As a woman, taking care of your body as you grow older is essential. However, there are vulnerable areas that you have to pay special attention to. One of those areas of focus is your breasts.
In order to keep your breasts in healthy, you need to practice preventative care to avoid diseases and other issues. Keeping reading to stay on top of your breast health with these helpful tips.
Exercise Regularly
Getting in a good amount of exercise on a daily basis is known to be ideal for overall wellness. But working out regularly is especially effective for optimal breast health.
When we become overweight, it’s basically a surplus of fat cells adding up in our bodies. Within these fat cells is estrogen that is constantly produced. Although estrogen is a naturally occurring hormone in the body, too much in the blood can put you at risk for breast cancer following menopause.
Burn those calories helps to shrink fat cells, thus lower your chances of declining health. Carve out time during your days to make sure that you’re keeping up with a workout schedule. Remember that a little goes a long way.
Keep a Balanced Diet
There are actually foods that you can eat to improve and maintain good breast health. Packing on the fruits and veggies (cruciferous vegetables are recommended) is a great preventative method for avoiding diseases. You’ll also want to add-in plant-based based proteins and spices like turmeric.
Keeping a good amount of healthy fats (omega-3s) in your diet is also helpful. Things like seeds (flax, etc.), oily fish (salmon, etc) and nuts (walnuts, etc.) work well as staple items in your nutrition when it comes to breast care.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
Remember we spoke about how keeping healthy hormonal levels is essential to breast health? Well, alcohol has been found to increase estrogen and other hormones that show up as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, which is the most common type of breast cancer.
Women who drink less have shown lower risk percentages of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Alcohol can also damage DNA cells, which can cause other psychological, emotional and behavioral issues in the long run.
Having a drink a day or less is the most suggested amount for women looking to manage the health of their breasts.
Avoid Smoking Cigarettes
Another problematic habit that can lead to issues related to your breasts is smoking cigarettes. Researchers have found that women who began smoking before they started menstruation were at the highest risk for developing breast cancer.
They also found evidence that suggested those risks remaining a possibility for the disease up to two years after someone gives up smoking. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t quit if you are looking to give up smoking for breast care reasons. In fact, stopping today could potentially cut your chances in half.
Cigarettes come with many detrimental side effects. Don’t fall victim to the decline of your breast health being one of them.
Check for Lumps
Finding a lump in your chest area is one of the scariest moments any woman will ever have. Granted, not all women have to live through this experience. However, there are many who do and still are around to tell their stories.
This is sometimes because doing regular checks for lumps can help to catch any signs of irregularities early on. Not all lumps and bumps are cancerous but you should contact your physician immediately if you do feel something strange going on in that area. Doing breast self-exams is a simple yet powerful prevention method that only takes a few minutes.
Raise your arm slightly above your head and use your three middle fingertips to gently massage around each breast in a circular motion. You want to be on the lookout for any sign of pain, discomfort or bulges (no matter how big or small they feel). Try using a mirror if that is easier.
Remember not to get to worked up if you do feel something. There are plenty of women who live with benign lumps, as long as they don’t cause any extra pain. The most important part is learning your breasts and knowing when something is wrong.
Schedule Recommended Exams & Screenings
It is recommended that women start to be seen yearly for mammograms at the age of 45-years-old- then every other year at 55-years-old. Regular screenings are important for detecting signs of breast cancer while its early enough to treat successfully.
Women may also schedule appointments for ultrasounds as another way of monitoring signs of concerns in breast health. Mammograms and ultrasounds are the two primary methods that doctors are able to diagnose and prescribe care for patients dealing with breast-related issues.
Read here for more about 3d mammograms and ultrasounds plus how they can help you.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you’re feeling a bit uneasy or unsure about the current state of your breast health then its best to reach out to your doctor right away. Sometimes we might think that we are overreacting when it comes to our health concerns. But its always better to be safe than sorry.
Keep up with regular appointments with your primary care physician and bring up any issues that you may be worried about. Always speak up for your health, even if you think the situation might not be too serious. Prevention is the best method of breast care.
Stay On Top of Your Breast Health
There are many things you can do to maintain good breast health. Keeping up with beneficial habits can pay off big time in the long run.
Remember to treat your body with care and always keep your doctor up-to-date with questions or concerns. For more information about women’s health, check out more articles on our blog.