Doing exams when your breasts are normal lets you know what that feels like, so you can tell if there is a change. Please don’t neglect professional exams and mammograms. No, please don’t.

The commenter also left a website link for a video, but I couldn’t find it, so I went off to get another and have included it below.

Let me give you a warning – it was a horrid experience sifting through the boys’ dreams of boobies to find a medically-orientated explanation and instructions of BSE. Please don’t ask me to search youtube for any more.

This video is very clear, I just don’t know why a man had to be used for the voice-over.

Examine yourself several days after your period ends, when your breasts are least likely to be swollen and tender. If you’re no longer having periods, choose a day that’s easy to remember, such as the first or last day of the month.

Don’t panic if you think you feel a lump.
Most of us have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts all the time. Eight out of ten breast lumps that are removed are benign, non-cancerous. It’s not unusual for lumps to appear at certain times of the month, but then disappear, as your body changes with the menstrual cycle. Only changes that last beyond one full cycle, or seem to get bigger or more prominent in some way, need your doctor’s attention.

Neighbourhoods
Breasts tend to have different “neighborhoods.”

The upper, outer area—near your armpit—tends to have the most prominent lumps and bumps. The lower half of your breast can feel like a sandy or pebbly beach. The area under the nipple can feel like a collection of large grains. Another part might feel like a lumpy bowl of oatmeal.

What’s important is that you get to know the look and feel of YOUR breasts’ various neighborhoods. Does something stand out as different from the rest (like a rock on a sandy beach)? Has anything changed? Bring to the attention of your doctor any changes in your breasts that:

* last over a full month’s cycle, OR
* seem to get worse or more obvious over time

Knowing how your breasts usually look and feel may also help you avoid needless biopsies—a procedure in which the doctor takes a small sample of breast tissue and examines it under a microscope.

Step One

Stand in front of the mirror with your arms relaxed. It’s normal for breasts to differ in size and symmetry as long as this has always been the case.

Now stand with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.

Look for dimpling, unusual shape or skin colour, if nipples look different.

Step 2

Raise your arms this time. Keep looking.

If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor’s attention:

* Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
* A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
* Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Step 3

Now bend forward from the hips and let your breasts hang down.

Look for changes in breast contours, any swelling or flattening, bulges or dimples which are accentuated in this position.

While you’re at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

Step 4

Liee down with one hand behind your head and towel folded under right shoulder. using the pads of your three middle fingers (not tips) press lightly but firmly in circular movements all over your breast, nipple and armpit.

Start from the rib below your breast to your armpit, up to your collarbone, over your breastbone and back down the rib.

Step 5

Feel for lumps just under the skin. Then push harder against your ribs to search for deeper lumps

Breast pain may occur in one or both breasts or in the underarm (axilla) region of the body. Although breast pain is not normally associated with breast cancer, if you experience any breast abnormalities, including breast pain, please consult your physician.

Cyclical Pain

During each menstrual cycle, hormones make your milk glands and ducts enlarge, and breast tissue swells. This often results in water retention. Your breasts feel swollen, painful, tender, or lumpy a few days before menstruation. This discomfort ends at menopause. (Unless you are taking HRT)

Non-Cyclical Pain

Women who experience non-cyclical breast pain often experience pain in one specific area of the breast(s). If you have suffered an injury or trauma to the breast, or if you have had a breast biopsy, you may experience non-cyclical pain.

This condition may occur in both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women and usually subsides after one to two years. Non-cyclical pain is most common in women between 40 and 50 years of age.

Costochondritis

Costochondritis is a type of arthritic pain which occurs in the middle of the chest where the ribs and the breast bone connect. This condition can feel as if it’s coming from the breast, but it’s just the result of poor posture and aging.

Women who experience costochondritis usually describe it as a burning sensation in the breast.

Remember, non-cyclical breast pain does not indicate breast cancer. You should always discuss breast changes, including any pain, with your health provider.

What you can do

Wear a good, supportive bra to reduce breast movement. Many women with breast pain find it comfortable to also wear a bra while they sleep.

Recommended Reading

Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book