Tips for Monthly Breast Exams

We all know the importance of doing monthly self-examinations as an early warning of breast cancer but, even if we remember to do the breast exams on a regular basis, did you know that many of us are not doing them properly? I spoke with Dr. Eden Takhsh, a Chicago-based ob-gyn. He kindly shared the following five tips:
It’s very important to do your self-exam at the right time of the month. If you examine your breasts just before your period, they will probably feel lumpier because of hormonal changes. The best time to examine them is just after your period has finished. Whenever you choose to do the breast exam, it is also important to do it at the same time every month. That way, you will be used to any fluctuations that happen with your menstrual cycle.
Most women forget to check the lymph nodes under their arms. These glands are the primary drainage sites from the breast and will become swollen and tender if there is any ongoing inflammation.
Don’t forget to check your nipples. Be gentle! This should not be a painful experience. Squeeze each nipple just hard enough to check for any discharge. If there is any irregular discharge, see your doctor. What’s irregular? Are you breast feeding? If the answer is no, then the discharge is irregular, and while it may not be cancer-related, you certainly want to have it checked out.
Look in the mirror while you are doing your breast exams. We all have slightly asymmetrical breasts – one bigger, one higher, etc. Checking your reflection in the mirror will help you become familiar with what is normal for your breast. Take note of any changes in position or size, as well as the shape of the nipple.
Remember to do a self-exam every month. It sounds so simple, but it’s easy to put it off or think you can skip a month and, before you know it, you’re out of the habit. By doing regular breast exams, you’ll notice any abnormalities more easily, which in turn means you can provide your physician with more helpful information. Dr. Takhsh recommends beginning a monthly self-exam routine after having your annual physical so you have a normal baseline to begin with.

How Long Does Morning Sickness Last?

The period that occurs between the 4th and 6th week of pregnancy, marks the start of morning sickness for most women. It lasts until the 14th to 16th week. So, that is it about knowing when does morning sickness end in pregnancy. Now that you have got your answer, why not give you some more important details regarding morning sickness.Starting off with the symptoms, nausea is the most prominent one. This might be characterized with or without vomiting. However, this might be accompanied by other symptoms such as rapid pulse rate, vomiting blood, severe vomiting, little urine or dark urine, dizziness or fainting symptoms. Also, backaches, constipation, darkening of areola, salivation, feeling sleepy, fatigue, food cravings, lower abdominal cramps, swollen breasts and other symptoms of pregnancy may also accompany morning sickness. Here's more on signs of morning sickness. It is believed that morning sickness indicate a healthy pregnancy. However, this has not been scientifically proven. Although, there have been many cases where lack of morning sickness showed higher incidence of miscarriage, there are as many researches showing that the correlation is not true.As a continuation of this article on when does morning sickness end, I would like to mention that doctors have not been able to determine the cause of this condition as yet. Although causes are not clear, experts believe that hormonal changes have an important part to play here. There are also chances that severe vomiting or nausea may be caused due to other medical conditions. This is however, a rare occurrence.

Laughter Yoga - A Growing Worldwide Phenomenon

Laughter Yoga is the brainchild of an Indian physician, Dr. Madan Kataria. While studying the effects of laughter on the body, he discovered a way to boost the immune system, raise feel-good endorphins, and lower blood pressure while reducing stress hormones naturally.
In 1995 Dr. Kataria offered his first class to five people in a park in Mumbai, India. This worldwide movement has blossomed into six thousand laughter clubs throughout sixty countries. Laughter Yoga clubs are in session from Asia to Europe and throughout America.
Laughter Yoga Better than Humor
Natural laughter in our everyday lives isn't enough to show beneficial results. Laughter Yoga, on the other hand, is a simple system to extend laughter. To receive the scientifically proven benefits, laughter has to come from the diaphragm and last for a longer period of time than naturally produced.
In Dr. Kataria's program, gut-busting laughter combined with yogic breathing is used to produce results. The participants laugh continuously and with great gusto for fifteen minutes with short breaks of yogic breathing. Since the body apparently cannot differentiate between forced and real laughter, positive physiological and psychological benefits can be obtained by this continuous and deep-reaching laughter.