How To Stop Smoking (so much)

Are you a smoker trying to quit? Have you tried to quit smoking and failed? Have you spent a considerable amount of time searching for the best quitting solution for yourself and have been unsuccessful in your attempts? Most smokers would agree that nicotine addiction is difficult to overcome. Even the thought of quitting may put many smokers on edge.

However difficult it may be, quitting tobacco use is possible and thousands of smokers overcome nicotine addiction every year.

How to Quit Smoking: Banishing Junkie Thinking

Human beings are creatures of habit. What many people do not understand is that smoking is more difficult to beat than heroin and cocaine due to the habitual nature of smoking. Smoking becomes a part of the smoker’s daily life. The psychological or mental side of this habit can be much more addictive than nicotine.

How to Quit Smoking: Adopting a Good Mindset

The decision to quit smoking won’t just happen overnight. It’s not something you will grow out of. Many think that smoking cessation will magically happen when they are “ready.” In fact, the decision to quit smoking is a life-style change. If you wait until you are ready, you’ll probably never quit.

It is likely that you won’t ever be “ready” to quit smoking. It is a conscious choice that you have to make. Naturally, you’ll feel some mixture of sadness, loss, anger and fear as you embark on your quit program. With the necessary tools in your how-to-quit-smoking arsenal however, you’ll find cessation is manageable, possibly easier than you expected, and the negative feelings you originally had about quitting will go away.

Change is hard for most people, but is a necessary part of life. Embrace the process and don’t look back! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

How to Quit Smoking: Education

We’ve all heard the phrase “knowledge is power.” This is especially applicable when it comes to learning how to quit smoking.

You need to know what to expect as your body moves through physical withdrawal from the nicotine. You need to know how to thwart the temptation of “just one more cigarette.” You need to know how to replace one undesirable habit with a desirable one.

The more you learn about the process of quitting, the more easily you’ll be able to navigate the ups and downs. The early stages of smoking cessation are intense to be sure, but with a little preparation, you can maintain control and move past this phase of recovery from nicotine addiction.

How to Quit Smoking: Removing the Blinders

Looking at the health hazards smoking exposes you and others to is a powerful medicinal tool when trying to quit. Because many of these hazards do not present themselves until later in life, we as smokers keep ourselves under a blanket of denial and assume we are indestructible. We’re young. We assume that these negative affects can’t happen to us. It doesn’t run in the family…

An important part of learning how to quit smoking involves removing the blinders or justifications that keep us in denial. The best thing we can do when trying to quit is researching what first-hand smoke does to us, and what second-hand smoke can do to those we love. It will help you shift your attitude away from thinking of smoking as a “just a bad habit” and will help you see tobacco for the silent killer it is.

Easy Step By Step Instruction For Quitting Smoking

• Support
• Patience
• Practice
• Building Momentum
• Empowered

How to Quit Smoking: Support

Simply put, your chances for success with smoking cessation are many times greater when you have the support of like-minded people. Enlist the help of family members and close friends who want the best for you. Visit About.com Smoking Cessation’s forum for the best support community the Internet has to offer.

Letter to a Loved One below was composed by the husband of an About.com Smoking Cessation forum member who had started the process of learning how to  quit smoking. It was written from the quitter’s perspective and expresses beautifully what friends and family can expect as their loved one recovers from nicotine addiction. Print it out and share it with the supporters in your life. It may help them better understand what you’re going through which, in turn, can help them learn how to better support you when you quit smoking.

How to Quit Smoking: Patience

Smoking cessation is a process that takes time. Expect that you will have ups and downs as you work through recovery. Learn the art of patience, especially with yourself. Give yourself the time and space you need to heal.

How to Quit Smoking: Practice

A fundamental step in the process of learning how to quit smoking is practice. Smoking cessation can’t be rushed. Try to relax and use time like it is your best resource. The more time that you put between you and that last cigarette, the stronger you’ll become. We spent years learning to associate smoking with literally every activity in our lives. Unlearning those associations takes time and practice.

How to Quit Smoking: Building Momentum

Practice has another benefit that will help fuel your motivation as you learn how to quit smoking: momentum. What is initially a minute-by-minute struggle will gradually become more of a strength for you as you get some practice under your belt. Momentum is a great tool – build up that initial head of steam and momentum will help propel you through the process.

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Quitting Smoking

People often come through cessation strengthened in ways they never expected. It is essential that you not only believe in the principles of recovery from this addiction but, that you believe in yourself. You have what it takes to succeed. Take the time to learn how to quit smoking and make smoking a thing of the past – your past. If you want to make it easy on you, check some Electronic Cigarette Reviews.

(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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How to Stock Your Small Medicine Cabinet

Having a well stocked medical cabinet is the difference between schlumping around at home feeling miserable or dragging yourself to the store to buy the basics even though you’d rather just lay on the floor and try to keep the world in one spot for a while. Preparing ahead of time with a well stocked medical cabinet is as simple as knowing what you’d likely need and finding it ahead of time.

Get the Bare Essentials of a Medical Stash

The very bare essentials for most homes are a pain and fever reliever such as Tylenol or Aspirin, band-aids, a cleansing agent such as hydrogen peroxide and maybe Neosporin. So long as you have something to clean a small wound, stop the flow of blood and take away the pain, you’ll be the norm for a stocked medical cabinet.

Add Other Common Items to Your Small Medical Cabinet

Other items that are often used with injuries and illness include a medicine to settle the stomach such as Pepto-Bismol, an allergy medication such as Claritin, a cold medicine such as Dayquil, and useful tools like cotton balls and Q-tips. Depending on the type of lifestyle you lead and your general health, you might also find it common to have items such as gauze, large bandages, butterfly sutures, intense pain relievers, decongestants, and medications for PMS.

Add Specialty Items to the Medical Cabinet

If you know you have special medical conditions that pop up from time to time, such as allergy hives, you’d want to be sure you have the right medications on hand to treat them. An allergy medication to tackle hives would make sense. Likewise any medication for boil treatment, warts, cracked skin or severe migraines would want to be included in the medicine cabinet well before you’d be in need of the medicine.

Easy Step By Step Instructions for Stocking a Medicine Cabinet

• Add the bare essentials of a medicine cabinet including band aids and pain reliever
• Add other common elements such as allergy medicine and cold medications
• Add special items to your medical stash to suit your particular needs

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Stocking Your Medicine Cabinet

Most items in the medicine cabinet, with the exception of cotton balls, band aids and Q-tips have an expiration date. Be sure to check the dates of your medications periodically to be sure they haven’t expired.

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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How to Alleviate Anxiety

In our intense world complete with budget deficits and layoffs, it’s almost normal to feel some anxiety as you go through your daily life, but when that anxiety become overwhelming and begins to darken your outlook it’s time to take control and alleviate that anxiety.

Consult With a Professional About Anxiety

Before beginning any new health or fitness regimen, you should always consult with your health care provider. This is especially true if you’re experiencing a number of different symptoms that could be related to conditions other than anxiety.

Start Exercising Daily

Adding some movement and physical activity into your day is enough to get a lot of your blood flowing and will improve your mood tremendously. It’s far worse to sit inside feeling overwhelmed than it is to take control of your health and go for a walk or a quick jog. The body and mind respond well to exercise making it one of the fastest ways to turn your mood around.

Eat a Balanced Diet

Eating too many processed and sugary foods can be hard on your system, especially if it’s already overwrought and sensitive. Start by eliminating the junk food and simple sugars from your diet and add in more fruits, vegetable, lean proteins and grains. Not only will your mood and physical well being improve, you may notice a boost in energy and smaller number on the scale as well.

Make a List to Reduce Anxiety

Once you’re feeling a bit more in control though exercise and healthy eating, confront the areas of your life that are giving you tension and making you feel anxious. Make a list of the things you’d like to do or that you need to take care of to feel back on top of things. Then, next to the item, create an action plan for the first few of the most important to get the ball rolling again. If that means calling up a friend or the bank for a loan or cleaning out all of your closets and ditching the clothes that don’t fit anymore, just take a day off work and do it. Tackling obstacles is a huge way to remove situational anxiety from your life.

Consider an Herbal Supplement That Reduces Anxiety

There are medicines for everything, but before asking for a prescription, you might consider anxiety relief through herbs. Antianxiety herbs give you a natural alternative to medication with fewer side effects and little risk of dependency. As with all supplements, however, be sure to discuss the medication with your doctor to be sure it’s right for you.

Easy Step By Step Instructions to Alleviate Anxiety

• Exercise to control your body and mind and give them natural means to relax and feel in control.
• Eat a balanced diet to avoid the side effects and ill feelings of a poor diet.
• Make a list and tackle the items that are most pressing on your list.
• Consider an herbal supplement before medication to try and alleviate stress and anxiety naturally.

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Alleviating Anxiety

It’s critical to get enough sleep at night. Without a minimum of seven or eight hours of sleep at night, your body will always feel a bit off kilter as lack of sleep can cause any number of mental and physical side effects.

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Handle a Work Injury

If you’re injured while on the job, there is a certain protocol to follow to ensure you’re properly cared for. If you find yourself hurt on the job, act carefully and use caution as being careless might lose you the benefits you’re seeking.

Record and Document the Work Injury

If possible, record and document the injury and the conditions surrounding the injury. Ask eye-witnesses to take a picture of the water or broken equipment with a camera phone or just to serve as your back-up should you need one. Accidents do happen, and most companies are forthright about handling the details and compensation properly, but others might try to sweep the incident under the rug or make you out to be the problem instead of faulty equipment or unsafe working conditions.

Insist on a Medical Examination After an Injury

If your injury is serious enough, call an ambulance to assist and assess the full extent of your injuries. Otherwise have a friend or family member take you to the emergency room or your doctor’s office for a full examination to determine the damage caused by the accident. Photograph your injuries as well to keep as a record. Keep all records of the medical treatment as well.

Call Human Resources

If they have not already been in contact with you, get in contact with the human resources division of your company to request paperwork and information regarding the company’s policies and procedures regarding injuries of this type. Do not sign any paperwork, however, until you have sought legal counsel. If your company requires you to sign a document at the time of the accident, read the document carefully and request the document be signed at a later date when you’re in the right state of mind, not in pain from the injury.

Retain a Personal Injury Lawyer If Needed

New Brunswick Personal Injury Lawyers are an excellent option in the area as are many others who specialize in small regions. Ask your lawyer to be present when you fill out paperwork to advise you on the process. Follow your lawyer’s advice regarding the process and be sure to get information from him as well as to the step you’re taking.

Settle or Sue with Your Company

Most companies act in good faith and will help reach an agreement with you over the injury and the correct amount of compensation or reimbursement for injuries. Others created illegal unsafe working conditions and should be brought to court in a punitive sense. Your lawyer can guide you through the process.

Take Time to Heal After a Work Injury

Use the funds obtained from the company for their purpose – to pay for time away from work to heal properly and to pay off the expenses of the injury. Once you’re healed and with a doctor’s permission, return to work in a hopefully safer environment.

Easy Step By Step Instructions for Handling a Work Injury

• Record the injuries and the situation surrounding it.
• Seek medical assessment and assistance.
• Speak with human resources about company policies.
• Obtain the services of a personal injury lawyer.
• Settle or sue your company with the guidance of the lawyer.
• Heal and get back to work.

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions Concerning Work Injuries

Don’t sign any paperwork without the advisement of your lawyer. If you sign the wrong form, you may waive your right to additional compensation for the injury.

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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How to Treat a Yeast Infection

A burning and itching in your vagina is likely a yeast infection. These are common infections that can be caused by many things, but experiencing a yeast infection, while common, is certainly not something to be take lightly.

Diagnose Your Yeast Infection

If you have itchy, odor and discharge, the chances are good that you’re dealing with a yeast infection. However, unless you’ve had one or two before, it is best to see out a medical diagnosis. A San Diego gynecologist can identify the infection through a pelvic exam and give you a prescription, but she might ask you to use an over-the-counter treatment first.

Buy Medicine for Yeast Infections

When you treat a yeast infection, you’ll be killing off the bad yeast, as well as the good kind. Treating too harshly can actually hurt your system and make you more susceptible to yeast infections in the future. Opt for a basic over the counter treatment plan.

Follow Instructions for Treatment

Follow the instruction on the box to treat the infection. The treatment will likely be a suppository to help reach the infection immediately and get to work Use the treatment according to the plan and don’t deviate. You don’t want to battle the infection any longer than you have to. Continue treating the infection until the time period is up on the instructions. If you stop early, the infection can come back with greater strength.

Look for Warning Signs

Yeast infections are easier to treat immediately, so be wary of signs one might on the way. If you’re treating infections frequently, discuss the situation with your doctor to be sure you’re using the right treatment plan or that you’re not looking at another condition.

Easy Step By Step Instructions For Treating a Yeast Infection

• Visit with your doctor to get a correct diagnosis
• Buy an over-the-counter or prescribed treatment
• Use the treatment according to instructions to be sure the infection is treated completely
• Revisit the doctor if the infection continues to return

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Treating a Yeast Infection

Yeast infection treatments can lower the amount of good bacteria in your body. Talk to your doctor about taking probiotics to keep your system in good standing during the treatments.

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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How to Get Birth Control Pills

If you’re planning to become sexually active or want to try and combat killer cramps, the birth control pill is a great thing to consider. Of course, birth control pills are not available without a prescription and before prescribing the pills, your doctor will want to examine you and discuss your plan with you.

Consider Telling Your Mom

There is a debate among many health care providers about involving parents in this sort of decision. Should you have to tell your mom? It might depend on the state you live in or the policies of the doctor you’ve visiting. If you’re concerned, make an appointment and explain you’ll be coming alone.

If you can, however, elicit the support or at least the acceptance of your mother or father. Explain that you want to be safe and protected in your choice of lifestyle and would appreciate their support. This is especially true if you’re planning on taking the pill to lighten your period and accompanying cramps. If that is the case, or if your mother is comfortable with your decision, having her along for moral support is a nice thing to have.

Make an Appointment With A Doctor

Make an appointment with an obgyn, If you don’t have insurance or access to your parent’s insurance cards that have you covered, you can ask your regular doctor for a referral to an obgyn. They might have your insurance on record. There are also clinics available to use without insurance. Regardless of where you choose to make an appointment, in every city from Buffalo to San Diego, women’s health providers should make you feel comfortable about your decision to protect yourself and not be judgmental.

Have an Exam

To get birth control pills, you’ll need an exam to determine that you’re healthy and that the pills won’t cause you any harm. Expect to have a full exam, including a pelvic exam (meaning without underpants) during this initial appointment. Once you’ve been determined as healthy, your doctor will want to speak with you about your choice to use birth control. Listen to the information the doctor offers and then you’ll get a prescription for birth control pills.

Fill Your Prescription

Take the pills to the same pharmacy where you usually fill prescriptions so that your insurance information is on file. Some doctor’s offices will fill the prescription for you to avoid having to fill it somewhere else. This might be an easier option if you’re concerned about insurance paying for the prescription.

Easy Step By Step Instructions For Getting Birth Control

• Tell your mom if you feel comfortable doing so. It will give you support in your decision
• Make an appointment with your doctor or a free clinic
• Have an exam at the doctor’s office
• Fill the prescription

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Getting Birth Control

Remember that you should be on the pill a full month before having unprotected sex. Even then, continue to use a condom to protect yourself from STDs.

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Respond to a Positive Pregnancy Test

Whether you were trying or not, a plus size or “pregnant” on a small digital stick is certainly nothing to sneeze out. The clenching in your stomach, the feeling of faintness and, most of all, the wonder hits all at once. Am I really pregnant and what do I do next?

Be Still and Take a Moment to Breathe

After seeing a positive pregnancy test, you’ll have waves of emotions. The first for many women – even if they want a baby desperately – is to deny the result. This is probably why pregnancy tests are sold in packs of two. If you need to test again, do so. But once you get that positive twice, have a seat, look at the test a few times and just be still. Let the emotions roll over you until you’ve actually processed the thought completely – the pregnancy test says your pregnant. The pregnancy test is likely the same kind they use at the doctor’s office. Chances are very good that you’re pregnant and now you must figure out what to do next.

Tell Him…or Don’t Tell Him

If you’re in this together with a partner or husband, it would be wise to tell him as soon as possible, unless you’re planning to make it a fun surprise in a few days. If you’re waiting to hear from the doctor before contacting the father who is not a partner, there is no need to tell him immediately. If you do have a supporting partner, you’ll want him by your side throughout the first few days as you process the emotions and prepare for your first doctor’s appointment.

Schedule an Appointment with Your Doctor

Most women don’t have a regular relationship with an obgyn until they are pregnant. Suddenly, you’ll want to find the best obgyn for your care as you’re looking at almost a year together including appointments after the birth. Schedule an appointment with an obgyn you’re comfortable with or a practice you’ve used in the past and liked. Be sure to tell the receptionist that this is your first pregnancy. Women pregnant with their first are treated a bit differently than those who have done this number once before.

Initial Pregnancy Appointment

You might be asked to wait until six or eight weeks for an initial appointment, but if you’re longing for an official confirmation, you can get an appointment as early as the next day. Bring your partner so that he can hear the information you are. You’ll meet with the nurse during this first appointment to get vital signs, report all the important dates, such as the date of your last period, and have than all important pregnancy test. (It will likely involve a little cup and a toilet at this stage – sound familiar?)

You’ll then meet with the doctor for an initial pap smear and if you’re very lucky a chance to see the fluttering heartbeat on an ultrasound. Be aware, by the way, that your first few ultrasounds will be vaginal ultrasounds – the ones on the abdomen don’t do as good a job “seeing” the baby. You’ll leave the appointment with a prescription for prenatal vitamins, information on how to eat correctly and how to care for yourself and baby, an appointment in a month to check on the pregnancy, and if you’re truly lucky, a printed picture of a tiny bean already hard at work growing in your uterus.

Easy Step By Step Instructions to Being Positive About Pregnancy

• Take a pregnancy test
• Take another pregnancy test if you need to
• Sit and be still for a while to process emotions
• Tell your partner or make plans to tell him later as fitting
• Schedule an appointment with your doctor
• Enjoy the knowledge that you’ve created a life

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions About Finding Out You Are Pregnant

Don’t be afraid to change your obgyn. San Diego and every other city has many to choose from. If you’re not comfortable after your first appointment, find a doctor you are comfortable with.

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Have a Pap Smear

If you’ve started your period and especially if you’re sexually active, you should be seeking out an obgyn you’re comfortable with to be sure you’re receiving the care you need to stay completely healthy. Part of that sort of health care are pap smears. They aren’t fun, but they are critical to determining any problems you might be having in the nether regions.

Find a Doctor You Trust

A pap smear is a very intimate procedure. It’s a bit more than hitting your knees with a rubber hammer. You’ll want to find a doctor you trust. For young girls, this might be a doctor you’ve known for years or a doctor your mother or sister recommends. If you’re most comfortable with a female obgyn, be certain to seek one out. This is certainly not a time for propriety and equal gender rights. Finding a female gynecologist in San Diego or any other city should be straight forward with referrals and contacting practices in your area.

Schedule an Appointment for an Exam

When you schedule an appointment with an obgyn, you probably don’t need to clarify that you’ll need to do an annual pap smear, but it can’t hurt. Remember, the pap smear is a test to determine if any cells in your cervix or vaginal areas are unusual – it’s something you need to be doing every year to maintain your health. The pap smear can check for cancer as well as some forms of STDs.

Wear Comfy Panties

When you arrive at the doctor, go on a day that you’re wearing clean, yet comfortable panties. Your first instruction will be to get undressed and put on a gown in the small examining room. You’ll feel better if you can kick off your clothes and get back into them quickly after the exam is over. Beside, this is the kind of appointment you’d want to be comfortable for.

Take Deep Breaths

Once the exam starts, you’ll visit with the doctor about your sexual habits and lifestyle. Be honest as this information can make a difference in your health. She’ll check your breasts for proper development and any causes for concern. She’ll then ask you to lie back on the table for a quick pap smear. This is the part that most women need to take a deep breath.

After you spread your legs and put your feet in stirrups, the doctor will use gloved hands to carefully insert a clamp-looking apparatus called a speculum. This is to hold open your vaginal walls so that the doctor can see all the way to your cervix, or the opening to your uterus.

She will then use a thin wooden spatula to scrape the cervix. The spatula smears the sample on a slide. Then a long bristle brush on a wand scrapes the inside of the cervix very quickly. The wand is wiped on a slide and fixed with a spray. The doctor removes the speculum and you’re done.

Ending the Exam

The two samples will be sent off to a lab to be checked for any usual cells. You’ll have the results a few days later. The doctor will likely leave the room and the nurse might hand you a pad. The scraping can cause a bit of bleeding and once again you’ll be glad you’re in your comfy panties. Get dressed, sign out and you’re back on your way.

Easy Step By Step Instructions For Getting a Pap Smear

• Make an appointment with a doctor you trust
• Be as comfortable as possible while at the doctor, including comfortable clothing
• Take deep breaths and try to relax while the actually exam is taking place
• Get dressed and wait a couple of days for the results

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Getting a Pap Smear

If you’re menstruating or have had sex without a condom in the last twenty-four hours, reschedule your pap smear. The slides won’t be as clear as they would be on a more normal day.

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Find a Good ObGyn

Every woman needs to be under the care of a quality obgyn, or doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, once she begins menstruating, or if she is concerned about other issues in her teens. By eighteen every woman should be getting regular pap smears, especially if she is sexually active. Finding a good ObGyn in San Diego or any other city requires more than picking up the phone book or a quick search online.

Start with Referrals

An obgyn is a doctor who will be beyond intimate with your body while you’re being examined and having tests performed. The doctor should be someone you’re comfortable with and trust with your health, safety and wellbeing. The first place to look for a quality doctor is through the recommendation of your friends and family. You mother or sisters might have a doctor that they feel very comfortable with. Your friends at work or school might recommend a particular doctor for being very caring and professional at the same time.

Consider Your Insurance Coverage

Insurance works in different ways. If you’re covered on an HMO, you’ll have limited options of obgyns to use. Asking co-workers or others on the same insurance plan can help you determine which of those doctors within the network is a good choice. If your insurance plan is a PPO, check the list of preferred providers for the names of doctor’s you’re considering.

PPOs have two categories of doctors. You can expect to pay less out of pocket by seeing a doctor in their preferred network, but you can still enjoy more limited coverage with any doctor. Unless you have a particular doctor you feel truly passionate about using, the options within the network for most PPOs are so large, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a wonderful doctor to use.

Make an OBGYN Appointment

Once you have a recommendation and you’re certain the appointment is covered by insurance, schedule a visit with the obgyn. When you arrive in the office, take in everything. Is the receptionist prompt and efficient? Is the office clean and welcoming? How long do you have to wait to see the doctor? Your experience in this initial visit will likely determine the rest of your visits over time. If you’re not impressed, consider canceling your appointment and trying another doctor.

Visit with the Doctor

Once you’re in the office and have the chance to visit with the doctor, look past your initial discomfort with a new situation to see how comfortable the doctor makes you. If you plan on having children in the future, this doctor might be assisting you in that process. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, rushed through questions or degraded, find another doctor. But hopefully after the recommendations you find the doctor to be one you’re comfortable with caring for you now and into the future.

Easy Step By Step Instructions for Finding a Good OBGYN

• Ask friends and family members for recommendations
• Check with your insurance provider to determine what coverage you have
• Make an appointment and scope out the office and staff
• Visit with the doctor to determine how comfortable you are in her care

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Finding an OBGYN

If you’re not comfortable in the care of a man, there is absolutely no problem requesting a female O.B.G.Y.N. The doctors realize it is your comfort level that matters most.

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Check Your Breasts for Cancer

Every woman should be checking her breasts for potential cancerous cells once a month or sooner. There is no age that is safe from breast cancer and not checking for suspicious lumps or growths can be one of the most foolish decisions you’ll ever make – especially as performing a self-exam for breast cancer is so simple. Early cancer detection through any means – self exams, traditional or emerging cancer technologies – can save lives.

Look at Your Breasts – Visual Inspection

There are two parts to an exam. First you’ll want to look at your breasts to see if any abnormal areas appear. Stand facing the mirror with your hands at your sides. Look at your breasts to see if anything looks odd. Look for dimpling or lumps. Then put your hands firmly on your hips to tighten your chest muscles and again look for anything out of the ordinary.

Feel Your Breasts – Physical Examination

While in the shower or lying down at night before bed, you’ll want to feel your breasts to see if there are any changes you can’t see, but can feel. You should perform breast exams once a month, ideally about a week after your period.

Put your right hand behind your head. Using three fingers on your left hand, move in a circle starting in your armpit and moving toward the nipple. Use consistent pressure as move in a circle and take note of how your breasts feel so that you know what might feel different in the future. Finish your spiraling circle and gently squeeze your nipple looking for any odd discharge. Repeat the process by putting your left hand behind your head and using your right hand to examine your left breast.

Report Concerns With Your Doctor

Breast cancer is unfortunately a disease that can spread rapidly. Report even the slightest concern or change to your doctor. It is far better to be safe than sorry when it comes to breast health.

Easy Step By Step Instructions For Checking For Breast Cancer

• Look at your breasts in the mirror to note any changes or oddities
• Perform a monthly BSE (Breast Self Exam) to feel for changes in your breast tissue
• Report any concerns to your doctor immediately

Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Checking for Breast Cancer

Do not rely on your annual appointment to detect any problems. An annual mammogram might come nine or ten months too late. It is far better to perform mammograms but also to use self exams to check for problems yourself.

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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