Six "insurances" for women's breasts

With the accelerated pace of life, the incidence of breast diseases is getting higher and higher, and breast cancer has now become the "number one enemy" of urban women's health. Therefore, women should take care of their breasts throughout their lives.

The first insurance: learn to self-examine your breasts

Women should do breast self-examination every month. There are two methods of self-examination: 1. Check in front of the mirror. Stand with your arms hanging down at your sides and observe the shape of your breasts to see if the normal curved outline becomes irregular, if there are any orange peel-like dimples, and if there is any liquid overflowing from the nipple when squeezed. If the above situation occurs, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible. 2. Lie down for examination. Lie flat on the bed, with the nipple as the center, use your fingertips to massage the skin in a clockwise circular motion. When checking, apply even force, so that your fingers can touch the ribs. If you find nodules or lumps, you need to go to the hospital for further examination. It should be noted that the best time for women with normal menstruation to conduct self-examination is the 9th to 11th day after menstruation. It is easier to find lesions at this time. Middle-aged and elderly women after menopause are not restricted by time and can check at any time. When you do a self-examination, don’t forget to check your armpits and clavicle, as some proliferative tissue may also grow around the breasts.

The second insurance: develop 3 good habits

Breast health is inseparable from correct lifestyle habits. According to the Popular Health Network, if women can stick to good habits, they can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 40%. These good habits include:

1. Keep a happy mood. Getting rid of bad emotions is the most timely protection for your breasts. Wang Pilin, chief physician of the Department of Breast Surgery at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, said that long-term tension and depression can lead to benign diseases such as breast pain, lumps and breast hyperplasia. If the patient is introverted and cannot relieve stress, it may cause serious consequences. A Dutch study found a clear link between breast cancer and depression.

2. Strengthen exercise and maintain weight. Professor Susan Higginbotham of the American Cancer Institute pointed out that exercise can not only prevent breast cancer, but also help breast cancer patients recover. Therefore, it is recommended that you exercise for at least half an hour every day, such as walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, etc.

3. Don’t sleep on your stomach. Sleeping on your stomach frequently may cause breast deformity and sagging. The best sleeping position for women is lying on your side, and you can put a small pillow under your breasts.

Experts from the American Cancer Institute also remind people to avoid late childbearing as much as possible. Marrying and having children too late can cause an imbalance in hormone levels in women and increase the risk of breast cancer. There is also evidence that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer.

The third insurance: Eat more foods that breasts "like"

Just like human taste, breasts also have "favorite" and "most feared" foods. Soybeans, fungi, kelp, nuts, fish and other seafood, as well as dairy products are the breasts' favorites. A five-year follow-up of approximately 5,000 new breast cancer patients aged 20 to 74 in urban Shanghai showed that eating more soy products can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence and death. You can get enough soy protein by eating 100 grams of white tofu or drinking 500 ml of thick soy milk every day. Fungal foods such as black fungus and shiitake mushrooms can enhance immunity and have strong anti-cancer effects. Kelp contains a large amount of iodine, which can regulate endocrine and reduce the risk of breast hyperplasia in women. Nuts contain a lot of antioxidants and vitamin E, which can fight cancer and make breasts elastic. Fish and seafood are rich in trace elements essential to the human body and can protect the mammary glands. Milk and dairy products are rich in protein and calcium, which can prevent breast inflammation. High-oil and high-fat foods are what the breasts fear the most, as they can change the body's endocrine environment and increase the risk of cancer.

The fourth insurance: take care of your breasts regularly

Breast massage can enhance the elasticity of ligaments, thereby achieving a firm and fuller effect. The massage method is to lie on the bed, start from the breast area, and press gently in a rotating direction towards the nipple, first in a clockwise direction, then counterclockwise direction, until the breast skin turns slightly red, and finally lift the nipple 5 to 10 times in a row, once in the morning and once in the evening. You can also do some chest expansion exercises in your daily life, which is beneficial to chest fitness.

Breast hydration is also very important. Apply a wet towel with a temperature equivalent to body temperature to your breasts for 10 to 15 minutes every day. This will not only prevent dry skin but also help to firm your breasts. When showering, you can also use the shower head to rinse and massage your breasts, which can enhance metabolism and blood circulation.

The fifth insurance: Wear the right underwear to liberate your breasts

Bras, as women’s “close friends”, can also secretly play the role of breast “killers”. If the bra is too big, the breasts will sag and will not support the breasts. If the bra is too small, the breasts will feel oppressed and it will not be breathable. In severe cases, it will affect the blood circulation in the breasts and the normal return of lymph. The "toxins" in the breasts cannot be discharged, leading to mastitis or breast hyperplasia, and even an increased risk of breast cancer. Therefore, the following principles should be followed when wearing a bra.

First of all, you should not wear a bra for too long, no more than 8 hours a day, and you should not sleep with it on. Secondly, the bra should be made of cotton. Again, when choosing underwear, pay attention to the size of the bra and the distance between the breasts and the bra. It should be able to accommodate 1 to 2 fingers and feel comfortable to wear. Remember that bras should not be too tight, especially those with underwires, and the bust size must be wider. Finally, women of different ages should choose the bra that suits them. For women with larger breasts, the bra straps should be wider, otherwise the support for the shoulders will be uneven, which will cause back pain or sagging breasts in the long run; you must wear a bra during breastfeeding, otherwise the breasts will easily sag; after the age of 50, women should avoid wearing bras with steel supports or fiber materials.

The sixth insurance: regular check-ups for high-risk groups

In addition to self-care, breast health is inseparable from professional examinations, especially for high-risk groups. After clinical summary, the following types of people should pay special attention: First, older women, the older they are, the higher the risk of breast cancer; second, women who had their first menstruation before the age of 12 and whose menopause was over 55 years old; third, women who have only given birth to one child and were over 35 years old at the time of delivery, or women who have never given birth; fourth, women who have breast cancer on one side or have undergone breast surgery; fifth, people who are obese after menopause or have received hormone replacement therapy during menopause; sixth, people with a family history of breast cancer. In addition, living under high-intensity stress for a long time and loving to eat high-calorie foods are also high-risk factors for breast cancer. It is recommended that women in their twenties and thirties have a physical examination once every 1 to 2 years, and women over 40 should have a check-up once a year.