Breast Cancer Awareness: Are you checking your breasts?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and it’s something close to our hearts here at Nicola Quinn Beauty and Day Spa.

It’s also a great reminder to all of us to make sure we’re checking our breasts regularly, at least once a month, so you can find any changes as soon as they appear.

Around half of all breast cancers are found by women who felt or saw a change in their breasts, and showed their doctor. You don’t have to be an expert – get to know your normal!

As recommended by the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, it’s as easy as “TLC”:

Touch: Start by getting to know how your breasts feel by touching and pressing them, so the next time you check you will notice any changes. You can do this in the shower or when lying down – feel for any lumps or thickening of the breast tissue. Check your upper chest and up into your armpits too, it’s important to cover your whole chest area.

Look: Stand in front of a mirror and look to see if there is anything different about the size and shape of your breasts. Has the outline of your breasts changed? Are there any dimples, dents or puckering? Is there any redness or swelling, or does the skin look a bit like orange peel? Don’t forget to look at your nipples too, are they inverted or have you noticed any discharge, crustiness or skin changes?

Check: If you do notice any differences or pain in your breasts, get checked. Most breast changes aren’t cancerous, but for your own peace of mind it’s always best get checked out by your doctor pronto, even if you’ve had a mammogram recently. They’ll examine your breasts and sort out some tests if you need them.

No one knows your breasts better than you, so get into the habit of checking your breasts each month, regardless of your age, start now! Once you reach your 40s, consider having regular mammograms. These can find tiny changes well before a lump can be felt.

Remember, early detection of breast cancer, when the tumour is still small, results in better outcomes. In the early stages of breast cancer, when a tumour is small, there is usually no pain and can be no obvious signs and symptoms. It may not be easy to feel a lump, so a screening mammography is the best method of detection. Always be alert for new lumps or thickened tissue, changes in nipple or breast shape or size, and unusual pain which won’t go away. If you notice any of these breast changes, it is very important that you show your doctor as soon as possible.

Hi, I’m Kim, Spa Manager here at Nicola Quinn Beauty and Day Spa. I have recently been through Breast Cancer. I supplemented my Breast Cancer treatment with a healthy diet, vitamins and minerals to assist my journey back to health. Below, I share with you my favourites.

Magnesium – A deficiency in magnesium causes more diseases than any other nutrient. Magnesium helps to balance hormones, synthesize vitamin C, induce sleep, reduce stress, regulate inflammation. Studies have shown a direct link between magnesium deficiency and cancer.

Selenium – is a great anti-oxidant and helps to reduce oxidative stress. It also helps to reduce DNA damage which in turn keeps breast tissue healthy. Selenium is also amazing as an immunity boost. Just 5 brazil nuts a day gives you your daily selenium RDA.

Vitamin C – helps to maintain healthy breast tissue by reducing oxidative damage to DNA and fighting free radicals. Vitamin C is also a key player in keeping our immune system functioning effectively.

Iodine – is important for every single cell in the body. Many people are deficient in iodine due to an overabundance of toxins in the body, such as bromide which prevents absorption. In order for the body to absorb healthy levels of iodine you need to 1st detoxify the body. Iodine helps with the formation of healthy breast tissue by down- regulating estrogen and up-regulating healthy estrogen metabolism or detoxification. Foods such as kelp, prunes, eggs, tuna and cod are rich in iodine.