A breast lump is a restricted swelling, projection, lump or knot in the breast that doesn't feel like a breast tissue. There are diverse reasons why breast lumps occur.

Not all lumps are cancer. These can also be breast conditions that are not harmful and which can be easily curable.Knots that feel harder or are not the same as the rest of the breast need to be checked. This kind of irregularity might be an indication of breast cancer.

A self-examination should be your starting point. This is how you can detect a lump on your own:

Step 1: Begin by taking a look at your breast in the mirror. Keep your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.

This is what you need to search for:

    Breasts that are their typical size, shape, and shading
    Breasts that are uniformly formed without distortion or swelling

In the event that you see any of the changes mentioned below, convey them to your doctor:

    Dimpling, puckering, or protruding of the skin
    A nipple that is not in its initial position
    Redness, rash or swelling

Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the changes mentioned above.

Step 3: While you're in front of the mirror, search for any indications of liquid or blood discharge from the nipples.

Step 4: Next, examine your breasts while resting.Use Your right hand to feel your left breast and use your left hand to feel your right breast. Cover the whole breast from your collarbone to the highest point of your mid-region, and from your armpit to your cleavage to search for any lumps.

Step 5:Examine your breasts while either standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest approach to examine their breasts is when their skin is wet, so this step could be done while taking a bath as well.

Diagnosis:

    Mammogram: Mammography is a technique using X-rays to diagnose and locate tumours of the breasts.
    Breast ultrasound: Breast ultrasound utilises sound waves to create pictures of the breasts from the inside.
    Breast MRI:This involves using an effective and attractive field, and radio frequency pulses to create photos of the insides of the breasts.
    Ultrasound-guided biopsy: During this sort of biopsy, utilising ultrasound imaging to discover the bump, a radiologist will give you anesthesia and afterward insert a needle into the lump to evacuate some tissue for assessment under a magnifying lens. Stereotactic biopsy and an X-ray-guided biopsy may also be used.

Possible treatments:

    In case the knot turns out to be cancerous, surgery is typically performed.
    You may have a few discussions with different doctors for additional treatment, including radiation treatment and chemotherapy or hormone treatment.

What You Should Know About Breast Lump Detection

Enlargement of the prostate is a condition that can happen as you tend to get older. This can be treated with medications. However, did you know that the problem can be indirectly related to your performance in bed? It is true and read ahead to get acquainted with more knowledge.

Studies show that the urinary problems caused by an enlarged prostate can be one of the causes of erectile dysfunction. Getting up many times in a night to urinate can also indirectly affect this. Once the prostate enlarges due to old age or due to an underlying condition it affects the flow of urine. This increases the need to urinate frequently or prolonged time duration when passing out urine. Studies conducted have identified that this impacts your sexual life to a vast degree. Simply put, your urinary symptoms decrease the level of sexual activity.

When your thought process is on constant need to urinate enlarges, you might be physically less tolerant towards your sexual urges. Also, the sensation may be enough to put off any guy during the act. Prostate enlargement also affects your libido levels and can decrease the healthy sperm count. Prostrates important job is to aid the addition of semen to the sperm.

Symptoms:
Some of the common symptoms a person undergoes when facing a prostate enlargement include a feeling of urgency, a need to urinate frequently, waking up many times in the middle of the night to urinate, a weak urine stream and straining to urinate. These lead to sexual deficiencies such as little or no erection during a sexual activity and sexual dissatisfaction and sexual problems. It can also be rightly summarized that this predominantly affects the old age men and these are something which a person may have to accept as a result of old age.

Treatment plans:
Prostate enlargement can be treated and you might have to undertake a dosage of medications for such conditions. A range of treatment options are available to deal with the enlarged glands. It depends vastly on your age and the conditions of your lifestyle you live in. You can choose to opt for a minimally invasive same-day procedure that will surely help you relieve the symptoms. Most people also do take up ayurvedic treatments for prostate enlargement which are very helpful. Do talk with your doctor before you go in for such ayurvedic remedies.

Herbs In Ayurveda That Help In Erectile Dysfunction!

Asphaltum(Shilajit): The Ayurvedic herb Shilajit has been popular since ages for its wonderful effects on the male libido. The fertility rates and sperm counts increase multi-fold with the usage of Shilajit. Ayurvedic physicians recommend Shilajit herb for improving stamina and energy levels in males thereby helping them feel more powerful and efficient when working out.
Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha): It is a great antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to promote overall well-being of the body and nourishes it with strength and immunity. 
Tribulus Terrestris(Gokhshura): Tribulus is a wonderful herb for strength and stamina. It helps improve the immunity which enhances the self-esteem and self-confidence in men. Tribulus herb for prostate health and power helps improve erectile dysfunction.
5 Yoga Poses for Erectile Dysfunction
The yogic techniques are also known to improve your testosterone levels and increase blood flow to your pelvic region, helping you treat erectile dysfunction and enhance your sex life. Try these yoga poses to promote to manage ED.

Paschimottanasana: This posture can help relax pelvic muscles that are tense from sitting for long periods of time. 
Uttanasana: This is a staple in many yoga routines. This intense stretch may help you with anxiety. It even helps with infertility while also improving digestion and stimulating the organs in the abdomen.
Baddha Konasana: You may have heard this as a Butterfly Pose. Along with stretching the inner thighs and groin, it stimulates the prostate gland along with the bladder, the kidneys, and the organs in the abdomen.
Janu Sirsasana: Head-to-knee pose is the most effective when performed on an empty stomach. It helps with your flexibility, especially in the hamstring muscles, thighs, back and hips. It also helps with blood flow in the lower abdomen and groin. 
Dietary changes such as the inclusion of ghee, nuts, urad (black gram) lentil and sweet items reported help in the cure of erectile dysfunction. Hot and spicy foods should be avoided as they can upset the doshas of the body and impede treatment. You can take an ayurvedic treatment package for effective results.

Enlarged Prostate - Can It Lead To Erectile Dysfunction?

Melanoma is a condition which mainly indicates a severe malfunction of the melanocytes or the melanin producing cells of the body. These cells are responsible for giving you your skin colour, tone and complexion. Usually, a person suffering from melanoma will have many normal and irregular moles as well as melanoma in the eye and digestive tracts too.

Some general facts on melanoma are mentioned below:
Melanoma is common in young women and causes many deaths.
More than one million new instances of skin cancer or melanoma are analyzed every year.
There has been a 2000% increase in rate of melanoma since the year 1930. One out of fifty get affected by this cancer.
There has been a high rise in the rate of melanoma from 1970 to 2008. There has been an 800% increase in young women and 400% increase in case of similar aged men.
Early recognition makes melanoma treatable. It is screened for growth very minimally.
Primary causes Melanoma may be caused primarily due to these causes:
The most primary cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light (UV) in people with a low level of skin pigment. The UV light might be from either the sun or from different sources, for example, tanning devices. Around 25% of cases occur from or in the form of moles.
The individuals who work on airplanes seem to have an expanded danger, due to more contact with UV rays.
Ultraviolet UV light of wavelengths between 315 - 280 nm from the sun react with the skin cell DNA and result in a kind of direct DNA harm called cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs).
In order to stay away or avoid melanoma, you should:
Avoid the sun at peak hours.
Examine your skin at times for some kind of change.
Keep away from tanning salons.Melanoma is a dangerous form of cancer and causes a lot of deaths. You should stay away from anything that causes melanoma.


All About Melanoma

A prostate operation involves the removal of a part of the prostate gland or sometimes the removal of the entire prostate gland. Such a surgery is a serious one and several recovery tips must be followed by a patient to ensure quick and successful healing. 

Here are some important tips for recuperating from a prostate operation:

After the surgery, you need to spend up to three days in the hospital for initial recovery. You might be given fluids, which go directly into your veins until you fully recover from anesthesia.
After the operation, normal urination will be disrupted in the beginning, as the urethra stays swollen. Urinating gets a little difficult and uncomfortable for a few days after the removal of the catheter.
You may feel fatigued and may feel under the weather for some weeks after a prostate operation. So you must take things easy for at least two months.
Avoid lifting or moving heavy objects for some weeks following the surgery. Do not perform any exercise, which causes strain. You should ask your friends and family members to carry out chores for you.
After becoming slightly stable you should start gentle exercises. Walking is an effective remedy, which helps in blood circulation and lowers the risk of getting blood clots in the legs.
You should drink lots of water during the recovery stage. This will reduce the risk of getting a urinary tract infection and also help in clearing any trace of blood from your urine.
For improving bladder control, you should perform several pelvic floor exercises.
In case of any kind of pain, you can take over the counter painkillers to ease the pain.
It will take you a time span of three to six weeks for total recovery after a prostate operation. You should consult your surgeon about the best time to return to normal daily activities.
You can get back to work soon, but it depends on your nature of work. Office jobs are not much of a problem, but in case of physical labour, more time is needed before you can resume your duties.
Activities such as driving can be started quite soon after initial recovery. However, it varies from person to person. Some people may get back to driving within two weeks while some may need a month.
You have to wait for 6 to 8 weeks after a prostate operation before getting back to sexual activities.
In case you experience high fever, pain during urination or the inability to urinate, you must consult your doctor immediately.
It takes a person several weeks to recover from a prostate operation completely. Initially, total rest is required. But eventually, he can return to normal activities and lead a healthy life.

14 Tips to Help You Recuperate from Prostate Operation

Cancer like most other diseases has the best rates of recovery with early detection and intervention. As there are no regular health screenings for blood cancer, only the awareness about the early warning signs can save your life. November is designated as the Lung Cancer Awareness Month, to ensure every individual is equipped to fight against lung cancer right from the start. Here are 4 vital facts you must know to win your fight against blood cancer.
Lung cancer is also known as pulmonary carcinoma or cancer of the lung. It occurs when DNA mutations develop in the cells/ tissues of the lungs leading up to uncontrolled growth in the tissues of the lung. By far, it is known to be the most common cancer in Asia.

1. Type: lung cancers can present as one of the following types: 

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Most common type of lung cancer and constitutes nearly 85% of all lung cancers. The sub-types of NSCLC are as follows:
Large cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) (Epidermoid)
Adenocarcinoma   accounts for majority of the NSCLC.
Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC): It is also known as oat meal cancer and tends to spread (metastasize) quickly. This constitutes about 15% of the lung cancers.
Mesothelioma: It is a rare cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells of the pleural or peritoneal surfaces. It usually arises in the pleural membrane lining the lungs, known as pleural mesothelioma. One that arises from the peritoneum is called the peritoneal mesothelioma and the one that arises from the pericardium is known as pericardial mesothelioma. Lastly, it can also arise from the tunica vaginalis known as testicular mesothelioma. People working with or prior exposure to asbestos are mostly at risk of developing mesothelioma. The latency period between time of exposure and development of mesothelioma can be somewhere between 20 to 40 years. Maximum of the patients who develop mesothelioma are men.
2. Gender: It affects the male populace predominantly. It is more common in men than in women and in those of lower economic status. However, the incidence of lung cancer, in women too, is on the rise of late.

3. Etiology: Cigarette/ Tobacco smoking remains the most important cause of lung cancer accounting for 85   90% of the cases. Incidence/ risk is proportionate to the number of cigarettes smoked irrespective of the age. Also, environmental toxins including smoke from burning black tar, exhaust gases from automobiles etc. too contribute actively to various lung diseases including cancer. People working in asbestos manufacturing factories who are exposed to asbestos dust are also likely to get lung cancer. Tuberculosis too is an additive risk factor. Again, people who have received ionizing radiation especially to treat Hodgkin Lymphoma or other malignancies also run the risk of developing lung cancer. Above-mentioned causes apart, genetic factors may also play a role.

4. Features: Lung cancer clinically presents in the following ways mainly. Signs & symptoms of malignant mesothelioma are as enumerated below

Difficult/ labored breathing (Dyspnea)
Chest pain
Palpable chest wall mass
Discordant chest wall expansion
Weight loss (Cachexia)
Loss of appetite (Anorexia)
Night sweats
Signs & symptoms of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are as enumerated below. Majority of patients are symptomatic at diagnosis

Chronic cough
Difficult/ labored breathing (Dyspnea)
Chest pain
Blood stained sputum (Hemoptysis)
Hoarseness
Weight loss (Cachexia)
Loss of appetite (Anorexia)
Weakness
Bone pain
Pleural or pericardial effusion
Superior vena cava syndrome
Brachial plexopathy
Neurologic pain
Hypercalcemia of malignancy
Signs & symptoms of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are as enumerated below

Symptoms as per the points 8   18 depicted above for NSCLC are applicable for SCLC as well. Additionally, patients suffering from SCLC may have:

Fever associated with chest infections like bronchitis/ pneumonia that refuse to go away or keep coming back
Horner syndrome
Paraneoplastic syndromes including encephalitis/ sub-acute sensory neuropathy, hyponatremia, acromegaly, cancer associated retinopathy, ectopic corticotropic syndrome etc all.
5. Screening: is generally recommended for asymptomatic/ symptomatic populations as surveillance for high-risk individuals   who are either current or former smokers (quit smoking within the last 15 years) have at least a 30 pack-year smoking history and those who do not have any prior history of lung cancer. The goal of screening, as usual, is to be able to detect & diagnose lung cancer at an early stage which is potentially curable. It is mostly radiologic with a low dose helical computed tomography (CT) scan being more effective in detecting early-stage lung cancer than a chest radiograph can.

6. Diagnosis: Abnormal blood test results may be indicative of malignancy, but a follow-up imaging/ biopsy is always the gold standard for an accurate diagnosis. Following are the diagnostics employed mainly:

Blood: Hb may be low, TLC, ESR and polymorphs increased. Adenocarcinomas are likely to express thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). On the other hand, mesotheliomas are likely to express Wilms Tumor -1 (WT-1) protein and Calretinin.
Imaging: Thoracoscopy, Bronchoscopy, X-Ray, CT Scan etc all. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) / CT scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan help detect metastasis if any.
Biopsy: It clinches the histologic diagnosis and the nature of the disease.
7. Treatment: Conventional treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy as contextually appropriate. Simultaneously, an adjunctive or integrative naturopathic treatment with suitable complementary & alternative medicines (CAM) too can help improve clinical outcomes and facilitate recovery as would be feasible contextually.

8. Prognosis: Preventive measures, earlier diagnosis and right early treatment are key for effective therapeutic management & better prognosis. Like most other cancers, the chances of cure for early-stage lung cancer are more. The cure/ recovery chances are influenced by the grade, stage of cancer, recurrence and the patient s general health & vitality etc all. The primary determinant of prognosis in NSCLC is the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed. For non-metastatic cancers, however, it is the nodal status that determines the stage and hence the prognosis.

9. Prevention: Rightly said, prevention is always a better choice. Cigarette smoking is to be avoided by all means as it is the single major cause of lung cancer. Even exposure to cigarette smoke (passive or secondhand) is also an established cause of lung cancer and is known to increase the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers as well. Preventing exposure to secondhand smoke can be helpful in decreasing the incidence and mortality of primary lung cancers. Above-mentioned apart, other important risk factors such as exposure to ionizing radiation, environmental carcinogens like smoke from burning black tar, exhaust gases from automobiles, outdoor air pollution, and occupational exposure to asbestos, arsenic, beryllium, nickel, cadmium, chromium etc all too are known to increase the risk for lung cancer and mortality thereof. In fact, cigarette smoking is known to potentiate the effect and hence the lung cancer risk of many of the above-mentioned carcinogens, multi-fold, in smokers. Thus, either eliminating or reducing the exposure to the above-mentioned carcinogens can lead to a decrease in the risk of lung cancer and incidences thereof. Furthermore, randomized clinical trials indicate that high-intensity smokers (only) who take supplementation of beta-carotene have an increased risk/ incidence of lung cancer. Vitamin E supplementation, on the other hand, does not affect the risk of lung cancer as indicated by the trials. 

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Lung Cancer Awareness Month - Lung Cancer In Nutshell!

Lung cancer is the cancer killer of both men and women in the world. When you think of risk factors for lung cancer, what comes to mind? Most of us think about the risk associated with smoking cigarettes, but did you know that air pollution can also cause lung cancer? Overwhelming evidence shows that particle pollution in the outdoor air we breathe like that coming from vehicle exhaust, coal-fired power plants and other industrial sources - can cause lung cancer. Particle pollution increases the risk of dying early, heart disease and asthma attacks, and it can also interfere with the growth and function of the lungs. 

What is Particle Pollution?

Particle pollution is a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in the air and can be made up of a number of components, such as acids, organic chemicals, metals, soil and dust particles. It can be emitted directly from wood stoves, forest fires, vehicles and other sources, and it can also form from other types of pollution that come from sources like power plants. 

Why does particle pollution harm our bodies?

While breathing in larger sizes of particle pollution can be harmful to our health, smaller particles are more dangerous. Bigger particles can irritate your eyes, nose and throat, but our natural defenses help us to cough or sneeze them out of our bodies. Unfortunately, those defenses don't keep out smaller particles, which get trapped deep in the lungs and can even get into the bloodstream, causing damage to our health.



Who is most at risk?

As for who is at risk for health problems from breathing in particle pollution. Those who live where particle pollution levels are high is at risk. Some people face higher risk, including children, the elderly, people with lung and heart disease and diabetes, people with low incomes, and people who work or exercise outdoors.

How do we protect ourselves from particle pollution?

Check the air quality index forecast for the day and limit your activity if pollution levels are high. Avoid exercising along heavily traveled highways regardless of the overall forecast.

As individuals, we can play our part in reducing air pollution levels by trying to avoid creating more of it. Choosing  active travel  options where possible, like walking and cycling, can help reduce pollution levels from transport and is also a great way to be more active, which is linked to a reduced risk of cancer and other diseases. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

The Connection Between Lung Cancer & Outdoor Air Pollution!

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