A breast lump is an enlargement, swell, protuberance or a bump that is different than the breast tissue surrounding it. Breast lumps can appear in men as well as women and they can be benign or malignant. Causes of benign breast lumps are as follows:

Fibroadenosis: Also known as Fibro-cystic breast disease, it is a benign condition that affects the breast. It may affect either of the breasts or both. One of the major symptoms of Fibroadenosis is a breast lump. Usually, the lumpiness disappears after the menstrual cycle is over. Fibroadenosis occurs because the breast tissue doesn t respond well to the hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle.
Fibroadenomas: Fibroadenomas occur because of abnormal response to the hormone oestrogen. The lumps are usually well formed and round, around the milk ducts of the breast. Breast lumps due to Fibroadenomas are called breast mice, because they move around the breast. In some cases, they disappear and in some, they tend enlarge during pregnancy.
Other benign causes of breast lumps are breast abscesses, breast cysts, lipoma (lump of fat), mastitis (infection in the breast tissues), fat necrosis (another name for breast lumps) and intraductal papilloma (benign tumour of the milk ducts in the breast). A breast lump that is firm, well defined and doesn t move around, i.e. it doesn t disappear after your period or pregnancy, may be a result of breast cancer.

Treatment of breast lumps
The treatment of a breast lump depends on its cause. Benign breast lumps usually disappear over time. Otherwise following treatments can be considered as per the doctor s discretion-

Medication: If the breast lumps are painful or increase over time, it is advisable to take medication.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other painkillers like paracetamol
Danazol, Tamoxifen or Bromocriptine are administered to treat breast pain as well
Antibiotics which are administered to cure breast abscesses that are caused due bacterial infections
Limiting the amount of fat in the diet or wearing well fitting bras also reduces the amount of pain due to breast lumps.
Certain types of breast lumps are filled with fluid or pus. This fluid can be drained through a procedure called aspiration or drainage.
A radical way to treat a breast lump is surgery. Many a times, these lumps get bigger and painful and the most effective way to deal with it is to remove it.

Breast Lumps - How Can They Be Treated?

Cancer indicates the growth of certain unusual cells, generally uncontrolled in nature, in any part of your body. It may also refer to a malignant tumor and it can affect any organ or any part of your body. There are many different cancers accordingly, such as lung cancer, bladder cancer, skin cancer or blood cancer. Ayurveda offers effective measures for preventing cancer. Read on to find more about the tips and get better prepared to fight this killer:

1) According to Ayurveda, having fresh foods can help you to prevent cancer. Consuming more of green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits may prove to be helpful.

2)Avoiding fat based foods or fried foods can be effective in preventing cancer. Strike off hydrogenated fats (such as cookies, peanut butter, crackers etc) or saturated animal fats from your diet.

3) Exercising on a regular basis may be very helpful. Stretching exercises, walking, breathing exercises and aerobics are considered to be useful preventive measures for cancer.

4) Meditation and yoga are also effective ways to prevent cancer. These can help you to reduce stress and remain calm.

5) Drinking green tea regularly can be very useful for killing any growth of cancerous cells in your body and thus help you to prevent cancer.

6) Cutting down on foods with higher quantities of sugar can help you to prevent cancer.

7) Include foods replete in vitamin D and vitamin C or citrus foods as these help to combat many kinds of cancer.

8) Incorporate spices like turmeric in your daily cooking regimen. The 'curcumin' present in turmeric coupled with a few other accompanying properties can help to prevent the growth of cancer cells in your body.

9) Garlic, whether consumed raw or cooked, can help you to fight the killer that cancer is.

9 Ayurvedic Tips to Prevent Cancer

The incidence of pain and lumps in the breast is on the rise. Breast cancer has grown in incidence over the years. More women are getting diagnosed with it, and the age at which they are being diagnosed has reduced too. Therefore, preventative checks and screenings have gone up significantly. The number of women diagnosed with small lumps has gone up drastically. The good thing is that since these are diagnosed in the early stages, the treatment is simpler and the prognosis far better than women who get diagnosed much later in life.

In a majority of cases, once a lump is identified the most preferred treatment is removal. This is known as lumpectomy. However, before a final decision is made to remove the lump, there are certain tests that are run by the doctor to confirm the diagnosis and extent of spread.

A thorough breast exam to identify if this is an isolated lump or if there are more lumps in either breast. The exact shape and size of the lump also need to be identified so that treatment can be planned accordingly.
Imaging to see if the lymph nodes have been involved. In most cases, there could be spread to the lymph nodes in the armpits which also need to be removed if required. If the lump is too big or too many in number, then a mastectomy may be required instead of a lumpectomy. This requires removal of the entire breast tissue on one or both sides (rarely) along with involved lymph nodes.
Pre-surgery: Once the diagnosis is confirmed, then the doctor will plan treatment. Prior to the surgery,

Talk to your doctor about your other medical conditions and medications and allergies, if any
Gynecologic history is very important to be discussed in detail
Blood thinners have to be stopped prior to the surgery
Post-surgery care needs to be planned, including a caretaker for a few days and postop care
During surgery:

Lumpectomy or mastectomy is often done under general anaesthesia
This requires hospitalization and carries the risks associated with anaesthesia
The outlined breast tissue or complete breast and surrounding lymph nodes will be removed. The area will be closed using sutures and bandaged
Post-surgery:

The wound needs to heal, and so postop care is very important
For the first few days, painkillers and antibiotics are used to control pain and infection
As a follow-up, some women may require radiation therapy to contain the suspicious tissue that may be left behind after lumpectomy
If extensive breast tissue was removed, some women may prefer to have reconstructive surgery done
Remember that lumpectomy is not a definitive procedure, and there could be cases that require a repeat operation
Advantages:

Less invasive compared to a mastectomy
The appearance of the breast is minimally affected, and symmetry is maintained
Disadvantages:

May not ensure complete removal
May require additional radiation therapy
May require repeat surgery

Surgical Treatment For Pain And Lumps In Breasts Of Women!

Breast pain, also known as mastalgia, can be termed as any type of discomfort, pain or tenderness in and around the breast or the underarm region. It can also be accompanied by a sharp pain or a burning sensation. 
There are two major types of breast pain
Cyclical Pain: As the name suggests, this type of pain occurs on a cyclic basis and is linked with one s menstrual cycle. It may happen when one is going through her periods and is influenced by hormonal imbalance. This type of pain is generally not a cause of concern.
Non-Cyclical Pain: This is generally not common and its cause can be linked to a variety of reasons; cancer or a malignant tumour in the breast being the most severe consequence.


Causes of Breast Pain
Lumpy breasts along with soreness and pain can be caused due to fibrocystic breast tissue.
Hormonal imbalance can also lead to pain or discomfort in and around the breast region. Abnormal prolactin limits can also be a contributing factor.
Breast cancer can also lead to pain, mostly in the left breast. Along with the pain, it can also induce a dull ache, tightness or heaviness in the chest.


Treatments for Breast pain
The various treatments for cyclical breast pain include:
Making modifications in the diet
Administering Vitamin E and calcium supplements
Including thyroid hormonal supplements in the diet
Reducing sodium intake in your diet
For non-cyclical breast pain, which is often the cause of cancer, a thorough examination is recommended. A clinical biopsy will be advised if the lumpy tissues make the tumour harder to be detected through a mammogram.
If the pain is on account of an injury, then appropriate painkillers will have to be administered to reduce the pain.


Breast Pain - Understanding the Types and Reasons Behind it

Developing cancer is either totally your bad luck where you haven t been doing anything wrong in your diet and lifestyle still develop it or it is out of bad lifestyle, eating habits and negative attitude towards life. But death due to cancer is totally due to carelessness in which a person didn t pay attention to initial symptoms and left cancer for thriving in the body. The truth has been said that cancer isn t a killer but delayed diagnosis and wrong or improper treatment is. Awareness, early diagnosis and treatment is the key to survival. Cancer does not always mean death if some earlier signs of cancer are noted and action is taken timely.

In normal conditions our body functions normally, i.e. we eat, pass urine and stool, breath, and drink water. Any alteration from this is abnormal and must be noticed like difficulty in swallowing, difficulty in urinating and defecating, passing blood in urine or stool, long continued severe pain in any part of the body.

The appearance of new moles on the body which keep on growing with an irregular border, painful and bleed.

Hoarseness of voice

Long persisting cough and blood in saliva. Cough lasting more than a month.

Loose stools or any change in bowel habits without any dietary changes lasting more than a few weeks needs to look into.

Presence of blood in stool without any obvious reason like ulcers or hemorrhoids.

Unexplained low blood count, i.e. anemia. Anemia needs to be evaluated unless there is any obvious source of blood loss.

Not all breast lumps are cancerous but all of them should be investigated. Also if there is any bloody discharge or discharge only from one nipple that should also not be ignored at all. Self-examination of the breast daily once a week is necessary and it is easy too. Check for any nodule or discharge from the breast.

Any lump in the testicles should be evaluated thoroughly. Men should also do a self-examination of the testicles, once in a month.

Urinary symptoms like less urine, pain while passing urine, blood or burning in urine, especially in men shouldn t be ignored. It can be a sign of bladder or pelvic cancer

Hoarseness without any respiratory infection or persistent for more than 3-4 weeks.

Normally lymph nodes swell due to any surrounding infection and then shrink eventually when the infection goes away. If it remains for a longer time and without any infection in the body, should be investigated.

A mole that is multicoloured with irregular borders, bleeding can be cancerous. Especially which is growing rapidly and is painful shouldn t be avoided at all.

Long continued heartburn and difficulty in swallowing even after using over the counter antacids. This can be a sign of esophageal cancer.

Bloody discharge or bleeding from the vagina which is unusual or after menopause can be due to cancer of the uterus or cervix.

Unobvious or unexplained weight loss, fever or night sweats can be an early sign of different types of cancer.

Continuous itching in the genital or anal area, non-healing sores and pain in back, head, bloating and indigestion which is there for a long time without any cause, should be inspected.

Cancer can be horrifying and debilitating but if diagnosed early by giving attention to the symptoms mentioned above and treated properly can fight off. Cancer is no more incurable if treated early. In cases where this disease is out of carelessness if some points are kept in mind and followed, prove to be preventive. If not preventive then definitely reduce the risk of developing it at least.

Do not overuse the birth control pills. Using them randomly can increase the chances of cancer.

Excessive consumption of alcohol shouldn t be done as it irritates the gastric mucosa and increases the incidences of malignancy. However, an occasional glass is fine and does no harm.

Avoid using pesticides around you or having things on which they are sprayed as many of them are definitely carcinogen.

Say no to smoking as tobacco in any form is an invitation to death. Smoking for a long time like 10-30 years can make you pay a heavy price for that.

Long continued anxiety and stress create havoc in the hormonal system of the body which ultimately results in diseases. Try to keep yourself more optimistic and relax in daily life.

Prefer organic vegetables and fruits as other ones have pesticides used while growing them which are definitely a source of getting carcinogens in the body.

Limit intake of processed and packaged food as they increase the risk or certain types of cancer. 

Stay active and try to maintain healthy weight.

Cancer can be the biggest slayer of the health but one can fight it and keep it at bay if mentioned tips are read and implement. Early diagnosis can prevent many lives. So spread awareness and let more people know about it. 

Cancer - A Misfortune Or Carelessness!

One of the things that Shannen Doherty and Rita Wilson, the wife of Tom Hanks, have in common, apart from their fame is that both were affected by breast cancer. No matter how normal a person may seem, breast cancer can strike anyone. In fact, it usually strikes one in eight women. So, it makes good sense to know what it can appear as!
Breast cancer makes up a rather big amount of the general cancer cases as 15% of the cancer cases which are reported on a yearly basis are usually breast cancer cases. That being said, there are quite a few things which can be done in order to reduce a person s risk to breast cancer.
Prevention is Prudent-
Get Fit: The first thing which should be done is that a reasonable level of fitness should be maintained. Many studies have found that if a person is significantly heavier than her recommended weight, she is at a far great risk to develop all sorts of cancer and breast cancer, in particular, than a person who is able to keep her weight in check. The difference in cancer risk rates is about 40%. This is because a greater amount of fat leads to more estrogen being produced, which increases the risk of breast cancer.
Quit Smoking: While most people associate smoking as something which increases the risk of cancer to the lungs and are not aware that it increases the risk of breast cancer, too. So, the best solution is to kick the habit!
Get Off the Pill: Once a woman crosses past her mid-thirties, she should try to avoid relying on birth control pills to reduce the risk of pregnancy. This is because these pills have an effect which increases the risk of breast cancer, which heightens as a woman gets older. As long as the woman cuts out the use of the pill, the risk quickly gets cut, as well.
Get Regular Check Ups: While screening for breast cancer by making use of mammograms does not cut the risk of it, the screening helps detect breast cancer early if it does exist. As a result, a woman has a much better chance of fighting breast cancer. So, a woman who is past the age of forty should try to have a mammogram on an annual basis with the frequency of the same increasing as she gets older. However, it is to be kept in mind that going for a mammogram too often is also not a good idea as the tests themselves pose risks of DNA changes.
Women all around the world are susceptible to breast cancer. While there isn t a 100% chance of avoiding it, taking care of yourself and leading a fit and active lifestyle can significantly cut down your risk of contracting this condition. Remember, your health is in your hands, so the earlier you start, the better! 

Tips To Prevent Breast Cancer!

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