Take Care of Your Ta-Tas

October was Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it’s always a good time to brush up on how to take care of our ta-tas. That includes you too, fellas. While they’re usually shaped and perceived differently, both men and women have breast tissue, so biologically, breast cancer can (and does) affect men as well as women. In fact, because breast cancer is uncommon in men, it’s often not detected until the cancer has moved to an advanced stage.

Both men and women should do monthly self-breast exams. Many doctors and pharmacies offer shower hangers with diagrams of how to perform these exams. Ask for one. If they don’t have any, you can find them online – cheap! Then hang it in your shower and follow the pictures!

Next, find out if you have a family history. Your risk is higher if any blood relatives have had colon cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and more. Open the discussion at the next family dinner. “Please pass the turkey breast. Hey, speaking of breasts…”

Know the symptoms. The most common warning sign is a lump or swelling, which is often painful, but sometimes painless, in the breast and/or armpit area. Other indicators are skin dimpling or puckering (orange peel effect), redness or scaling of nipple or breast skin, nipple discharge (not breast milk), even nipple retraction (turning inward).

Now that you know the facts, jump on that ta-ta train and check yourself out!

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Photo Credit:  Romolo Tavani / Shutterstock.com