Side Stepping The Booby Traps

08th March is International Women’s Day. There are plenty of myths surrounding breasts and this is the perfect month to bust them and expose the truth.

Everyone know that October is breast cancer awareness month and the aim is to raise awareness on breast cancer, to increase early detection and save lives! With that in mind, breast health is another aspect of women’s health that shouldn’t be ignored which is why it’s very important to differentiate the myths from the facts.

MYTH #1: ALL BREAST CANCER RUNS IN FAMILIES

FACT: About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are caused by abnormal genes inherited from a parent. Breast cancer is mostly influenced by an unhealthy lifestyle and environmental factors.

There is no perfect breast shape or size. Sometimes, one breast may be bigger or even higher than the other. If you find the shape of your breasts disheartening, try and get fitted for specialty bras which may have inserts to balance the look of your breasts.

MYTH #2: BRAS CAUSE BREAST CANCER

FACT: In a study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre (US) found that there’s no difference between the breast cancer risk of women who wore bras compared to women who didn’t wear bras.

TIP: If you feel any pain in your breasts, don’t panic yet. Check for lumps and when all’s clear, go and get measured for a new bra because your current one might be ill-fitted!

MYTH #3: ANTIPERSPIRANTS CAN CAUSE BREAST CANCER

FACT: A study that was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute studied 1606 women and found no relationship between using antiperspirants and cancer. Another study studied women with and without breast cancer and found that 82 percent of cancer-free women used antiperspirant compared to 52 percent of women with breast cancer who didn’t use deodorant.

MYTH #4: BREASTFEEDING WILL CHANGE THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF YOUR BREAST

FACT: Pregnancy may alter how breasts look and feel, but breastfeeding doesn’t cause changes beyond that. If you are concerned, please do check with a doctor especially if there are drastic changes in how your breasts look or feel.

Factors that could impact breast health include low levels of vitamin D, consuming too much fatty meat, butter and dairy, excess consumption of fried foods, excess alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

Reference: Breastcancer.org; The Guardian; WebMD

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