News & Media
It’s Women’s Health Week, so we thought we’d ask our community health nurse, Corina Christie, for her take on how and why we need to check our breasts.
The why is easy: we should be checking our breasts for our own health and our family’s wellbeing. The how is also easy: we just need to remember to check them every month!
When you check your breasts, you get to know how they look and feel, and you’re more likely to notice when something changes. If you notice a lump or spot on your breast, or discharge from your nipples, see your doctor straight away.
Don’t be afraid if you feel a lump. Nine times out of ten it’s not cancer, but early detection will make a huge difference to you and your family, so it’s best to be safe and keep on checking.
When to check, you ask? Check your breasts about a week after your period, when you start your new pill packet or on the first day of every month. Basically you want to check them 12 times a year, so about every month!
And what do you actually check? Look and feel for any changes in the breast tissue. Notice if there are any changes or discharge from your nipples. You can check your breasts in the shower or lying down; it’s a 30 second check and could save your life.