Breast Cancer Facts 2008
Mammograms can save your life. They can also be prohibitively painful for some women. Here are six tips to make the mammogram hurt less.
1. Get a mammogram when you do not have much engorgement. (For most women, this means that two weeks after period has ended but the time varies by individual. Other women may find from 18-22 days after the first day of menstruation More appropriate)
2. Use salt as little as possible for a week before the test. Again, this will reduce the degree of engorgement for most women and therefore the pain associated with compression required for the test.
3.Taking 400 international units of vitamin E for 3 weeks before the test. Why this work has not been documented. However, it works frequently enough for you to try.
4. Use simple analgesics such as acetaminophen, aspirin, diclofenac one hour before the test, provided it does not have an allergy to them. These have to be taken after meals.
5. Drink green juice, made of green apples, peppers, celery, bitter melon and cucumber on alternate days for a week before the test. This is a little secret of my clients shared with me. This green juice is also useful for general breast pain. Make sure you do not take this more common than suggested as it can lead to hypotension or vertigo.
6. Tell the radiologist if you feel pain during the test. The coach has some rail way to adjust the degree of compression against breast X-rays
Whatever you do, do not skip a mammogram if your doctor tells you.
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Breast Cancer 2008: Can We Tailor Treatment?
