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3 Easy Ways For Women To Maintain Good Breast Health

by Terry Wilson

As a woman, you most likely understand that taking care of your body goes a long way toward achieving optimum health. While it's important to take care of your whole body, sometimes you need to pay close attention to certain parts of your body. This includes your breasts.

Here are three easy ways for women to maintain good breast health.

1. Get Screened for Breast Cancer

While the numbers of women getting breast cancer is on the decline, there are still one in eight women who will get this type of cancer in their lifetime. Getting screened for breast cancer is one of the best things you can do to keep your breasts, and your entire body, healthy.

The American Cancer Society recommends getting the first mammogram done between the ages of 40 and 44, and once a year starting at the age 45. If the breasts are healthy, women can get a mammogram done every two years, beginning at the age of 55. One particular type of screening that is effective for detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages is 3d mammograms.

2. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight is hard on the body and can even increase your risk of getting certain diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. As a woman, being overweight can also increase your chances of getting breast cancer. In order to maintain a healthy weight, you should exercise at least 150 minutes a week.

It's also important to maintain a healthy diet. For optimum breast health, be sure to include the following types of foods in your diet:

  • Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage
  • Dark leafy greens
  • Citrus fruits
  • Berries and cherries

You should also minimize your alcohol intake. Drinking just three glasses of alcohol in one week can increase your risk of getting breast cancer by 15%.

3. Examine Your Breasts on a Regular Basis

Being familiar with how your breasts look and feel will alert you to any changes. You should especially pay attention to the following types of changes:

  • Swelling in the breast or underarm
  • Inverted nipples
  • Skin rash on the breast or areola
  • Bloody discharge from the nipple
  • Firm but painless lumps in the breast

Giving yourself a breast massage is also a great way to feel for changes, plus this type of massage has been known to reduce the risk of breast cancer, prevent sagging, and make you look and feel younger. For more information, contact a company like Hudson Valley Imaging.

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