I received an alarming phone call this morning from my youngest sister Brooke (from Virginia) this morning telling me that she was diagnosed with the Swine Flu (also called H1N1)!  I was panicked!  After we got off the phone, I started pulling up some data on the disease.

For those fo you not familiar with the swine flu, it started out by infectiing patients in Canada and Mexico this past Spring and Summer.  Hospital intensive care units became swamped with patients who were becoming critically ill with the H1N1 virus.  Many of these patients were healthy young adolescents and adults. They were having to be hospitalized and treated in ICU’s within a day or two of being admitted.  Many of these patients even required ventilators. 

As more reports are surfacing, it appears some other countries have been experiencing similiar infections, including Australia and New Zealand.  As this pandemic continues, it appears the US may very well have to brace for widespread illness.  The US must prepare now for the worst.  The biggest threat we face is not having our hospitals prepared for a widespread epidemic.  Hurricane Katrina only proves as evidence of what can happen when a country is slow to prepare and react.  Without preparation, there are many areas of the country that will become overwhelmed…and people may not get the treatments they need.  This is the scary part.

Dr. John J. Treanor, a professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center stated, “The concern is that we would have difficulty meeting the demand because our health-care system operates near capacity most of the time, and there’s not a lot of excess capacity in the system”.

Fortunately so far, it appears that most cases of the H1N1 flu remain mild…which is GREAT!  But, the number of people becoming severely ill is likely to grow.  The demographics of people who are hospitalized in Mexico, Canada, and Australia are consistent with the U.S. trends seen so far.  The virus is affecting mostly older adolescents and young adults.  To this point, the elderly haven’t been affected on the same levels.

In a recent Canadien study, the average age of H1N1 infection was 32.3 years of age (168 confirmed or probable cases).  One amazing statistic was that 113 were female.  The average time from onset of flu symptoms to hospitalization was 4 days.  The patients conditions worsened so quickly, they were normally sent to an ICU within 48 hours. Of the people sent to an ICU, nearly 80% required mechanical breathing.  14.3% of the people with critical illness died.

In a similiar mexican study, the average age of infection was 44.  About 1/4 of the patients were obese.  Within two months of admission, 41.4 percent of the critically ill patients had died.  Four of them died while waiting for ICU beds!

One thing to stress…prompt and proper care HAS saved most lives!

This could change though if our hospitals are not prepared.  Many researchers have compared the H1N1 Swine Flu to the deadly 1918 Spanish Pandemic.

I’ll keep you posted on my Sister’s condition.  She’s a super healthy 25 year old girl in fantastic condition.  She takes care of herself and is not the type of person who will stay at home in bed while her symptoms are getting worse! 

If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of the Swine Flu or have been exposed, go see your doctor! 

For more information about H1N1, visit the CDC’s website…

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

Heather
heather @ womenshealthquestions.org

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

I just found out a great fitness community JUST FOR WOMEN (sorry guys!) and it is FREE.  Aren’t the best things in life always free?  This growing community currently has 100,000+ women.  With your free membership you’ll receive free online fitness training, free online diet plans that you can customize,  supportive community messageboards, weekly check ins, your own personal diet page to share your success, and many more tools to help you reach your weight loss goals.

The service/community is called Diet Bug.  I’m actually impressed with what is being given away for free.  Let’s take a closer look…

iDietician –  With Diet Bug’s “iDietician” you’ll receive a menu generator plus food journal that allows you to add custom foods, swap foods or meals, get daily guidance from a registered dietician, and more.  There is no need for you to count calories, this program will do it for you!  You can search through over 40,000 foods and add them to your customized plan. 

Your Own Virtual Online Personal Trainer - You’ll get access to super fat burning workouts that you can do in the privacy of your own home.  You’ll get free online fitness training videos that show you exactly what exercises to do.  You’ll find workout plans centered around different activities you like to do.  With the “EZ Monitor“, you’ll even know how many calories you’ve burned with each workout. 

Supportive Community: The problem with many workout programs is that they lack any kind of support system!  Whether you’re a busy stay at home mom, career woman, or something inbetween…you’ll find all the support you need.  You’ll be able to make new friends and always keep up to date with what’s hot using the Daily Gossip Feed.

You can upload photos to share with friends, receive Birthday reminders, and more.  Find friends with common weight loss goals.  

You’ll get Weekly Diet Buzz from a Registered dietician.  Included are killer healthy recipes, quizzes, and tons of diet tips and advice. 

As a bonus, Diet Bug is inluding The Calorie Balance Coach EZ Monitor .  This amazing new tool reveals YOUR OWN secret numbers for success. Diet Bug plans to market this tool as a paid service in the future, but you are getting it for FREE! 

With just a few simple clicks of your mouse, the Calorie Balance Coach EZ Monitor will give you the exact information you need to safely lose 1-2 pounds a week.   You’ll be able to stay on track and graph your progress.   You can view your calorie balance daily, hourly or even every minute. 

Give Diet Bug a try!  Again, this service is 100% FREE!   Get your free online fitness training & free online diet plans right now!

Click Here For More Details

See ya next time!

Heather

P.S. Pass this post around to your friends!  Use the “Tell A Friend” button below! 

heather @ womenshealthquestions.org

Did you know that snoring could be a sign of a condition known as “sleep apnea”?  Women with sleep apnea typically make periodic “gasping” noises that can interrupt their sleep.  They may also experience sleepiness during the day.  Treatment of sleep apnea symptoms really depends on the root cause.  If some other medical conditions are present, such as congestive heart failure for example, you may be able to get rid of sleep apnea by treating the condition. Interruption of breathing during sleep can pose serious health complications for women.  Sleep apnea symptoms should be taken very seriously.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

There are several goals for successfully treating sleep apnea.  These goals are:

• Restore regular breathing during sleep
• Get rid of symptoms such as loud snoring and daytime sleepiness
• Possibly lessen other medical conditions linked or related to sleep apnea (high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes)

Ways of treating sleep apnea include:

• Lifestyle changes
• Mouthpieces & breathing devices
• Surgery

If you are experiencing  sleep apnea (or think you may be), talk to your doctor or sleep specialist about your treatment options.   Lifestyle changes and/or mouthpieces could be enough to relieve mild sleep apnea. If you have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, you may require breathing devices or surgery.

Lifestyle changes that can help you…

• Avoid alcohol and medicines that can make you sleepy.
• Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
• Try to sleep on your side instead of your back.  This will help to keep your throat open. You may even try special pillows that will prevent you from sleeping on your back.
• Nose sprays or allergy medicines can help your nasal passages stay open at night.
• Stop smoking!

Mouthpieces and Breathing Devices…

A mouthpiece may help some women who have mild sleep apnea.  A mouthpiece will adjust your lower jaw with your tongue so as to help keep your airways open at night.  Be sure to notify your doctor if you experience any discomfort or pain while using the device. You may also need periodic adjustments.

The most common sleep apnea treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea is Continous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).  a CPAP machine has a sleep apnea mask that fits over your mouth and nose, or sometimes just over your nose.  It will gently blow air into your throat.

Many women will use a CPAP machine for a while, but then think they can stop because the snoring has gone away.  The fact is, sleep apnea will return if CPAP is stopped or not used correctly.

Most of the time, a technician will come to your home and bring the CPAP equipment. The technician will set up your CPAP machine according to your doctors orders.

If you have any side effects to CPAP (such as irritated skin, stomach discomfort, etc), be sure to tell your doctor or sleep specialist.  Steps can be taken to reduce side effects.

There are many different kinds of CPAP machines and masks. If you’re not happy with one you are using others are available…just talk to your doctor.

You may be able to qualify for CPAP supplies at little to no cost you.  Click here to find out.

You will also be give a free guide on sleep disorders.  Just fill out the form to get your free guide and see if you qualify for the FREE CPAP equipment.

Click Here For More Details

email me at heather @ womenshealthquestions.org  if you have any more questions about sleep apnea symptoms or sleep apnea treatments.

See you again soon!

Heather

Breat augmentation surgery (also known as augmentation mammaplasty, breast enhancement surgery, breast enlargement surgery, and occasionally, “boob job”) involves the use of breast implants to create fuller breasts.  The implants can also be used to restore volume after pregnancy or weightloss.  Choosing the right doctor is critical to having a successful procedure.  Here are some things you should be aware of…

Planning: A successful and safe procedure depends on you being very open with your doctor.  Discuss your expectations, desires, any medical conditions you may have, your medical history, drug allergies, prescriptions you take, family history of breast cancer, etc.

Your doctor may then give you an exam, take measurements, photographs, and discuss your options.  They will talk to you about the two types of breast implants(saline and silicone) and which may be right for you.   You’ll know exactly what you should expect from your breast augmentation surgery.  Before surgery, you may have some additional lab tests done as well.

The breast augmentation surgery itself is a pretty straight forward process.  First, you’ll be administered the anethesia.  Then, your doctor will make a small incision and insert the implant.  Then, the incision will be closed.  

You’ll be sore following the procedure.  Soon afterwards, the swelling goes away and over time the small incision mark will start to fade.

Now, this sounds like a nice, smooth process, right?  Well, it should be…but there are some “doctors” in this world that have no business putting a knife in a porterhouse steak, much less a woman!

Risks of breast augmentation surgery include bad scarring, excessive bleeding, infections, changes in nipple sensation that may or may NOT go away, implant leakage, blood clots, cardiac complications, and many other bad scenarios. 

You want to make sure you spend some time searching for the right doctor.  I recommend you interview several board certified doctors.  Ask for references. View before and after photos.  Heck, I’d even call their medical school professors and ask what kinds of grades they received in school!  Spend time doing your due diligence before deciding on a doctor. 

The Cosmetic Surgery Referral Network (CSRN) is a FREE service for finding breast augmentation surgery plastic surgeons in your local area.

Click Here For More Details

Until next time!

Heather

heather at womenshealthquestions.org

Nearly 1 out of every 5 women in the US smokes.  As alarming as this statistic is, women are now starting to smoke at younger ages.  This year, lung cancer will claim more lives of women than breast cancer.  Tobacco causes more deaths than motor vehicle deaths, AIDS, suicides, murders, and alcohol related fatalities COMBINED!

Ugly side effects of smoking include cancer, bad breath, yellow teeth, increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, osteoporosis, infertility, and birth defects.  These things should be enough to scare any woman! Knowing all of this, how can we get women to stop smoking?  What is the best way to stop smoking now?

Endng the cigarette addiction is easier said than done for many women.  When you first stop smoking, you may feel very strange.  You may feel dull, tense, even not yourself.  At this point, your body is getting used to not having the nicotine.  This will usually last for a week or two.

Many women start smoking again at some point during this period because they want to feel better.  During this time, the feelings of withdrawl are the strongest.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved various medicines designed to reduce withdrawal symptoms and urges.  These include nicotine gum, inhalers, tablets, nose sprays, skin patches, pills, Bupropion pills, and Varenicline pills.  Using these medicines can double your chances of quitting forever.

For a limited time, Miracet is offering a free trial of it’s stop smoking aid.  You simply pay for shipping.   They are also including a  “Stop Smoking Relaxation” mp3 download, as well as money back guarantee.   I’m not sure how long the offer will still be available, but it’s worth checking out this stop smoking program.

Get A Free Trial Of The Miracet Stop Smoking Aid

Here are government organizations ready to help you to stop smoking now…

National Cancer Institutes “Quitline” – 1-877-44U-QUIT

National Cancer Institute – http://www.cancer.gov/

National Tobacco Quitline – http://www.smokefree.gov

Nicotine Anonymous – http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org/

If you’re a smoker, please make the decision to stop smoking now.  If you know someone  who smokes, please pass this information along.

Till next time!

Heather

P.S.  Here’s a great stop smoking tip…

Ask for support from family, friends, and coworkers!  Studies show that you are much more likely to quit smoking if you have help.  Let everyone know the date you’ll be quitting.    Ask them to please not smoke around you or leave cigarettes out.   Be sure to watch this blog for more stop smoking tips for the best way to stop smoking!

heather at womenshealthquestions.org

There is not much more in this world a woman hates more than a vaginal yeast infection. These types of infections can be very embarrassing, to say the yeast…I mean least!  Vaginal yeast infection symptoms are usually associated with extreme itching in and around the vagina.  Other symptoms can also include… 

• Burning, redness, and swelling of the vagina and vulva
• Pain while passing urine
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Soreness
• A thick, white vaginal discharge that resembles cottage cheese.
• A rash on the vagina

The symptoms can be mild or severe.  You may have one or multiple symptoms.

So How is a vaginal yeast infection diagnosed?

Your doctor will normally perform a pelvic exam looking for swelling and discharge. The doctor may also take a fluid sample with a swab.  A lab test (or viewing under a microscope) will show if you are experiencing yeast infection symptoms. 

What are yeast infection causes?

Here are some risks associated with vaginal yeast infections:

• Not getting enough sleep
• Stress
• Being sick or ill
• Poor eating habits
• Pregnancy
• Having your period
• Taking certain medications (including some birth control pills, antibiotics, and steroids)
• Diseases such as HIV/AIDS and diabetes that is not being properly controlled.
• Hormonal changes during your periods

What is the best yeast infection treatment?  Is there a yeast infection cure?

Yeast infections can be treated with antifungal medicines including such as creams , tablets, and ointments (or suppositories).   These types of products can be bought over the counter at a drug or grocery store.  Your doctor could also prescribe you a single dose of oral fluconazole.  Be sure NOT use this drug if you are (or think you may be) pregnant.

One product you may want to check out is called “Yeastrol“.  It’s a natural spray designed to treat yeast infections.  The Yeastrol website also lists some foods you should eat, as well as avoid.  Click here for more details. 

Many times, vaginal yeast infections don’t respond to medicines.  Also, if you use antifungal medicines when you don’t actually have a yeast infection, this can raise your risk of getting a harder to treat infection down the road. 

Linda Allen has a great ebook titled “Yeast Infection No More“.  She teaches women how to get rid of yeast infections in as little as 12 hours without drugs or other treatments.  I’ve personally reviewed her program and can say it’s top notch and has many testimonials.  It also comes with a 60 day money back guarantee.  Get it now and you can be reading it in the next 5 minutes.

Click Here For More Details About ”Yeast Infection No More”

See you again soon!

Heather

heather @ womenshealthquestions.org

If you are looking to become pregnant, one of the first questions most women ask is “when is the best time to get pregnant?”.  The answer is very simple…it all depends on the days you are ovulating.  So you know that much.  What is the best way for you to EXACTLY calculate this all important and crucial period?  If you know your mathmatics, you’re in luck!  If not, you may want to grab an ovulation calculator.

First, you need to have some basic knowledge about your body and how it works.  With this knowledge, you’ll be able to find out the probable days you’ll be ovulating.

The post ovulation period (also called the Luteal phase) is the period between ovulation and day 1 of the menstrual cycle.  This period is normally 14 days for most women.  After 14 days of ovulation, the period begins.  From this point, you’ll need to know the due date for your next period.  If you count backwards 12 to 16 days from this date, you’re very likely to find the days in which you’ll be ovulating.

Most women who have a 28 day cycle will ovulate on the 14th day. You can also check your ovulation date through your basal body temperature (BBT). This method involves recording your vaginal temperature each morning by a finely calibrated BBT thermometer. This thermometer will display a higher temperature on the day of ovulation than other days.

One shocking fact in finding out when is the best time to get pregnant…is that the egg normally lives only for about 12 to 16 hours during a cycle! Many gynecologists are of the opinion that the egg’s life span will range from 12 to 24 hours. Fertility experts though say that it is closer to 15 or 16 hours. Timing is everything!

Let’s talk about the guys for second.  If a couple has sexual intercourse on normal basis, it is likely that the strength of the sperm may not have the desired force and the sperm count may also be too low.  If on the other hand, sex is not very frequent, the sperm can become “stale and old”.  The experts say that having sex twice a week is a good average…not too hot, not too cold!

Even though the female ovum dies relatively quickly, the male sperm can move around for 2-5 days within the vaginal canal.  Knowing this, it may be beneficial to have sexual intercourse a few days earlier than the date of ovulation.  This way, the sperm has ample opportunities to locate the egg.

Even knowing this information, many women still have difficulty getting pregnant.  For women having fertility issues, there are a wide range of remedies available…including exercise, lifestyle changes, acupuncture, herbs, dietary changes, even Chinese medications (the Chinese do know a thing or two about getting pregnant!).  While the old and dated conventional remedies usually fail, there are many holistic remedies that can bring great results.

One great book you may be interested in is titled “Pregnancy Miracle” by Lisa Olson.  Lisa is a nutritional and pregnancy health consultant who has dedicated her life to helping women get pregnant.  Not just getting pregnant, but getting pregnant quickly and naturally…which is key.  No prescription medications…no surgical procedures.

If you want to learn more about Lisa and her book (which is downloadable…you can be reading it in the next 5 minutes), I encourage to visit her website by clicking the link below…

Lisa Olson’s “Pregnancy Miracle” – Click Here For Details

Until next time!

Heather

For all of my ladies who are going to the gym and mindlessly slaving away on treadmills and stationary bikes, I’m going to talk to you today about a BETTER way to use these machines for fat burning; a way that 99% of women are NOT doing.  The method is called high intensity interval training, or HIIT for short.  After you read this post, you’ll never go back to your old ways again!

If you want to burn a ton of calories during your cardio workouts, endurance style “steady state” activities are NOT the best way to burn fat.  Sure, you’ll burn a few hundred calories during that hour that you’re walking or “jogging” on the treadmill, but what you don’t realize is that you are actually slowing down your metabolism by doing these endurance exercises.  The fat burn will come to a near stop once your workout ends.

Here’s a better way… 

Instead of these hour long workouts, instead try a short 20-30 minute HIIT session.  During a HIIT workout, you’ll be mixing in short bursts of high intensity exercise, followed by brief rest periods.  You’ll be repeating this sequence for 5-15 times during your workout. 

For instance, lets say you’re riding the stationary bike.  You would pedal as fast as you can (without killing yourself or falling off!), for 30-45 seconds, rest briefly, then continue to repeat the sequence until your 20-30 minute workout is over.

So how much more fat will HIIT exercise burn vs. the old endurance “steady state” exercises?

Great question!  You can burn as much as 9 times the fat

How do we know?

Dr. Angelo Tremblay PH. D from Laval University in Canada performed a study of people doing HIIT workouts versus endurance exercises.  The HIIT group lost 9 times as much subcutaneous fat in 15 weeks as the ET group did in a whopping 21 weeks!

Even though the endurance training group would burn twice as many calories during the exercise period versus the HIIT folks(who had shorter workout periods), the fat burn would almost come to a halt once the workouts ended.  The exact opposite held true for the HIIT group.  Once their workouts finished, their metabolisms stayed substantially elevated.  This caused the massive calorie burn POST  WORKOUT!

The number of calories you burn during the workout isn’t NEARLY as important as the calories you burn during the other 23 plus hours of the day.  When performing high intensity interval training, you can burn calories when you are sleeping, fixing the kids breakfast, at the office, clipping coupons, reading a book, or any other of your daily activities.  

I don’t know about you, but I would MUCH rather burn fat while doing nothing versus slaving away on a treadmill for an hour at a time!

Give high intensity interval training a try!  It’s fun, will burn tons of fat, and will get you in and out of the gym in no time.

Oh, by the way, you don’t have to use a gym or exercise machine to do HIIT.  You can walk/run, ride your mountain bike, swim at the pool, etc…any type of exercise where you can alternate your intensity level.

Until next time!

Heather

P.S. Be sure to check out my recent post about how to lose weight fast.  You can also learn how to get free online personal training and free online diet plans.

Every woman wants to know how to lose weight fast.    As a society, it seems we all want results YESTERDAY!  The fitness TV infomercials take advantage of this fact.  If you flip through 10 TV channels, you’ll likely to find at least one infomercial for some sort of ab contraption or weight loss product.   They try to make us believe that with just 10 minutes a day, we’ll magically have a body like Angelina Jolie!

My mother fell for one of the latest gimmicks.  I forget the exact name of the machine, but it looks like a garage stool.  You basically “spin” back and forth on it.  I called mom up to ask how her “workouts” were going.  She just laughed and said she’d be selling it at her next yard sale!  That’s $129.95 down the drain!

As much as I dislike these types of machines for burning away fat, I REALLY hate the diet pill advertisements!  So many women are trying these things without actually knowing what they are putting into their bodies!  These supplement companies are preying on women who are desparately trying to figure out how to lose weight fast!

As much as you may not want to hear it, I’m going to tell it to you straight…

There ARE NO SHORTCUTS!

If you want to lose weight, you need a healthy diet and an exercise program that combines cardio and resistance training.   Why?  Because muscle burns fat!

Abs specific exercises are not the best way to burn away fat.  Sure, those exercises may burn a few calories and strengthen your abdominal muscles a bit, but that won’t do you much good if you have 3 or 4 inches (or more) of fat covering your abs!

After personally reviewing dozens of  weight loss programs, there is really only one that stands out for me.  That program is Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.  It’s not a fad.  It’s not a “quick fix” solution that will have you putting back on the weight as fast as you took it off.

Tom Venuto is an all natural professional bodybuilder that now helps women and men reshape their bodies and enjoy a completely new lifestyle of health and fitness.  His book is one of the most complete, detailed, and precise guides to fat loss you will ever read.

There are no “30 pounds in 30 days miracles” here.  Knowing how to lose weight fast is all about lifestyle changes, not “quick fix” diets that will leave you to crash and burn!  Tom teaches you how to make intelligent eating choices, workout properly, and how to make a total lifestyle change.    In the chapters on nutrition, you’ll learn how you should setup your own meals using  Tom’s menu “template” system.  All you have to do is choose the foods you like (from Tom’s recommended food lists), plug them into the meal plan template, and your menus will be created automatically for you.  He also gives sample menus for ideas.

Tom’s training programs can be performed at home or in a gym.  If working out at home, you’ll need some basic equipment like dumbbells or resistance bands.

Again, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is not a ”quick fix”. You don’t get 6 pack abs by training 10 minutes a day and eating lots of bad foods all the time.  This program requires structure and effort.  At the end of the day though, it’s worth it.  If you follow the program, there’s no doubt that you will become very, very lean!

There are many imitators and copycats out there, but if you want an original, this is it. Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is literally the “fat loss bible.”

For More Information About Tom Venuto’s “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”, click here.

Until next time!

Heather

heather @ womenshealthquestions.org

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an international health campaign put on each October by breast cancer charities.   The goal is to increase awareness and faise funds in the fight against breast cancer.  AstraZeneca, which manufactures breast cancer drugs, started the event back in 1985.  Since then, many other foundations and charities have joined in the fight. 

 In 1993, Evelyn Lauder (of the Estee’ Lauder company) founded the Breast Cancer Reasearch Foundation and established the “pink ribbon”, the symbol we all recognize today.   This wasn’t the first use of the pink ribbon though.  In 1991, the Susan G. Komen Foundation passed out pink ribbons during it’s breast cancer survivors charity race in New York City.

So why is this such an important fight?

The facts are startling.  Breast cancer will affect one in 8 women during their lifetimes.  Most of us will either know or have known someone with breast cancer.  It is the second leading cancer killer of women in the US (behind lung cancer).

There’s good news though.  With proper screening, most women who get breast cancer will survive.   Breast cancer is very treatable when found early, and often times, even curable.

What is the best way to detect breast cancer early?

A procedure called a mammogram, along with an exam by your doctor, is the most effective way for detecting early breast cancer.

Many women prefer to do their own breast self exams (BSE’s).  Studies to date have NOT shown that these BSE’s have reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer.  Also, womens breasts will change over time due  to pregnancy, menopause, hormones, birth control pills, and other factors.  It can be normal for some women’s breasts to feel hard or lumpy.  Always be sure to let your doctor know if you notice any changes in your breasts.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Symptoms of breast cancer can include:

• A lump in or near your breast (also under your arm)
• Any changes to your breast skin, nipple, or areola ( including itching, scaling, redness, dimples, etc).
• Nipple discharge (doesn’t include breastmilk)
• A change in the shape or size of your breast
• Thick or firm tissue in or around your breast (also under your arm)
• Changes to your nipple (for example, a nipple that becomes inverted)
  

*Keep in mind, any of these things doesn’t necessarily mean you have breast cancer.  The only way to know for sure is to have a medical exam and mammogram*

How does a mammogram work and how often should you have one done?

A mammogram is a special X-Ray machine designed to detect cancers in your breast.  There are two types of mammograms, a screening mammogram, and a diagnostic mammogram.  The screening mammogram is done for women with no symptoms of breast cancer.   It can detect lumps or tumors that cannot be felt.  A diagnostic mammogram is a much more detailed mammogram that is used after a lump or other symptom has been discovered.

Normally, you will stand in front of the X-ray machine and place your breasts inbetween the X-ray plate and a plastic plate.  The breasts are then compacted so the machine can get better images.  You may feel slight pressure and discomfort, but it only lasts a few seconds.  Uusually two pictures are taken of each breast (from the top and side angles). From start to finish, the procedure is only about 20 minutes.

Women over 40 should have a mammogram done every 1-2 years.  If you have had breast cancer, breast issues, or have a family history of breast cancer, you may need to get mammograms done before 40, or more frequently.  Be sure to talk with your doctor about how often and when you should start having regular mammograms.

For more information about breast cancer and mammograms, please contact the following organizations:

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
800) 232-4636
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/

American Cancer Society
(800) 227-2345
http://www.cancer.org/

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
(877) 465-6636
http://www.komen.org/

National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service
(800) 422-6237; (800) 4-CANCER
http://cis.nci.nih.gov/

Let’s make this October 2009 the best Breast Cancer Awareness Month yet!