Myth #1 – Breast cancer doesn’t run in my family so I’m not at risk!

False! A history of breast cancer in the family may put you at a higher risk of getting breast cancer but this disease isn’t selective and can effect any women, healthy or unhealthy. 80% of women with breast cancer had no initial identifiable risk factors.

Myth #2 – Younger women are more likely to get breast cancer than older women

False! In fact, as women get older, the chances of getting breast cancer increases. Age is one of the biggest risk factors in breast cancer.

Myth #3 – Stress can cause breast cancer

False! No study or research has shown that stress, anxiety or depression leads to or causes breast cancer.

Breast cancer is not the only type of cancer to fall upon a woman, but it is the most feared and common cancer to strike females. With frequent self-checks and mammograms, it is highly probable that breast cancer can be caught early and treated.

However, it is the type of cancer that can sometimes dictate not only the course of treatment but the cure rate as well. There are four common types of breast cancer in women. They are named after the area of the breast in which the cancer develops.

Catching cancer early is still the best way to survive cancer and thrive when your treatment is over. Learning how to do a monthly breast exam self-check and then actually doing them may be the best way for you to preserve your health for now and the future.

Many women don’t know how or when to do a proper breast exam-self check. The first step in a breast self exam is to look at your breasts, in a mirror with your hands at your sides or on your hips. This is just a general overview.

Basically, you are looking to make sure the color is right and that there is no dimpling, bulging, or puckering of the skin. You also want to make sure that your nipples are the right color, in the right place, and are sticking out, as opposed to being sunken in, or inverted.

It is a widely accepted fact that breast cancer and genetics have a definite connection, but even if breast cancer runs in your family, you can still have some control over some of the environmental or lifestyle factors that can increase or decrease your risks.

First of all, leading a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of getting any type of cancer, breast cancer included. If you are overweight, it can increase your chances of getting several types of cancer, and research has shown a probable link between obesity and breast cancer, especially after menopause.

Losing weight in a safe and healthy manner is one way to practice breast cancer prevention. This can be done by eating fewer calories, and making the calories that you do eat count; meaning that what you should include adequate servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with less emphasis put on meats and fats.

By knowing the symptoms you will be able to keep an eye on your body, and catch anything before it gets beyond the early stages. Many people are not aware that when breast cancer is in early stages that it does not hurt.

In addition, many times the early stages of this disease do not show any type of symptoms whatsoever. This is what makes diagnosing breast cancer early on so difficult.

But as the cancer grows, there are several symptoms that will begin to show. Anytime that you see any of these breast cancer symptoms it is imperative that you visit your doctor as soon as possible.

yclical mastalgia is more common than non-cyclical breast pain in women and is linked with the menstrual cycle which develops due to the monthly hormonal changes.

Cyclical breast pain usually involves both breasts resulting in a soreness or tenderness that can extend to the armpit and arm.

Women suffering with this form of breast pain complain of heaviness in the breasts as if weighted down and the pain is more severe at the start of a period, going away towards the end of the monthly cycle.

Since the turn of the 90s there has been an explosion in breast enhancement surgery and push up bra sales as more and more women obsess over the size of their breasts.

While many men often fantasize about large breasted women, they are relegated to the bottom of the league by women themselves who spend millions on improving their cleavage.

For most women, being flat chested is somehow seen as being less of a women while for others, breast enlargement is the modern day equivalent of a Prada handbag. Never before has the media driven world influenced women like today.

Not too long ago, small breasted women used chicken breasts, toilet roll, cotton or socks to pad out their bust. Those days are over.

Sadly modern society places aesthetic appearance above personality these days, especially where women are concerned and this is reflected in the number of breast enhancement and reduction procedures carried out across the world in women of all ages, shape and sizes, and for different reasons too.

Small breasts for example are today considered a design fault. Yet for some women with above average to large breasts the thought of smaller breasts is considered to be the ideal in size and appearance.

For large breasts carry more than just larger tissue mass; they can be quite painful and psychologically damaging to a women’s self confidence due to the way society views and portrays large breasts.

Nipple inversion is probably one of the biggest reasons a woman would want to consider nipple surgery because the condition can dramatically affect sensation in the area, leaving women to feel un-alive at times so to speak.

But it is also something that can make women feel inferior to others whether there is just cause or not. There are different variations of nipple inversion so the surgery to fix the issue varies, but the most common nipple surgery for nipple inversions can be done under local anesthesia as an outpatient.

What this means for women thinking of having the nipple surgery is a quicker than most healing period. It is not uncommon for a woman to have one inverted nipple while the other is normal, and this can raise even more interest in having the surgery done.

While the babies got enough nutritional value and filled up on formula, they were missing out on some critical natural nutrients that only a mother’s milk could provide. The health benefits that breast milk can give to a baby are countless and research scientists still don’t know all that it does for babies.

What they do know is that the longer a mom can breast feed the better. Here are just a few of the benefits that breast milk brings to babies:

1. A healthy immune system

When a baby is born, they are defenseless against sickness. With breast milk however, these babies can boost their immunity and are less likely to develop the problems that formula feeders have like ear infections, upset tummies and even respiratory infections. Breast milk has powerful antibodies.