With greater attention and resources devoted to breast cancer, one would think women are devoting greater attention to their breast health. Unfortunately, except for breast cancer, women’s breast health is one of those things that too many women seem to ignore. A regular breast health routine is not that hard to maintain for those who know how. Read on to learn all you need to know about women’s breast health to keep your breasts healthy and beautiful.

Every woman knows that the core of women’s breast health lies in the self-examination; not every woman knows how to do one. Stand in front of a mirror and visually examine your breasts. Look at them frontally and turn to each side to see if any of the following are present: a lasting sore on your nipple or areola; frequent or constant discharge from your nipple; red, warm, swollen and painful breasts; changes in the shape or outline of your breast; skin dimpling; or breast flattening or bulging. Perform the visual examination seven days after the start of menstruation, and perform it at the start of each month. Only do a visual examination; digital examinations (where you feel your breast for lumps) are no longer recommended because they give too many false alarms. After the age of 40, be sure to get a yearly mammogram in addition to performing regular visual exams.

A visual exam may serve as an early defense against breast cancer, but it also helps to keep you apprised of all the other breast health issues that can crop up. As many as 50 to 70 percent of all women experience regular breast pain; many women form non-cancerous lumps, cysts and calcifications. It is important to be aware of these problems in addition to cancer to get a complete picture of your breast health.

The single most common women’s breast health issue is breast pain, which seems to go hand in hand with lumpiness. Pain and lumpiness are usually associated with changing hormone levels prior to the onset of menstruation or during puberty or menopause, but it can also be a symptom of a fibrocystic condition. Many women seem to become more sensitive to breast pain as they age, probably because of older women’s acute sensitivity to hormone fluctuations. Breast pain ranges from mild, irritating generalized discomfort (tenderness) to sharp, localized pain. If the pain is premenstrual, breasts may also feel full and heavy. To treat breast pain, wear a supportive bra; eat a balanced diet and reduce your salt and caffeine intake. Heat compresses or over the counter pain relievers may be helpful, too.

Lumpiness refers to the palpable texture of the breast and is usually due to prominence of the milk glands and other fibrous structures within the breast. Though lumpiness may be heightened at certain times such as during menstruation, it is a normal variation in the texture of healthy breasts. At one time, women with lumpy breasts were diagnosed with “fibrocystic disease” but this diagnosis is false on many levels. First, women with lumpy breasts do not generally have cysts; second, lumpiness is generally not dangerous or debilitating; and third, any condition which affects so many women is not a disease.

Breast lumps are a health issue completely apart from lumpiness, which is not necessarily an issue at all. Women should perform regular palpable examinations of their breasts, not to diagnose lumps, but to become familiar with the regular texture of their breasts. If you do discover a lump on your own, it will feel distinctly different than natural breast lumpiness. Abnormal breast lumps – those that should be checked by a doctor – can be any size or shape but usually feel like a small lump of concrete. They feel very hard, irregularly shaped and grainy. If you notice a lump and it persists unchanged through a menstrual cycle or two, see your doctor.

Breast cysts are fluid filled sacs that form when milk producing glands enlarge. It is not known exactly how these sacs form, but it is thought to be related to an imbalance in the production and absorption of fluid. Cysts may be singular, but more often they form in groups, and can range in size from microscopic to ping pong ball. These larger cysts may be detectable manually, but more often a digital examination will not reveal cysts. Common in women aged 40 to 60, cysts usually show up on mammograms. Most cysts are benign and will resolve themselves eventually. Cysts that do not may be drained. Breast cysts do not lead to breast cancer.

Calcifications are deposits of calcium on the breast tissue, and they are usually discovered with mammograms. Calcifications are common and are most often benign, but they can be an early warning sign of breast cancer. Benign calcifications do not turn malignant, and there is no correlation between calcification and calcium intake.

Like everything these days, good breast health is tied to good nutrition. Eat at least three servings of vegetables per day and three servings of fruit. Have one to two servings of beans and two servings of soy. Be sure to drink eight to ten eight-ounce glasses of water per day and limit your alcohol and caffeine intake. All women should take 1,000 to 1,500 mg of calcium per day.

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