All about breasts
- karenthandiwe
- Sep 6, 2022
- 7 min read
The crucial stages of breast develop occur during these points: before birth, during puberty and after child bearing years. Is it possible that the presence of menopause (which is almost ‘guaranteed’ for all woman) almost becomes the means by which we can properly study patterns of natural breast development?
(Process of breast development:
Before birth – the thickening of the chest area of the baby in the mother’s uterus is referred to as the mammary ridge/milk line and allows for nipples and the forming of the milk-duct
During puberty (define specific time period) – Lobes (small divisions of breast tissue) around the breast, surrounding the armpit and these are the result of mammary glands developing and consisting of 15 to 24 lobes. Milk ducts then begin to shrink in the breast tissue alongside the mammary glands shrinking which most typically occurs around the age of 35
Teen years – this is when the breasts go through the most crucial preliminary stages of breast development which can be vaguely described as follows: the tip of the nipple raised in preteen years (stage 1), buds appear and both the nipples and the breast begin to raise as well as the growth of the areola, the skin surrounding the nipple (stage 2), glandular breast tissue becomes highly visible and the breasts continue to grow (stage 3), the areola and the nipple conjoin to form a second area raised above the breast (stage 4) and the mature breast finally develops with a raised nipple and mature adult breast (stage 5)
After pregnancy – the blood vessels in the breast become a lot more visible alongside the darkening and enlarging of the areola but this is typically regarded as normal as it is merely the protocols of preparing for breastfeeding a baby
Menopause – In the perimenopausal stage, significant changes to a woman’s breasts begin to show, most notably in her late 40s and early 50s, where the Progesterone and Estrogen levels become imbalanced, in conjunction to when a woman is pregnant, most typically
During this time, the Estrogen levels decrease which leads to the dehydration of the breasts connecting tissues, resulting in them becoming saggy whereby milk can no longer be stored and the shape and size of the breast changes most crucially - *Women who may experience fear of the menopausal and perimenopausal stages should not take Estrogen as a way of mitigating themselves from the change in size and shape that is likely as a woman ages as breast size can be impacted by factors such as diet, genetics etc. and it is important that your body is able to regulate your hormones as naturally as possible without interference outside of having surgery for the purposes of best enlargement or reduction, which is not covered very thoroughly in this blog
Through hormone treatment for gender reassignments – Women who take hormone therapy in the early stages of gender reassignment are the most likely to experience the premenstrual breast symptoms, including: soreness and swelling most crucially, presenting similarities to the experience of women in their teen years and early adulthood development years, regardless of whether they get pregnant or not, and also massively dependent on whether they succeed in carrying a child to full term as well
-Some words from the heart:
It is important to remember that it is normal for your breasts to be slightly uneven in shape and colour of your nipples – when these factors change drastically after being one way previously and also repeatedly, is the moment when you should monitor them very carefully and make contact with your GP
Amidst concerns about the impact of breast surgeries for the purposes of their enlargement or reduction as well as concerns one may have before undergoing surgery, it is important to consult your GP before making any affirmative decisions to change your body – this is important not only because surgery can increase your predisposition to experiencing some of the symptoms of breast cancer but breast cancer is also an unfortunate disease that can affect men and transgender women so it is always important to consult a trained and qualified medical health professional before making any major decisions about surgery)
-Interesting fact:
*Breasts growing during these crucial years is the result of a woman’s ovaries producing and releasing estrogen which causes the breasts to enlarge in the same way that hair around the body i.e. pubic and armpit, do. This development occurs along the formation of secretory glands at the end of the milk ducts and are thus significantly impacted by the processes of ovulation and menstruation. This is because the hormonal balance is maintained to be able to regulate swelling and milk secretion from the milk ducts to ensure that by the 5th or 6th month of pregnancy, the women is fully capable of being able to produce milk from her breasts
- It is the hormone Estrogen which is massively responsible for the growth of a woman’s breasts and the hormone Progesterone which regulates secretion from the milk ducts – it is the rapid and constant change of these hormones in lead which are a massive cause of breast pain, soreness and swelling (outline a vague difference between the swelling of the breasts and general enlargement later on)
- The difference between normal and abnormal swelling (comparing cancerous symptoms with those of PCOS etc.)
Understanding irregularities and following formalities:
To make reference to every single possible breast problem you may encounter and be suffering from in this blog is highly ambitious but I will still not be deterred from trying to outline and discuss some of the symptoms and ways of managing these in their early stages before requesting medical consultations, as based on the plethora of articles I have read which outline these concerns in detail
Ultimately, problems with one’s breasts, as based on whether an identified issue is discovered to be cancerous or not, are better tested with an actual mammogram which is able to detect cancer as opposed to self-examination alone but it is still massively important for you to check because early detection is better for ensuring you receive the most effective and best level of treatment, if you are discovered to have cancer and other breast related illnesses – a 2022 study allowed researchers to discover that from ‘426 breast masses, 96% Trusted Source of cancers and 81% of ultrasound findings have resulted from ‘patient-identified lumps’’, emphasising the benefits of self-examination in the early detection processes of the diagnoses of various forms of cancer
-The most effective process of the visual examination of your breasts can be detailed as follows:
(It is highly recommended that you perform these self-examinations at the end of each of your monthly cycles/once a month in general if you are not menstruating, to ensure you have a trusted routine for ruling out and identifying any possible irregularities and crucial changes)
1.To begin, stand topless in front of a mirror with your hands placed on each of your sides
2.Before physically examining your breasts, visually inspect them for: changes in size, shape or symmetry, dimpling, inverted nipples, puckering and asymmetrical ridges at the bottom
3.Check for these presences physically by lifting one breast at a time in search for any irregularities and significant changes, with your arms raised above your head most crucially – examine them using the pads of your fingers, not the tips and in the shower if better to allow for the better inspection from the moisture from the shower
4.You can apply different amounts of pressure to different areas of concern
5.Make sure to also inspect the centre of the breast and its surroundings, beginning at the nipple with the pads of your fingers to lead you out to a spirally notion that allows for the full inspection of the entire breast as well as squeezing them to check for any discharge
6.Remember that it is also important to feel the top of your breast near the collarbone so to the presence of crucial lymph nodes linking the connective tissues as outlined earlier in the blog. Do this in the same way as at the beginning of the self-examination process, by massaging your breasts around this connecting area with your arms raised above your head to check for any irregularities
*It is important to note that discovering a lump does not guarantee that it is cancerous and you will need to consult your GP upon discovering this so that they can arrange for a mammogram scan for you to ensure an accurate and full detection of it being cancerous – a lump will feel harder than the majority of the rest of the breasts which possess a difference for cystic or dense breasts as well as breast texture impacted by menstrual cycles
-Other concerns associated with breast development to be highlighted:
Outside of the common signs of growth in premenstrual and teen years, your breasts can grow at any stage so it is important to also look out for these early indicating signs of possible, sudden group – the appearance of small, firm lumps under your nipples, itchiness around your nipples and chest areas, tenderness or soreness of your breasts more generally and backaches too
-Other concerns associated with the detection of lumps to be highlighted:
Noticing a red spot or bump or your breast does not guarantee that is a lump but is very important to report your GP upon its detection so that its cause and impact can be established by a trained, medical professional
It is also important to mention the rise of Duct Ectasia which has a crucial link between the discovery of non-milk fluids, most typically discharge, from your nails – Duct Ectasia impacts women either going through menopause or in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal stages in their lives and causes the comprehension of your areola which increases the risk of fluid becoming trapped in the milk ducts and is definitely worth paying attention to
I hope that you have found this useful to read and learnt a bit more about the natural developmental stages of breasts and how this can be impacted in myriad of ways which are important for you to consider to ensure that you maintain your health as much as possible, with a focus on the early detection of breast related problems and illnesses
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Thank you so much for sticking by me and being committed to this learning process, let us continue to share and inform, encourage and write
-From, K xx
Sources:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/normal-breast-development-and-changes
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