How to Perform a Proper Self-Exam; Ensuring Health & Longevity
Why?
It's important to perform self-exams regularly to check for abnormalities and also to establish a baseline of what is normal for you. Knowing what your body looks like when it's healthy is the only way to tell when something is abnormal and needs to be looked at by a professional! Below we are going to share our tips to establish a baseline for men and women so you can all ensure your health and longevity!
Women
Bladder/Bowel Habits: It's important to keep a journal of your bladder and bowel habits, especially if you are starting to experience any dysfunction. This can help determine when and why you may be having an issue if you can pick up on patterns as well as if things are getting progressively worse. If you do end up seeking a pelvic floor physical therapist, this will be excellent information to give to them so we can get to the root of the problem even quicker!
Menstrual Cycle: Our hormones play a huge role in our health and understanding our body's natural cycle is very important to our overall health. Keeping track of not just when you are menstruating but how you feel at each cycle, how that impacts your energy levels, toilet habits, and even sleep habits! Understanding your baseline habits and energy levels can help you not only plan your life, but understand and recognize when your natural rhythm is thrown off. This is typically only done when women are looking to connceive, but it is important for all menstruating people!
Vulva: Use a mirror to see your entire genital area. Look for any areas of redness, sores, bumps, warts, or blisters in your genital area. Separate your pubic hair and look closely at the skin underneath. Look at the skin on the inside of your legs and around your genitals. Separate the lips that cover your clitoris and look carefully at all the exposed skin. Hold open the lips of the vagina and look carefully at the inside of the lips as well as the opening to the vagina. It may be helpful to feel each of these areas with clean fingers as you view them so that you can be aware of any areas of rough skin or bumps.
Breasts: When lying down, the breast tissue spreads out evenly along the chest wall. Place a pillow under your right shoulder and your right arm behind your head. Using your left hand, move the pads of your fingers around your right breast gently covering the entire breast area and armpit. Use light, medium, and firm pressure. Squeeze the nipple; check for discharge and lumps. Repeat these steps for your left breast. Using a mirror you can visually inspect your breasts with your arms at your sides. Next, raise your arms high overhead. Look for any changes in the contour, any swelling, or dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipples. Next, rest your palms on your hips and press firmly to flex your chest muscles. Left and right breasts will not exactly match so look for any dimpling, puckering, or changes, particularly on one side.
Men
Look for any areas of redness, sores, bumps, warts, or blisters in your genital area. Look closely at and feel the entire surface of your penis, scrotum, and anus. If you are not circumcised, pull back your foreskin covering the head of your penis and look carefully at the head of your penis. Use a mirror to help you look at the underside of your penis, your scrotum, and anus. Look for discharge from the penis. Check the testicles for swelling and tenderness. Separate your pubic hair with your fingers so you can see the skin underneath the hair.
These are all ways we can be more in tune with our body's natural rhythm, look, and feel. This is the very best way to know quickly when something is off so you can get help quickly and from the right people. To learn more about your options, give us a call at 401-602-7006.