The month of October is also called Pink Month, in which women are made aware of breast cancer. Awareness is also important because breast cancer is spreading very rapidly in India in the last few years. Swati Sharma tells what are the symptoms of breast cancer and how to avoid becoming a victim of it again.
Breast cancer, it is possible that you have heard this name a little more in the last few years. But can I tell you one surprising thing? According to a study, still about 81 percent of women in India are unaware of breast cancer. They do not know anything about its symptoms. The thing to understand is that October has been celebrated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month since the nineties, yet such a large population of women is unaware of this danger. Even though the treatment of breast cancer has advanced, its cases have not started declining in India. If seen, every year there is an increase in the cases of breast cancer, in which both men and women are involved. Although men are less susceptible to it, they are not untouched by it.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting Indian women and today 1 in every 28 women is suffering from it. In such a situation, it becomes very important for you to understand its symptoms and make others aware about it so that necessary steps can be taken in time. Regarding breast cancer, Dr. Geetika Nanda Singh, Breast and Endocrine Surgeon of King George’s Medical College, says that the risk of death from it is very less, provided it is caught in the first and second stages. At the third stage, you come at the danger mark and the treatment continues for a long time. Therefore, it is important to monitor your breast symptoms every month by examining your breasts on the seventh day of your period. Let us know what are the symptoms of breast cancer:
lump in breast
If you feel a lump in the breast or the area around the breast and armpit, you should not ignore it. Doctor Geetika says that not every lump is cancer, but if there is a lump in the breast then it should not be taken lightly. Cancerous lumps are usually painless, but pain may be felt as the size increases.
change in breast or nipple shape
You have a better idea of your breast size. It is normal for there to be a slight difference in the size of the two breasts, but if one breast appears more abnormal in comparison, it could be a symptom of cancer. Apart from this, redness of the breast skin, itching in it, or lump or depression in the breast are symptoms of breast cancer. At the same time, you should also pay attention to your nipples. If the nipple is sinking inwards then you should not be careless.
nipple discharge
It is normal for milk to come out from the nipples after becoming a mother, but if you are not a new mother, still there is leakage from the nipples then you should be alert. This discharge can be of many different colors. Sometimes there is leakage of blood from the nipple. All these are considered symptoms of cancer, so if leakage occurs, contact the doctor immediately.
To prevent breast cancer from recurring
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you have obviously already gone through a difficult path. After this, there will be only one fear in your mind that it might come again. Your apprehension is natural and this is often seen in the case of cancer, but due to advanced treatment of breast cancer, this apprehension has reduced considerably. Still, you should take care of some special things to avoid this. To prevent breast cancer from recurring, you will have to control your weight and eat healthy food. Also you have to include exercise in your lifestyle. With this, along with metabolism, hormones will also remain healthy and the possibility of lump formation will be greatly reduced. Along with this, certain types of yogasanas and pranayams like Marjariyasana, Matsyasana and abdominal breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) also reduce the risk of cancer lump formation. Do not leave your treatment midway and even after its completion, keep following up and getting related tests done as per the doctor’s instructions and duration. Along with all these things, you will also have to control stress because the risk of cancer also increases due to stress.