimately, if you’re thinking about performing a breast self-exam, talk to your doctor first. She can help you decide if it’s right for you, and also provide the safest and most effective way of doing it. Also, remember to bring any suspicious symptoms that appear in your breasts to your healthcare provider for appropriate testing.