Breast Examination

Every woman's health maintenance routine - regular smear tests, checking the date of her period, flossing her teeth, taking regular exercise, five servings of fruit and veg per day, and so on - should include breast examination. It takes only 10 or 15 minutes, once a month (ideally at the same point in your cycle, to take account of any hormonal changes), and will soon become second nature. It's a crucial self-help procedure that just might save your life.

TWO-STAGE PROCESS

It's a two-stage process, a visual and a manual check, and here's what you're looking out for:

Swelling in the upper arm
Enlarged lymph glands (in the armpit)
One breast lower than the other - unusually for you
Unusual increase in the size of one breast
Changed skin texture anywhere on the breast or a rash around the nipple
Puckering or pulling in the skin on the breast
Unusual changes in the shape of the nipples
Discharge from the nipple
Thickening or lumps

VISUAL CHECK

* Remove your top and bra, and have a careful look at your breasts in a mirror.
* With your hands clasped together behind your head, straighten and lower the arms a few times to see if the nipples on both breasts move in the same way.
* Look at your breasts in profile.
* Bend forward and look at your breasts in profile and straight on.

MANUAL CHECK

* Always use the flat of your hand for this part, with your fingers straight and together. Make circular movements with your hands to check the tissue in and around your breasts for irregularities.
* If you start with the right breast, raise the right arm above your head, and use the left hand to feel the top and outer part of your breast, then the underarm.
* To make sure you check the whole breast thoroughly, use the following routine:
Move the left hand in a complete circle round the outside of the breast, then move a couple of centimetres in towards the nipple and repeat. Continue until you reach the nipple.
* Squeeze the nipple gently to check for any discharge.
* Repeat the same moves on the left breast using the right hand.

If you find anything unusual (see above), make an appointment to see your doctor. The vast majority of investigations turn out to be quite normal, so don't worry about feeling silly if there's nothing wrong. And if further treatment is needed, you can be reassured by the fact that you detected the change as early as possible.