Between a high-stress election season, a global pandemic and the stresses of everyday life, some routine mundane medical to-dos are the first to go. So it’s not a surprise that mammogram screenings — a normal annual or biannual (depending on your age or health history) healthcare visit — have become less of a priority during the pandemic.
Luckily, Sofia Vergara is here to remind you that pandemic or not you’ll want to keep that appointment — your health might depend on it! As she shared a total #mood picture of the uncomfy but necessary experience of looking after your health.
And if you’re already stressed out, why not just bang out a few stressful activities in one go: “just to make today more stressful I went and got my mammogram 😖😖 #allgood 👍 #dontforgetyours❤️”
View this post on InstagramAnd just to make today more stressful I went and got my mammogram 😖😖 #allgood 👍 #dontforgetyours❤️
Experts have said that they are concerned too many people are putting off their regular exams during the pandemic.
“[Mammogram numbers in 2020] plummeted down to about 10 percent of what we normally do. So that’s a 90% decline,” Dr. Carmen Guerra, a national board scientific officer with the American Cancer Society told ABC 7 Chicago. “Our grave concern is that we are not diagnosing cancers that are out there early when they are most treatable.”
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mammograms are X-ray pictures of the breast used to detect early signs of breast cancer — they’re recommended annually for women between age 45 and 54 (optional to start between the ages of 40 and 44) and are suggested biennially for people 55 and older.
“Having a mammogram is uncomfortable for most women. Some women find it painful. A mammogram takes only a few moments, though, and the discomfort is over soon. What you feel depends on the skill of the technologist, the size of your breasts, and how much they need to be pressed. Your breasts may be more sensitive if you are about to get or have your period. A doctor with special training, called a radiologist, will read the mammogram. He or she will look at the X-ray for early signs of breast cancer or other problems,” the CDC writes. “Continue to get mammograms according to recommended time intervals. Mammograms work best when they can be compared with previous ones. This allows the radiologist to compare them to look for changes in your breasts.”
Before you go, here are some products breast cancer patients and survivors can really use:
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