Self Exploration
Mammary self-exploration is a technique that consists in your own palpation and observation that all women should do monthly to detect the appearance of any anomalous change in their breasts.
This self-exploration is especially important to detect early stage of breast cancer. Any change that you find must be consulted to your doctor.
How to do a mammary self- exploration
For a correct self-exploration with the glove, follow the following steps:
Before the first exploration with the glove, we recommend a detailed check-up to have a perception of normal aspect. It will let you identify possible anomalies later on.
As a rule, the mammary self- exploration should be done once a month between 7 and 10 days after the menstruation. Before, and through the menstruation there is there is pain and/or swelling.
Pregnant women or the ones that have gone over the menopause can set a concrete day a month, recommended to always be the same one.
Breastfeeding mothers must do it after feeding the baby.
Women with mammary implants should go to their surgeon, to tell the difference between implant and mammary tissue.
Mammary observation:
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Step 1
With your arms hanging down at both sides, observe your breasts Focus in their volume, outline, and skin texture. Breasts must have a smooth and regular outline. If you observe rough skin, folds, or a texture similar to an orange, consult your doctor.
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Step 2
Put your arms up and compare breasts. Observe if there are differences in both underarms.
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Step 3
Put your hands at the height of your shoulders, join hands and make strength pulling outwards to tense the muscles so you can see better any alteration.
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Step 4
With your arms down at both sides, examine closely your nipples and aureoles. Observe differences in shape or size, and if there are lumps, scabs, or skin lesions.
Mammary palpation
Try to always keep the same order of palpation without passing from one zone to another.
Left breast: Lie down upwards. Lift your left arm putting your forearm under your head.
Put glove on your right hand so that the side containing the -oil- leads over left breast. Put the glove over the breast and without moving its position, fingers together and straight go through the left breast with the following movements:
Spiral
Radial
Circular
Upward and Downward
When finished, without changing position, explore left underarm.
It is advisable to be very careful with the exploration of what is called "external supero quadrant "of the breast: the closet part to the underarm where more than half of the cancers are detected.
To explore the right breast, do the same as before, but with the other hand. If you have any doubt with the technique, ask your doctor.
Research about the incensement of the sense-touch with the SensiFemme glove
Objective
Determine the capacity of increasing the sensibility of the fingertips using a mammary exploration glove.
Method
The research has been done with 15 volunteers aged from 20 to 60, having their eyes covered. Using silica and carbon as reactive microspheres sized between 0,04mm and 1,4mm. The volunteers had to touch and feel, the particles; without glove and then with the glove.
Conclusions
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Among 93,2% (right hand) and 100% ( left hand) of the cases increased 3,3 times the sense-touch.
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Among 53,3% (right hand) and 67% ( left hand ) of the cases increased 6,6 times the sense- touch.
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Among 20% (right hand) and 14 %( left hand) of the cases increased 8,3 times the sense- touch.
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Another conclusion that resulted was that the smaller the particle was, more capacity had the SensiFemme glove to magnify the sensibility in touch that makes it very appropriate for an early detection of small breast lumps.
Institution
Department of Biotechnology of the University of Alicante (Spain).