Breast cancer receives much attention. But it’s not the only thing that can go wrong with your breasts. Like any other body part, breast health is influenced by your age, genes, and environmental factors.
So, it’s vital to know what is normal and what it looks and feels like when something goes wrong with the structure and function of your breasts. Thermography is a safe, non-invasive screening method that you can regularly use to assess the health of your breasts.
The early detection of breast issues, whether it is a tumour or something that can be managed with lifestyle changes, means a better outcome. So, it makes sense to go for regular screening to stay on top of your breast health.
How do you know if your breasts are healthy?
Breasts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are small and symmetrical, and others are large and lopsided. The nipples might be large and protruding, small and inverted, or dark or light. But what is normal?
The physical appearance of your breasts is not as important as what is going on beneath the skin. So, all women should become familiar with their breasts’ normal look and feel. Learn how to do a breast self-exam, so you are the first to know if something isn’t right. These are some things to look out for1:
- Lumps: Usually associated with breast cancer, lumps can be part of normal breast tissue. As long as the lumps in your breasts are consistent over time, and you don’t find any new ones or changes to existing ones, they are probably normal.
- Skin: Healthy skin on your breasts is a sign of good health, just as it is for general health. You may have blemishes that have always been there, but look out for sudden skin changes that may indicate a problem beneath the skin.
- Temperature: Breasts that are the same temperature as the rest of your body, are generally healthy breasts. A rise in temperature or inconsistent temperature in different parts of the breast may be s sign that something isn’t right.
- Discharge: Unless you are breastfeeding, there should be no discharge from your nipples. If there is, you should consult with your doctor.
Pain: Ordinarily, breast tissue should not hurt, but you may experience pain before or during your period, which is normal for many women.
Regular Screening to Maintain Breast Health
The best way to keep track of your breast health is through regular screening. So, start examining your breasts for changes at home. Healthy breast tissue consists of layers of fat, glands, and skin. So, depending on how large your breasts are and how dense the tissue is, it can be challenging to feel any structural changes. You could consider Thermography breast screening to ensure you don’t miss anything.
Unlike mammograms, Thermography does not use radiation to form an image of your breast tissue. Instead, high-precision, heat-sensitive infrared cameras record the patterns of heat created on your skin from the structures below it. So, it is a safe and non-invasive breast screening tool.
All the structures and tissue in your breasts radiate heat. And some of the heat is transferred to the skin, creating a stable thermal pattern that correlates to what is found beneath the surface. So, if there is a lump or an infection, the heat it emits will be mapped on the skin and picked up in the thermogram (the image created by the heat patterns on your skin)2.
Common Breast Conditions that can be Controlled with Lifestyle Changes
Not all lumps in your breasts are cancerous tumours3. In fact, most of them are a natural part of breast tissue or the result of conditions such as oestrogen dominance or fibrocystic breast disease. And they can be managed through lifestyle changes.
Breast health is supported by healthy lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise4. A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and low in saturated fats, refined sugars and carbohydrates, and ultra-processed foods promotes general health and well-being and supports healthy breast tissue.
Regular physical activity is recommended for all healthy women and has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer. So, find an activity you enjoy to get the recommended weekly 150 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise to keep you and your breasts healthy5.
Avoid Xeno Oestrogens for Breast Health
Another factor to consider for breast health is the synthetic industrial chemicals found in plastic food storage containers, cleaning products, canned foods, makeup, personal care products, and pesticides, to name a few6. Xenoestrogens are prolific and can be challenging to avoid.
But avoiding them as much as you can is essential for breast health. They can behave as oestrogen in the body, trigger oestrogen-receptor pathways, or act as anti-oestrogens that block regular oestrogen activity. Since breast tissue is sensitive to the action of oestrogen and the hormone level in your blood when exposed to xenoestrogens, your risk of poor breast health increases7.
Conclusion: Regular Thermography Screening Helps you Stay on Top of your Breast Health
Breasts are an important part of the female anatomy. And you must take care of them as much as you do any other body part. Their structure and function make them susceptible to conditions such as cancer, fibrocystic disease and oestrogen dominance. So, it is crucial for you to become familiar with the normal look and feel of your breasts.
Regular breast health screening through breast self-examination or Thermography screening can help you stay on top of your breast health. The early detection of any abnormalities allows you to take swift action and ensure a better outcome.
Contact me for a Breast Thermography screening test if you are interested in taking control of your breast health.
References
- Website: How should I check my breasts? – NHS [Internet]. nhs.uk. 27AD [cited 2022 Aug 30]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/womens-health/how-should-i-check-my-breasts/
- Mashekova A, Zhao Y, Ng EYK, Zarikas V, Fok SC, Mukhmetov O. Early detection of the breast cancer using infrared technology – A comprehensive review. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress [Internet]. 2022 Jan [cited 2022 Aug 30];101142. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsep.2021.101142
- Bodine AM, Holahan B, Mixon A. Benign Breast Conditions. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine [Internet]. 2017 Dec 1 [cited 2022 Aug 30];(12):755–60. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2017.147
- Jia T, Liu Y, Fan Y, Wang L, Jiang E. Association of Healthy Diet and Physical Activity With Breast Cancer: Lifestyle Interventions and Oncology Education. Frontiers in Public Health [Internet]. 2022 Mar 23 [cited 2022 Aug 30]; Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.797794
- Wang Q, Zhou W. Roles and molecular mechanisms of physical exercise in cancer prevention and treatment. Journal of Sport and Health Science [Internet]. 2021 Mar [cited 2022 Aug 30];(2):201–10. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2020.07.008
- Telpner M. Xenoestrogens: What Are They and Where Are They Found? – Meghan Telpner [Internet]. Meghan Telpner. 2019 [cited 2022 Aug 30]. Available from: https://www.meghantelpner.com/blog/xenoestrogens-what-are-they-and-where-are-they-found/
- Wang X, Ha D, Yoshitake R, Chan YS, Sadava D, Chen S. Exploring the Biological Activity and Mechanism of Xenoestrogens and Phytoestrogens in Cancers: Emerging Methods and Concepts. International Journal of Molecular Sciences [Internet]. 2021 Aug 16 [cited 2022 Aug 30];(16):8798. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22168798
