It seems like we know all we need to know about breast cancer. October rolls around and our social media pages are bursting with information. Regardless of how much we hear about Breast Cancer Awareness month, do we really take the time to educate ourselves on the subject or do we just shrink away from the topic, hoping it’s something that happens to someone else?
Whether we want to recognize it or not, breast cancer has touched each of our lives in one way or another. Like everything, we may not be able to prevent it 100%, but we can certainly take healthy measures to give ourselves the best fighting chance.
The number one thing, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, a woman can do to survive breast cancer is to detect it early. 99% of women who find breast cancer early have a 5 year survival rate!
Here is what is involved in early detection…
- Monthly self-breast exam. It’s important you know your own body. It’s great to have this done at a yearly exam but your healthcare provider doesn’t know your body the way you know your body. When doing exams on a monthly basis, you come to realize what is normal for you, and what is not.
- Yearly clinical exam. While it’s easy to put off a mammogram every year, along with a yearly clinical exam, it’s not a wise practice if you are a woman over 45. Mammograms have really evolved and their specificity can locate even the smallest start of cancer.
- Keep yourself in the best possible health. When we are swallowed up in stress, poor diet and no exercise, our immunity drops and we become susceptible to all sorts of health problems. A strong and healthy body at any age, can be a great cancer deterrent.
- Be educated about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. You can’t be on the lookout for something you know nothing about. The internet has more information than you could ever need but so does your doctor! Rely on a source of truth you can trust. Not everything on the internet is reliable and trusted.
Breast Cancer is just one of those things we all have to face. Even when we do all the right things, it can not be 100% prevented but catching it early will give you a fighting chance and it really can be managed and cured. It isn’t something we like to think about but ignorance is not bliss…education is. The more you know, the more you know!
Throughout the month, we will be posting more information on our social media, so stay tuned.