Are you a mother who is breastfeeding? If so, it's essential to take care of your breasts. In this blog post, we'll give you tips on keeping your breasts healthy while breastfeeding.
Washing your hands before feeding is an important part of breast health. Whenever you handle breastmilk, nipples, or breast pumps, it's essential to keep your hands clean. Proper handwashing reduces the risk of contamination and irritation, protecting against mastitis and other breast-related infections.
For best practice, follow the CDC guidelines for proper handwashing: Start wetting your hands with warm water before lathering up with soap for at least 20 seconds. Rinse thoroughly and dry using a clean towel or air dryer. With this easy step done ahead of every feeding session, you can maintain excellent breast health.
Support while breastfeeding is essential to promote healthy breastfeeding habits. Many breastfeeding mothers may find that using a clean, dry cloth as support can be helpful. Placing a folded cloth beneath the breast can provide comfortable and consistent support, making breastfeeding easier for both mother and baby.
When using a cloth for support, take caution to ensure the item is thoroughly washed and dried before use. Proper sanitization should be practised to prevent contaminants from entering the breastfeeding relationship. Reap the benefits that breastfeeding has to offer with the help of a clean, dry cloth!
Applying lotion to your nipples after feeding can be important for skin health and comfort. The act of breastfeeding can cause dryness, irritation, and even cracking to the tender skin of the nipples - lotion is a great way to reduce any discomfort associated with these issues.
An array of specially formulated lotions are explicitly designed for use on the nipples, but regular non-scented moisturizers can also be used if that is not an option. Proper application technique is essential to maximize effectiveness - lightly dab the lotion onto your nipple rather than rubbing it together, ensuring deeper penetration into the skin layers. Taking proactive steps such as applying lotion regularly can make all the difference when retaining your comfort and enjoying motherhood.
Wearing a supportive bra is a key part of breast health and comfort. During the day, wearing a supportive bra helps to reduce breast pain caused by movement or postural changes. At night, a supportive yet comfortable sleep and a breastfeeding bra can help you get the restful sleep you need for overall health.
For best breast health, make sure that you wear a supportive yet comfortable bra both day and night. Supportive bras are essential for breastfeeding moms as they give added support while caring for their baby during the day and extra care at night. Regularly wearing a supportive and well-fitted bra can help maintain breast shape throughout life's weight, age, and hormone fluctuations.
While breastfeeding is an important part of nourishing and caring for a newborn baby, it is important to note that anything you put into your body could be passed on to the baby via your breast milk. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that breastfeeding women do not use or consume tobacco products or alcohol, as this has been proven to be detrimental to a baby's growth and well-being. Smoking and consuming alcohol can interfere with the quality of the milk produced by moms, as well as lead to other serious health conditions in their babies over time. Breastfeeding women should focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle to ensure they provide the best nourishment possible to their little ones.
Menopause is a period that occurs one year after women have their last period. It can cause noticeable changes in skin and hair. These effects can be reduced with the right care.
Here are the top dermatologists' recommendations
Age Spots
You'll notice the effects of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays if you have spent a lot of time outdoors without sun protection. Age spots and darker areas can develop on the chest, face, neck, arms, and hands. Pre-cancerous and cancerous growths in the skin are also more common during this time.
Sunscreen should be applied every day to your skin before you go outside. It can be applied to any skin areas that clothing doesn't cover. Broad-spectrum sunscreens with at least 30 SPF are recommended to protect your skin. This will help reduce the appearance of age spots and prevent the formation of new ones.
For skin cancer screening, make an appointment with a dermatologist. As you age, your risk of developing skin cancer increases. Skin cancer screenings are more important as your risk increases. Skin cancers and pre-cancerous growths can be treated if detected early.
Dry skin
Skin loses its ability to hold water during menopause. This can lead to skin becoming very dry. Dry air can make this more apparent. Instead of using soap, use a mild cleanser to wash dry skin. Deodorant bars should be avoided. Moisturizer can be applied after bathing or when your skin feels dry. Remember to talk to your dermatologist.
Easy Bruising
Skin becomes thinner as estrogen levels drop. Thinner skin is more prone to breaking down. Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more daily may help reduce the appearance of thin skin. Although this will not make your skin thicker, it can help prevent any further thinning. Sunscreen should be applied to your neck, face, hands, and all other areas that clothing can't cover. It would be best if you did this daily, even during winter. A dermatologist can help you determine the best treatment option.
Hair loss
Many women notice thinning hairs on their heads after menopause. A widening of the part could be the first sign. Sometimes, women notice a receding hairline. The earlier you treat hair loss, the better. Many factors can cause hair loss, so it's important to consult a dermatologist immediately. Hair loss treatment depends on the reason. Your dermatologist might recommend minoxidil or laser treatment if your hair loss is caused by menopause.
Acne or Pimples
Some women experience teenage-like acne as their levels of estrogen drop during menopause and before. Treatments for teenage acne can be too harsh because a woman's skin tends to be thinner and drier.
Use a cleanser with salicylic acid to clean acne-prone skin. This will help unclog pores. Avoid using products that dry out your skin because they can only worsen your acne problem. If you cannot control your acne, it is worth visiting a dermatologist. It may be necessary to use hormonal treatments, too, as per the advice of a medical professional.
Fine Lines
Skin ageing can begin with fine lines. Experts recommend sunscreen, retinol, and peptides as the main steps in skin care.
There's no better time than the present to start using sunscreen in your skincare routine.
Retinol may also help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles during menopause. The topical application of retinol has anti-ageing properties.
Peptides can increase collagen production. Peptides can stimulate collagen production, one of the main fibres keeping the skin plump.
So, you’re doing your regular breast exam at home, and you suddenly feel a lump. What should you do?
In most cases, women who feel a lump in their breasts will start to worry and have several questions in mind. If you’re one of those who recently felt a lump in their breasts, here are a few things you need to know.
How does a breast lump feel?
A breast lump feels more solid than regular breast tissue. It varies in size; some are pea-sized, while others can be as big as a golf ball. It can be difficult to differentiate a breast lump from a normal breast tissue because they both feel spongy and lumpy.
Lumps may or may not be moveable, while normal breast tissue feels like fibrous mesh. Breast lumps are usually painless, but they may also be painful.
When should you worry?
Breast lumps are scary, even though some say it’s pretty common. You’ve probably heard some people say that most breast lumps are noncancerous. But some may indicate breast cancer. So when should you worry? When should you consult your doctor?
Keep in mind that breast lumps need to be checked by a doctor, whether or not it’s painful. You must have it checked by your doctor regardless of your age and where the lump is located.
You can’t determine on your own if the lump you’re feeling is benign or cancerous just by feeling it. Most lumps are harmless. But lumps may also indicate breast cancer.
So how would you know if the lump is concerning? Here are a few things you need to watch out for.
What should you do?
When you feel that you have a breast lump, you should schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor.
Be prepared to answer questions. The most common ones that your doctor will ask are the following:
Your doctor may or may not recommend you to undergo more tests so they can better evaluate the mass. These tests may include a biopsy or a mammogram.
As previously mentioned, a doctor should check any lump, regardless of age. You shouldn’t think twice about having yourself checked, especially if you’re at least 50. However, that doesn’t mean young women should take breast lumps lightly.
Although many lumps end up being benign, some are still not. You don’t want to miss out on getting yourself checked. It’s better to catch breast cancer early because it’ll most likely be treatable.
Don’t worry about the painful biopsy. Other ways, such as breast ultrasounds and mammograms, help your doctor evaluate your condition.
It’s never too late to take care of your body, including your breasts. Keeping your breasts healthy goes beyond self-examination and regular mammograms. You should also exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and reduce stress. Avoid eating processed food and consume more fruits and vegetables. You should also stop smoking and limit your alcohol intake.
Worldwide, the leading causes of death are heart disease and stroke. Thankfully, there is good news as well. About 80% of all cases of cardiovascular disease are entirely preventable. You can lower your risks by making a few changes to your lifestyle and doing things that would even feel enjoyable in the end. Let’s cover the four basics:
Exercise
Scientists have been aware of the importance of exercise when it comes to protecting your heart. Some of the first hints surfaced in the 1950s when studies showed the conductors of London’s double-decker buses had lower rates of coronary heart disease than the drivers, with the same going for English mail carriers compared to telephone operators.
Studies have shown a strong, inverse relationship between physical exercise and heart disease. Clinical trials also shed light on why that is the case. Exercise enhances the cardiorespiratory system, increases HDL cholesterol, lowers triglycerides, reduces blood pressure and heart rate long term, lowers inflammation, and improves blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity. The best part of all is that exercise is something that gives you benefits, no matter how much activity you go with.
Avoid High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also known as hypotension, puts stress on the walls of your arteries, causing them to stiffen and narrow down. This stress increases the buildup of plaque in your blood vessels, eventually causing your heart muscle to grow thicker and weaker over time. It may also cause the blood vessels in your brain to rupture, leading to stroke. Your ideal blood pressure shouldn’t be over 120/80. The top number is your systolic pressure, the pressure when the heart is contracting, while the lower number is the diastolic pressure, meaning when your heart is at rest. Keeping the numbers in check is essential to cardiovascular health since hypertension is a leading cause of heart attacks and one of the most severe risk factors for strokes.
Knowing Your Cholesterol
Cholesterol isn’t the only factor in heart disease, despite playing a significant role. Although cholesterol is not the only thing that matters in heart health, you should keep an eye on it. You should know which numbers put you at risk. You should get your cholesterol levels checked every four to six years.
Here is what you should be looking for
Knowing Your Blood Sugar Level
Routinely checking your fasting blood sugar can help monitor another factor in your heart disease risk. So what should you do if you see your blood sugar levels rising? You first need to consult with your doctor to check if you have a medical issue. You can do things on your own to improve your blood sugar control, and they are pretty simple and familiar - exercising and eating healthy. Blood sugar can be affected by several factors you may not be aware of, such as the following:
Hormonal changes during menstrual cycles.
Chronic stress or illness.
Being overweight or obese.
Consuming alcohol or caffeine.
Birth control pills, antidepressants, nasal decongestants, etc.
Not getting enough sleep.
All those factors can contribute to your blood sugar issues, both long-term and before you take a test, so keep that in mind.
If you and your partner happen to be one of the 12% of couples who face infertility issues, you know that facing this and trying to solve it is a difficult task. Even though there are fertility treatments available, ones that go a long way toward making it possible to get pregnant, there is still a good chance you will experience a lot of stress during that time. Let’s take a look at the available options for couples, and a quick rundown of the most common fertility treatments.
Artificial Insemination and Intrauterine Insemination
Artificial Insemination involves the placement of sperm from your partner or a donor inside your reproductive tract. This is done during ovulation to maximise your chance of getting pregnant. If you happen to be ovulating normally, this procedure can be done without any added fertility drugs. If you have issues with ovulation, it will require said drugs to improve your chances. Intrauterine insemination is a similar procedure, but slightly more complicated. Instead of injecting sperm into the reproductive tract, a thin catheter is used to place the sperm as close as possible to your fallopian tubes, increasing the chance the sperm will reach the egg.
In Vitro Fertilisation
A famous procedure in which your eggs are fertilised using sperm in a fertility clinic or laboratory. When that happens, one or more of the embryos are transferred into your uterus with the hope it will result in a successful pregnancy.
Natural Cycle In Vitro Fertilisation
Natural cycle IVF is a type of fertilisation that bypasses the hormone injection, monitoring your natural cycle and retrieving an egg when you’re about to ovulate. Your egg can then be fertilised in a fertility clinic or laboratory, just like it’s done with traditional IVF and transferred back to your uterus.
Donor Eggs
This process involves the fertilisation of a donor egg with sperm and implantation into your uterus, a very similar procedure to IVF. The donor may be someone you know or someone you are matched with anonymously through an agency working with the clinic. Using a donor egg means you won’t have any biological relation to your baby, but you are still listed as a birth mother on record. To avoid any legal issues, you should hire a lawyer early on in the process, so you can be sure you have a legal contract between you and the donor or the donor agency. They should waive any parental rights and outline that the children born of this procedure using donated eggs are legally yours.
Surrogacy
Surrogates carry a child for another woman or a same-sex couple. In almost all cases, the parents will undergo an IVF procedure and the embryo is implanted in the surrogate uterus. Both parents have a genetic relation to the baby, but the surrogate mother doesn’t.
Egg Freezing
This procedure involves the retrieval of 10 to 20 of a woman’s eggs in a similar way to IVF, but then flash-freezing and storing the eggs for later use. When you are ready to have a baby, you can thaw one or more of the eggs, fertilise them and implant them into your uterus.
Fertility Drugs
These are usually taken when you start IVF, but they can also be taken by themselves during ovulation issues. There are oral medications like Femara and Clomid, used to stimulate the ovaries and correct any irregularities in ovulation. Both of those drugs suppress oestrogen production and boost the production of ovulation-stimulating hormones. If those meds don’t work, you can use hormone shots called gonadotropins that stimulate ovulation directly.
If you have irregular ovulation caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), then the drug Metformin may also be a possible option. It is used to treat diabetes, but it also works to sensitise insulin levels, which may help women with PCOS have more regular ovulation as a result.
Menopause starts in the late 40s or the early 50s for most women, usually lasting a few years. During that time, at least 60% of women experience the typical symptoms of menopause, meaning hot flashes, mood swings, tiredness, irritability and night sweats.
Aside from those unpleasant symptoms, women undergoing menopause have an elevated risk of several diseases, specifically osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and risk of obesity. During that time, a lot of women turn to natural remedies and supplements to relieve the symptoms. The following examples are here to give you some pointers:
Eating Calcium and Vitamin D-Rich Foods
The hormonal changes during menopause may cause your bones to weaken, increasing the risk of developing osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D are connected to good bone health and density, so you should make sure you have enough of both in your daily diet. Adequate intake of vitamin D for postmenopausal women is also something related to lower risks of fractures.
Calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are a great addition to your diet, but they’re not the only source. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach and collard greens are a good source of calcium as well. You can also find them in beans, sardines, tofu and a variety of other foods.
Calcium-fortified foods are a good source too, such as fruit juice, milk alternatives and cereals. The main source of vitamin D remains the sun since your skin is naturally producing it whenever you’re exposed to sunlight. As you get older, the body's ability to produce it gets less efficient, so supplements are encouraged to compensate for this change.
Keep Your Weight Balanced and Healthy
It is not uncommon to gain weight during menopause as a result of changing hormones, genetics and lifestyle. The gain of excess body fat around the waist is connected to a heightened risk of developing diseases such as diabetes and heart issues. Your body weight may affect the menopause symptoms as well.
Eating Fruits and Vegetables
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may help you prevent a good range of your menopause symptoms. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, but at the same time filling, allowing you to lose weight and maintain a healthy balance. They may also prevent several diseases, specifically heart disease. The risks of this condition rise after menopause, due to age, weight gain and reduced oestrogen levels in the body. Fruits and vegetables can also help prevent bone loss in a balanced diet.
Avoiding Triggering Foods
Some foods may trigger hot flashes, mood swings and night sweats, so they should be avoided. They are more likely to trigger those if you eat them at night as well. The common triggers may include alcohol, caffeine and spicy or sugary foods. You should keep a symptom diary if you experience those, keeping track of the foods triggering menopause symptoms. This may allow you to avoid the symptoms by avoiding these foods or reducing their consumption.
Regular Exercise
There is not enough evidence as of yet if exercise has any direct effect on treating night sweats and hot flashes. There is ample evidence that proves the benefits of regular exercise, however. Improved energy levels and metabolism, healthier bones and joints, better sleep patterns and decreased stress levels. In one example a study found that a mere three hours of exercise a week may improve the physical and mental health of a group of menopausal women.
Regular exercise is also associated with better health, protection from diabetes and several dangerous conditions. Stroke, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity are much less likely to occur with enough physical activity.
There is no denying anyone knows the importance of keeping your health in check. This is something even doubly important, if you were diagnosed with high blood pressure or heart disease, or if you were told you have the risk of developing a cardiac issue. Considering the changes in the way hospitals handle patients and the pandemic’s impact on everything, a lot of people are wondering what they can do to get the best care.
How to Manage a Heart Condition
Healthy dieting, managing stress and getting regular exercise done are some of the ways you can stave off heart disease and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, with lockdowns and the uncertainty around the pandemic, this has its own set of challenges. You can do the following to keep yourself in shape:
Meanwhile, keep taking steps to reduce your chance of catching the virus, such as washing your hands, wearing a mask as necessary, and social distancing.
How to Manage Stress and Anxiety During the Pandemic
There are many ways stress and anxiety can manifest during the pandemic, from lack of energy to loss of interest in your favourite activities, to feeling a general sense of hopelessness and lack of motivation to be active or eating a healthy diet.
That in itself can be a problem when stress and anxiety can impact your blood pressure levels, both short and long term. Without a healthy diet and workouts, you can lean closer to heart disease or further complications of already existing problems. You need to make your mental and physical health a priority by focusing on these:
Be Aware of Your Risk of Heart Disease
It may be easy to ignore health questions or worries during the pandemic, considering people are worrying about the global situation. If you have a history of heart issues in your family, then it’s important to keep an eye on that by getting checkups from your doctor just in case.
The most important thing is knowing what you need to do if your symptoms are worsening or if you are experiencing a life-threatening situation, such as a heart attack. Heart attacks and strokes keep happening even during the pandemic, of course, so don’t be afraid to look for help if the situation arises. Call emergency services as soon as you feel the telltale signs of an inbound heart attack, specifically:
Emergency medical technicians can take care of you and save your life, as well as get you to the nearest hospital for more treatment and testing. Best call ahead of time just in case, instead of waiting it out and experiencing the worst outcome.
Is there any connection at all between menopause and work? That is a question that many would not consider, and in most cases, they’d be right. Most of the time there isn’t anything that ties the two together. But that is not always the case.
Women experience menopause differently. Some can breeze through it with grace, without experiencing overwhelming negative symptoms. However, other women have more trouble with menopause and don’t transition well. It is important for them to get the right support for it, to have an open discussion about it and help the issue to become less of a bother for them in the workplace. Nowadays, there are some consequences for women employees going through menopause and their employers. In this guide, we will talk about them all.
Nowadays, women going through menopause constitute one of the fastest-growing demographics of the workforce. On average, the age at which women experience menopause is 51, although in some cases it can start even earlier. 8 out of 10 women are working when they enter menopause. 3 out of 4 women experience various menopause symptoms, and 1 out of 1 experiences serious symptoms, which require medication or some other treatment, due to their severity.
The reality is that there is an ageing demographic, with new entrants from education on the low side. As such, organisations need to adapt and cater to their older workers, in this case, women going through menopause, to ensure they retain their talent and use it for the business. As such, it is a good idea to think about it as a two-way street. Menopausal women often need the work for more than just a salary. It is a source of self-esteem, fulfilment and a certain identity for them, which serves to fulfil social needs too. On the other hand, if the working environment lacks temperature control, there are too many people cramped together and the nature of the work is too stressful, menopause symptoms in women can easily become worse.
As it was already mentioned, women experience menopause differently. From physical symptoms like headaches, sleep issues, hot flushes and period irregularities, to psychological symptoms like low mood, anxiety and poor concentration, the plethora of symptoms is different for everyone. Half the women don’t even seek out medical advice and don’t even feel comfortable sharing menopause problems with their managers. This means there is a certain negative perception of menopause, making women feel embarrassed to talk about it. But for women who are well-aware of the symptoms, their quality of life and work can return to normal much more quickly. This is especially the case when there is also knowledge and active steps taken at the workplace to foster this process.
Line managers in general don’t feel confident enough to talk about menopause with women. They don’t fully understand menopause and don’t know how they can help. There is a certain need for training, for line managers to understand how they can help their women employees and what sort of support they can provide. Sometimes it is very steps, which are also cost-friendly – a desk fan, or some time off to visit their doctor, etc.
There are compelling reasons for managers and organisations to support menopausal women in the workplace. It not only creates a culture of inclusion but also sets the stage for establishing good colleague relationships. And when all of that is present, the company can develop as well.
Hair loss is not a condition you want to take lightly, especially if you know there are ways to help it. Normally, you will lose about 100 strands per day, which is just the regular cycle of your hair. However, any more than that will leave you worried. The condition is sometimes easy to address, and other times you may need to go out of your way to get more specialised treatment. And while male pattern baldness and other serious hair issues may dictate the need for a more serious approach, you should consider some lifestyle changes that are easy enough to improve overall hair health. Here are a few tips in that regard:
Sometimes, all it takes are a few simple lifestyle changes, which can have a big impact on your overall health and the health of your hair.
All the women around the world know that doing regular screenings in the form of mammograms and thermograms contributes to breast health. But in reality, there is more to it than doing tests. Certain tweaks in diet, exercise and a few more proactive steps contribute to better breast health and better wellbeing overall. Here are a few more useful tips for women to follow when it comes to breast health:
Obviously, there is a lot that women can do to reduce the risks of breast cancer and improve their health.
Breast cancer is among the most dangerous diseases that affect women all over the world. To this day, the best thing every woman can do is make regular screenings, to detect the disease at its early stage. This greatly boosts the chances of successfully managing the condition.
Among other breast screening methods, thermography has become a go-to solution for many women out there. In essence, a thermographic scan involves an infra-red camera, which takes the temperature of the upper side of the body. It highlights any areas of increased activity. Cancer tumours usually have a blood supply of their own. This shows an infra-red scan as an area with increased activity and alerts doctors that something is going on. The benefits of this sort of scanning are many:
The thermography screening method has made its way into present-day breast prevention guidelines in a fascinating way. It is good that women all over the world can now rely on another tool in the battle against breast cancer.
Without a doubt, cancer is the single worst disease that a person can get. It affects numerous people in various forms. Sometimes, it is not only adults who suffer, but people of all ages, who can be affected. There needs to be greater awareness of issues like breast cancer because women have a way to reduce the risk. Early checks can be crucial for catching the disease early and improving all chances against it.
The good news is that with the advancement of screening methods, women all over the world can rely on a variety of tools against breast cancer. There is no denying the fact that mammograms remain the gold standard in screenings, even though this method holds certain negatives. Sometimes, mammograms are deceptively positive, creating a situation where women need to follow up with surgery, to rule out all possibility of breast cancer.
Enter breast thermography
Nowadays, breast thermography is becoming more and more popular, and for a good reason. This alternative to mammogram is a safe method for screening, which relies on getting an infra-red picture of the body. This allows experts to see what sort of changes the breast area experiences, so that they can catch any cancerous activity long before it becomes an issue.
Now, it is important to point out that diagnosing breast cancer is not possible through thermograms. The test only showcases areas of increased inflammation, which doesn’t mean there is cancer. It only means that there is inflammation that the person needs to address, to prevent any chances of breast cancer.
Breast thermography holds many benefits. For starters, it is not painful, unlike mammograms. As a non-invasive method, it is quick and usually takes no more than 30 minutes. There is zero contact with the body and can be done on women of all ages. Perhaps the most important thing is that there is no radiation involved in the method.
A few important tips for enhancing breast health
Brest thermography presents many opportunities for addressing the issue of breast cancer. There is zero doubt that this screening method can be highly beneficial to women of all ages, especially those with a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is one of the ways for women to cope with menopause symptoms. A lot of doctors consider this the best course of action for their patients, especially if they have had little to no success with other forms of treatment.
If you are in a situation where you are considering BHRT and you need some tips, make sure to read the following guide:
Always bear these tips about BHRT in mind and you will have great success with such treatment.
Nobody would call menopause a disease, so calling the negative side effects of it ‘symptoms’ is not technically correct. However, this period of a woman’s life comes with certain side effects that often feel overwhelming.
It doesn’t help the fact that many of the symptoms overlap, causing a cascading effect of introducing more problems. However, one thing is for certain – there is a way to keep things under control. Whether it be a specialised bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or some other treatment, women can regain back their health and wellbeing. In the following guide, we take a look at several of the symptoms that are most commonly associated with menopause, as well as how they can be treated:
All of these symptoms are common enough during menopause. Knowing the right ways to address them really can contribute to better wellbeing during that period of life.
Coronary artery disease (heart disease) contributes to a very large number of heart attacks and kills a lot of people. Millions of people have suffered heart attacks, and it takes special knowledge on the matter to understand it and minimize the issue. The major thing about it lies with the fact that heart disease is silent until it strikes.
It is very important to recognize all of the risk factors, such as the most common uncontrollable ones:
As for the controllable risk department, there are quite a lot more:
It is important to keep an eye on all of the risk factors and make the appropriate lifestyle changes, to reduce the risks of developing heart disease. Now, it is true that a heart-healthy lifestyle doesn’t give 100% protection, some simple changes in one area can benefit others. Heart disease is preventable, and it is lifestyle changes that work best in that direction. Let’s see some of the most effective steps one can take to achieve that:
Knowing more about heart diseases and the risk factors associated with them is important, to minimize the danger this condition presents.
Thermography has been around for some time now, and it has already made quite an impact on the medical world. In essence, this is a test, which utilises an infrared camera that detects blood flow and heat patterns in the body.
The type of thermography that doctors use for breast screening is called digital infrared thermal imaging. It shows the temperature differences on the surface of the breasts and can be an invaluable tool in the diagnosing process of breast cancer. The idea behind the technology is that it showcases potential signs of trouble without introducing X-rays. To understand the technology better, we have compiled a few important points.
Is thermography a good alternative to a mammography?
Thermography made its grand entrance in the 1950s. That is when doctors realised its potential as a medical tool. Sometime later studies revealed that it could hardly substitute mammography as the main screening tool for breast cancer. The main problem comes from the false positive rate that it often produces. This means it indicates ‘finds’, which are often not cancer. Causes of increased heat are many. Because of this, doing thermography and seeing abnormal results means that more testing is required to rule out potential problems. And even though mammography can also produce false-positive results, it remains the gold standard for breast cancer screening.
Who is thermography best used for?
Obviously, any woman can do a thermography screening as a way to detect potential problems. However, there are two groups the test is particularly useful for. One is for women under the age of 50, and the other is women with dense breasts. However, because of the problems mentioned in the previous point, thermography is hardly a tool to use on its own. In most cases, it is an add-on therapy for making a diagnosis.
What can you expect during the procedure?
The procedure itself is fairly simple. First, you will undress from the waist up. The purpose of this is so that your body can get acclimated to room temperature. After the acclimation process, you will stand in front of an imaging system. A technician will take several images, including side and front views. A doctor will then analyse those images and provide a result within a few days.
Are there risks and side effects?
Because the test itself features only thermal images with an infrared camera, there is no radiation. Additionally, there is no compression involved, like in mammography. This, there is no real risk associated with the test. As for side effects, there are none as well, which ranks thermography as a safe breast screening test.
Speak to your doctor about thermography
You should always talk about breast cancer risk and screening methods with your doctor. They should be able to provide you with some useful guidelines on the screening methods and the recommended frequency for these tests. If the risk of breast cancer is high, your doctor will not just recommend you get both a mammography and thermography test, but also add in another test, like ultrasound or MRI.
In conclusion
Thermography is a great new way of doing breast cancer screenings, which presents another tool in the fight against this disease. The test itself is safe, as it involves no X-ray imaging or compression. There are no side effects associated with it. Using it as a basis for diagnosis is difficult, however, so always consider it a supplemental screening. To gather more info, visit this link - https://thenaturaldoctor.org/services/women/breast-thermography/
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