Love Thy Breasts

I was recently in and out of some surgeon's, physician's and oncologist's rooms in Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, and emerged like a Buddha. Enlightened and ready to spread the good words, Love thy breasts, all you women. (And the men who love the breasts of the women you love.)There was some tension in my mind when I discovered a lump in the armpit, which was later diagnosed as a simple swelling after a mammogram. But, the storm which it raised in my mind about what would happen to my children, is best left unsaid. I know that the title of my post would've sounded a wee bit voyeuristic, but I promise to enlighten all those who read this post.
Magazines, movies, stars, internet, surgeons and you-name-it, everything visual, makes billions of dollars selling human breasts. Such a powerful word. Sadly not many give enough thought to what could actually go wrong with breasts. Every woman is blessed with these twin assets, with a certain purpose. The West actually deteriorated the meaning and existence of breasts. Read on below, about the hazards that women face by simply having breasts:

One of our biggest breast cancer risk factors, is simply getting older. Take a look at these startling statistics of how age alone influences the breast cancer risk:

Your risk of breast cancer by age:

• One teenage girl out of every 2152 girls develops breast cancer before age 20.
• By age 30, the risk of breast cancer in women increases significantly to 1 in 251.
• The risk factor for breast cancer at age 40 is 1 in 69.
• By age 50, breast cancer risk is up to 1 woman out of 36 women.
• Then by age 60, breast cancer risk factor has soared to 1 in 26.
• Finally, by age 70, breast cancer risk is a whopping 1 in 23.
• Overall, 1 out of every 7 women faces breast cancer diagnosis during her lifetime.

Check out this link for more info: http://womenshealth.about.com/od/breastcancer/a/whogetsbreastca.htm

There are 6 symptoms that women are unaware of which could lead to breast cancer.Read them below,

Breast that is warm to the touch: A breast that always feel warm, sometimes hot to the touch is a symptom of inflammatory breast cancer, a dangerous and rare type of the disease.

Flat or inverted nipple: A nipple that is flat or inverted is also a symptom of breast cancer. This does not include having an inverted nipple since birth.

A breast that is often itchy: If you have itchy breasts or nipples, talk to your doctor. These are both symptoms of breast cancer.

The skin around the breast is dimpled or looks like an orange peel: Breast and surrounding skin can take on a dimpled appearance, looking like an orange peel. Many women are too embarassed to show a doctor, thinking it is cellulite or from being overweight. This is not the case.

Swollen or breast that does not change with menstrual cycle or size increase: It's normal for a woman's breast to become swollen and tender during a normal menstrual cycle, but when it's constant, it need to be evaluated by a doctor. Women also need to be aware of a sudden breast size increase.

Breast that is red or blotchy: A breast that is red or blotchy, even having a rash-like appearance should be evaluated by a doctor. It is a symptom of inflammatory breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is a type of cancer that is often undetected by a mammogram and self breast exam.

I have lost my favorite aunt a decade ago to breast cancer. My mother-in-law is suffering from it today. You also would be having someone close who might need some timely advise. So read on and recognize the symptoms earlier. Breast cancer when detected in the first or second stage is completely curable. Save someones breasts on time. Save their life.