5 self-exams you can do at home right now
Check to stay healthy ... and make sure you do it well.
It is important to go to the doctor for regular review. But even those of us who are diligent on our appointments will go from the months without being examined by a health professional. To complete the gap and ensure yourhealth is continuously monitored, you must count on the person who best knows your body: you.
Self-examinations are a valuable supplement for professional exams, which helped you keep an eye on anything about any of the ordinary can become a more important issue in the future. Whether on the skinCancer early or by ensuring that your gums are in good health, there are simple self-exams that you can perform to make sure you are healthy,and that you stay like that.
Check the skin for moles or spots
Checking moles or unusual spots is one of the simplest self-examinations that can be done, but involves more than just looking in the mirror (although it's a good start).
"It is very important to check the moles or lesions that change color, shape or irregular size or start to the bleeding," says Dr. Alain Michon, MD, Medical DirectorOttawa Skin Clinic. "For some reason, many people decide to neglect these signs, which is a terrible error."
He recommends that those who perform the exam look alike in a mirror of the head over the head, guaranteeing that there is a lot of light and seeking everything that is new or unusual. This can include a mole that increases the size or changes of color or texture, a stain that hurts or itching over time or an open wound that does not cure.
The Cancer Skin Foundation offers auseful guide To conduct a self-examination for moles, which should not only eat obvious and visible areas, but maybe you may not see that you may not see after your average shower, under your arm or on your Scalp (using a tumble dryer to separate your hair). It also offers a useful list of theABCDE warning signs For melanoma (asymmetry, edge, color, diameter and evolution).
"If you have a roommate or a partner, ask them to check your back, the top of your head and behind your ears, they are all areas that are often missed," he suggests. "If you find one, I suggest consulting your general practitioner for a medical assessment and a biopsy of the skin if necessary." (Connected: Discover these7 the worst foods "healthy" that you eat, according to a dietician.)
Breast self-examination
Regular verification of pieces on its breasts can be an effective way to detect early breast cancer. Although this is just a practice, carried out in combination with regular projections by professionals, it is a simple habit that can be beneficial for its health.
"The person needs to know that they feel for something hard very hard like the drawer with a fistry hand; and the regular breast fabric feels thick like the fabric between the thumb and the index," says delighted Jenkins, MD, MHA, who runsOLEHCAL OBGLYN In San Diego and recommends that people conduct a monthly self-examination.
Seahcancener.org offers a detailedFive-step process To lead a self-examination of his breasts:
- Step 1: Look at your breasts in the mirror for any unusual swelling, coupling or redness.
- Step 2: Lift your arms and look for these same changes.
- Step 3: Find a fluid out of one or both nipples. "Nipple discharges or chest skin can be a sign of cancer," says Jenkins.
- Step 4: Detach and feel your tits for any log. By using a few fingers of your right hand, move in a circular motion on your left chest, from top to bottom and side to each other, then go hands and tits and repeat.
- Step 5: Feel your breasts for all the bumps standing or seated, following the process described in step 4.
"Do not forget: if you notice something, go to the doctor," says Jenkins. "Do not panic but do not delay." (Connected: Here's the100 worst cancer foods.)
Testicular self-examination
Like women should make a breast self-examination every month, men should do a testicular self-examination as often. Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged 20 to 40 - but can be healed if it is taken early.
"I suggest that the examination be done once a month usually under the shower or just after a shower when there is a relaxation of the scrotum, it is very easy to access the testicles," saysNeil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Clinical Urology atTULANE MEDICAL SCHOOL in New Orleans.
Baum has published thisStep by step guide self-examination in the April 1996 issue of hospital medicine. He suggests the following steps:
- Use both hands to examine each testicle, one at a time, holding the testicle between the fingers and the thumb.
- Use of soft pressure, roll the testicle between the thumb and fingers (this should not cause pain or discomfort).
- Feel for small bumps or irregularities that feel different from the spongy texture of a healthy testicle.
"The normal testicle is smooth and soft without any irregularity," says Baum. "Any songs or bumps or irregularities must be brought to the attention of the doctor. All pieces and bumps are not cancer but require additional tests." (Connected: here's hereThe 50 best foods for men.)
Eye health
You might think that checking your view is something you are constantly doing throughout the day. Whether reading a book or trying to make a two block sign that you are constantly aware of the functionality of your vision and know immediately if something was disabled, right? Not necessarily.
Yuna Rapoport, MD, MPH, the founder and the director ofManhattan eyeA Vision Clinic based in New York, suggests leading some basic assessments of your vision and eye health at home, and they do not even require one of these eye tables with letters of different sizes .
"To evaluate your vision, examine three different locations: far on the distance, then the distance by computer and nearby," she says. "If one of these is not totally clear, even after flashing several times, it may be time to get a pair of glasses or updated contacts (or new)."
This may seem obvious, but often people will go months, or even years without realizing their views of one of these distances are not as strong as they expect it to be. Take a minute to focus on this can help you determine if there is an early problem.
Beyond your vision itself, you can also make a self-examination of your ocean occular health, especially if your eyes are dry or uncomfortable in another way.
"If your eyes burn or feel grains after reading on the computer, you probably have a dry eye," says Rapoport. "This is easily treated with free artificial tears of conservation." By simply checking on the symptoms, you can do a self-check on the health of your eyes. (Connected: here is the11 new symptoms of coronaviruses that you need to know.)
Dental check
Like your eyes, you probably imagine that you drive a dental check every day - after all, you brush yourself regularly, is not it regularly? But even if you use a fancy toothbrush, when was the last time you stopped and took a very good glance to your mouth?
Pia Lieb DDS, founder ofNYC cosmetic dentistry center, based in New York, offers these simple steps that each person should add to their brushing and flossing routine:
- Check your teeth: See if something looks discolored, cracked or if a filling is lost. "All this will be visible for your eyes," she says.
- Scan your gums: "Are they swollen? Red? Bleeding when you brushes? Do they hurt the touch? This is another thing you can share with your dentist", according to Lieb.
- Give your tongue a look: "Does it look more red? Do you have white spots? Unusual textures?" If so, Lieb suggests that you take a picture and send it to your dentist.
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