If you have boobs, you should be checking them at least once a month for abnormalities and changes in appearance, in addition to regular check ups. It may sound like a lot of work, but self check’s have proven effective in helping catch breast cancer early, and it is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1. Look
Stand in front of a mirror with your arms first at your sides and then raised. Inspect your breasts for any lumps, dimples, swelling, fluid leaking from one or both nipples, discoloration, or any other changes in appearance.
2. Feel
Feel the breast and armpit area in a circular motion with the your fingertips for lumps, knots, and any other abnormalities. You should check both breasts both while standing up and lying down, as you may be able to more easily detect an abnormality in one position than the other. Try using different pressures with your finger tips and squeezing each nipple to check for any leaking.
3. Report
Be sure to bring any abnormalities up to your doctor. Even if you do not find any abnormalities, it is a good idea to get checked by a doctor regularly as well since. Though forty percent of the cases in which breast cancers gets detected are through self-checks, the other sixty percent still rely on doctors.