When was Your Last Breast Exam?

How often should you be getting a breast exam?breast exam

Did you know that about 1 in 8 US women will develop breast cancer at some point during her lifetime? With statistics such as these it’s important that you are taking the preventive measures you need to keep yourself healthy and to promote early detection. Find out how often you should be visiting our Dothan, AL, OBGYNs for a breast exam.

Women of any age should be performing self-breast exams at least once a month. If you aren’t sure how to properly perform a breast exam on yourself our Dothan, AL, gynecologists would be happy to show you during your next visit. These exams are important because it’s the best way to detect changes or issues early on, so this is a habit that every woman will want to adopt.

Of course, these self-exams should not negate coming in at least once a year for a proper medical breast exam. After all, we are thoroughly trained to look for any issues that you may have missed during your own self-exam. Most of the time these breast exams are performed during your annual appointment.

What should you expect during your breast exam?

When we perform an exam we are looking for any visible or palpable changes to your breasts. We will check the texture, shape and size of your breasts and look for any warning signs such as pain, swelling, lumps or dimpling. If symptoms are detected, do not automatically assume that you have cancer. There are a lot of other non-serious issues that could be causing these symptoms.

If we do find any problems during your breast exam we will talk to you about the next step and whether we will need to perform further testing to figure out what’s causing your symptoms.

If you are noticing any changes or symptoms that give you pause, you should also give us a call, even if you don’t need to come in for your annual breast exam. It’s always best to play it safe rather than sorry when it comes to your health.

Regardless of whether or not you have risk factors, all women should be getting regular breast exams. Call Womens Medical Center in Dothan, AL, today to schedule your next visit with us. Preventive care can go a long way to promoting good health for the future.

Office Hours

Monday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tuesday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Wednesday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Thursday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Friday

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday

Closed

Sunday

Closed

Monday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed