Submitted by: Steve Klein

October is breast cancer awareness month and I feel I would be remiss if I did not address this serious problem that faces millions of women.  As a health care professional specializing in helping residents of Maryland and Virginia find affordable health care without compromising quality, I talk to prospective clients daily who have faced this serious health issue.

Key to the success of breast cancer treatment is early detection.  Over 2 million American women with a history of the disease are alive today mainly because of early detection.  In addition, the 5 year survival rate is better than 95% if the cancer is detected before it spreads.

Women of any age can develop breast cancer, but as you get older you are at a higher risk for developing the disease.  Should you detect a lump on your breast, get it looked at immediately by your health care provider but be aware that over 80% of breast lumps are not cancerous.

Annual mammograms are a very valuable tool in early detection.  Here are a few tips when having this procedure done.  While it may sound funny, don’t use deodorant on the day you have a mammogram.  Using deodorant can make the x-ray much harder to read.  You also should not use any lotions or powders under your arms or on your breasts that day.

I’m sure you have heard the medical claims that alcoholic beverages contribute to breast cancer.  Well, according to the American Cancer Society the use of alcohol only slightly increases the risk and women who may consume one drink a day have a small increase in risk or no increase at all.  On the other hand, women who consume 2 – 5 drinks a day increase their risk by up to 5 times the risk if women who drink no alcohol.

When is the best time to do a self examination off your breasts?  Health professionals say that the ideal time is 1 week after your period starts.  If you have gone through menopause, check your breasts on the first day of the month which is easy to remember.

Here is an interesting finding about smoking.  The American cancer Society has not found any direct link between smoking and breast cancer.  However, they do say that the risk is greater among women who started smoking in their teens.  Since smoking has been linked to other serious health issues, it is obviously a wise decision to quit smoking so that your body can heal.

The risk of breast cancer is greater among women who have children later in life of who never have had children.  Studies show that women who have their first child before the age of 30 and breast feed for 6 months or longer are less likely to develop breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society says that women who have a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer are double the risk to contract the disease.  Women whose close blood relatives on either the mother’s or father’s side of their family had breast cancer are also at a significantly increased risk.

Breast cancer can be treated by surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.  Many new and less invasive treatments are being worked on as we speak.  Often, patients receive more than one type of treatment.  The treatment can be physically and emotionally debilitating so early detection is crucial to saving your life and sparing you much of the pain and suffering associated with the treatment.

When should women start getting mammograms?  When you turn 50 you should absolutely have an annual mammogram.  However, younger women should talk to their doctor about how often they should have a mammogram.  Many health care providers will want you to start at an earlier age and possibly more often if they believe you are at a greater risk for contracting the disease.

Studies show that exercise can reduce the risk with estimates for women under 40 ranging from 2 to 4 hours a week.  The best course of action in my mind is to focus on doing things for your all around health.  That means no smoking, limiting your consumption of alcohol, eating a health diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercise.  None of this guarantees whether you will or will not get breast cancer, but it will certainly boost the odds that you will not.

As a health insurance broker here in Maryland and Virginia, I often speak with people who are not inured and they have had an occurrence of breast cancer or some other difficult health issue.  Health care is expensive, especially when there is cancer involved.  The time to protect yourself is now, before you have a major health problem to consider.

At www.mrinsuranceofmaryland.com, we are here to educate our clients so they can make the best choice to limit their exposure and choose the best health plan for themselves and their family.  Our service is free so please contact us through the web or call us today at 866-654-4844 and remember…”Your health is our business!”

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