Your breasts are in the spotlight

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

One friend of mine every day, changing clothes or taking a shower, gropes on the left side of her chest for "some lump", something dense and non-disappearing. After exercise or persistent weeding of the beds, the left mammary gland also begins to hurt. The girl cries at night in her bed and grumbles at fate. This has been going on for three years.

Why doesn't she go to the doctor? She is afraid: "What if there is cancer? My breasts will be cut off, I will never marry. Maybe everything will go away by itself." Firstly, it will not go away by itself, and secondly, it is always better to know for sure what it is, how it threatens, how to stop the disease and preserve your health, and maybe life.

So, let's talk today about breast diseases. In fact, a mammologist should be visited at least once a year. But we usually run to him when thunder has already struck and the most terrible thoughts do not allow us to sleep well. Most of us experience painful sensations and swelling of the breasts before menstruation, not even suspecting that these are the first indirect signs of mastopathy. So if on the eve of critical days your chest hurts or / and enlarges, you are at risk, and therefore - be extremely attentive to yourself and regularly conduct a self-examination.

Self examination

Take off your clothes to the waist, stand in front of the mirror (I hope you are not at work right now! First raise both hands, then lower, look at your chest in the mirror. Looks great, no doubt about it. But is it the same as always? Here are the external signs that indicate breast disease:

- retraction or bulging of the skin area;

- retraction of the nipple or shortening of the areola radius;

- changes in the usual shape and size of one of the mammary glands;

- yellowish or bloody discharge from the nipple or pathological changes on the nipple.

Now lie on your back and - alternately placing a pillow under the inspected side so that the chest is raised - carefully feel each mammary gland with the opposite hand. Left - right, right - left. Do not squeeze your chest aggressively, do not try to capture a larger area. This can lead to wrong conclusions ("bumps" will appear where they are not). With your fingers, gently feel the mammary gland, starting from the nipple and moving to the side of the chest, and then again from the nipple to the sternum. Determine for nodules, lumps, or changes in the structure of breast tissue or in the thickness of the skin. Moderately squeeze the skin of the nipple with two fingers, check for discharge.

And further. Do not be alarmed if, at the first self-examination, your own breasts seem to you an unidentified object, unevenly filled with something incomprehensible. Get to know, this is your breast, feel it, understand what it is where. Perform a self-examination again in a week. Gradually, no matter how strange it sounds, your breasts will become so close and dear to you that you will instantly identify any changes inside it.

Every woman faced with breast diseases is tormented by thousands of questions, the final answer to which can only be given by a doctor after a thorough examination. Here are just a few of them:

Why can my chest begin to hurt at all?

There are several causes of breast pain. Most often it is

- Injuries to the mammary glands (shock, compression due to an unsuccessfully selected bra, etc.);

- pain associated with diseases of the mammary glands (malignant tumors, mastopathy, ectasia of the mammary gland ducts);

- pains not associated with the mammary gland (intercostal neuralgia).

There are 2 types of pain that occurs in the mammary gland: cyclical pain and non-cyclic pain. Cyclical pain most often occurs in the second phase of the cycle, immediately before menstruation and in its first days. Cyclical pain is most often associated with hormonal disorders. Non-cyclic pain is most often associated with trauma, breast tumors.

Pain in the mammary glands can be mild (feeling of heaviness), moderate and severe (sleep disturbance, the appearance of neurotic disorders against this background, disorders of sexual life).

What examinations do you need to undergo for breast diseases?

First of all, you need to visit a mammologist or oncologist. And he already, based on the symptoms and manifestations of the disease, will direct you for an ultrasound examination (ultrasound) of the mammary glands, liver, ovaries, thyroid gland, if necessary, other organs. You may also need mammography (X-ray examination of the mammary glands), puncture (if there is a tumor formation), and a study of hormone levels. If endocrine disorders are suspected, a consultation with a gynecologist-endocrinologist is prescribed.

What is mastopathy?

Mastopathy (fibroadenomatosis) is a dyshormonal disease of the mammary glands. It usually develops as a result of a hormonal imbalance - a violation of the balance of sex and other hormones. It is noted against the background of diseases of the thyroid gland, ovaries, liver, etc. All this often leads to an absolute or relative predominance of estrogens. Often, the cause of mastopathy cannot be detected.

From a clinical point of view, mastopathy can be divided into two groups - nodular and diffuse. With nodular mastopathy, a node is found in the mammary gland, with diffuse - many small nodular formations without a predominance of any. Nodular mastopathy often simulates breast cancer and therefore requires diagnostic measures to exclude it. With diffuse mastopathy, you can limit yourself to examination and subsequent therapeutic treatment.

A woman feels the manifestations of mastopathy in the form of pain in the mammary glands (constant or appearing shortly before menstruation), seals in the mammary glands. In this case, the growth of connective and glandular tissue occurs in the mammary gland with the formation of seals, the formation of cysts, one or more.

Can mastopathy lead to cancer?

Mastopathy is not a precancerous disease. Only some forms of mastopathy, accompanied by severe cell division, can be a background for the development of breast cancer.

How is mastopathy treated?

To improve liver function, vitamins A, group B, C are prescribed. Oral contraceptives can also be prescribed to regulate the menstrual cycle, hormonal drugs: progesterone, danazol, bromocriptine, small doses of estrogens, etc., antiestrogens (tamoxifen). For pain, you can use analgesics, mild diuretics that reduce breast swelling that occurs shortly before menstruation, homeopathic remedies. Herbal medicine and folk remedies, so popular among women, are not always welcomed by mammologists.

Are there any means for the prevention and prevention of mastopathy?

It is necessary to eat foods containing B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, E, C, drink natural juices, eat vegetables, herbs, fish, cauliflower, lettuce (watercress, green), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, seafood, cereals, cottage cheese.

Many cosmetic companies offer gels and creams for the prevention of mastopathy. It is worth paying attention to the cosmetics of the reputable companies: "Avon", "Mirra Lux". Although the effectiveness of preventive cosmetics is not too great, because first of all a woman needs to improve the overall hormonal background. And for this, quit smoking, give up frequent alcoholic libations, breastfeed your baby, not with mixtures, not have abortions and generally give birth to as many children as possible, as well as cure all existing gynecological diseases, get rid of dysbiosis and move to live in ecologically clean places … The picture, frankly, looms idyllic and not entirely real. But that's what he is ideal to strive for.

Is it true that pregnancy and breastfeeding can help with mastopathy?

Pregnancy and childbirth improve the condition of the mammary glands with mastopathy. But only if you really have mastopathy, and not, for example, fibroadenoma (benign tumor), which can rapidly increase during pregnancy.

What is mammography?

Why is it being carried out? Mammography is an X-ray examination of the mammary glands, which is performed to evaluate a neoplasm in the mammary gland and exclude / confirm a malignant or benign tumor. With regular and timely research, breast cancer with mammography can be detected at an early stage.

Is mammography dangerous?

No. The radiation exposure with mammography is several times lower than with radiography of the lungs. Regular testing does not increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Mammography is contraindicated only in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

In what cases is surgical intervention required?

Indications for surgery are nodular forms of mastopathy, intraductal papillomas and benign tumors, if intensive 2 - 3-month treatment does not help or a rapid growth of a node in the mammary gland and an increase in regional lymph nodes are found. Usually, a simple operation is performed in the form of a sectoral resection (nibbling). An absolute indication for surgery is the detection of malignant cells in the nodes. And the sooner the operation is performed and the complex treatment is selected, the more chances there will be for a favorable outcome.

So, everything is simple and complex at the same time. Carry out a self-examination regularly, if you detect symptoms of the disease, do not postpone the visit to the doctor, follow all the recommendations of the mammologist and lead a healthy lifestyle. And then your breasts will be not only beautiful, but also healthy.