HEALTH

In Check

It’s super that you’re examining your breasts and becoming familiar with your body. “Breast self-exam is an important tool for all women to monitor their health between doctor’s visits,” says Elizabeth Bobby, a nurse practitioner in gynecology at About Women By Women in Wellesley, Mass.  
 
At your age, your breasts are developing quickly, and, says Bobby, “this rapid growth can cause tenderness (and sometimes stretch marks).” Got lotsa pain? Try Ibuprofen. 
 

Not to worry--the lumps that you feel are probably just normal glandular tissue (tissue that can produce milk after childbirth), according to Bobby. “Breasts are composed of two types of tissue: glandular tissue (which can feel slightly firm and sometimes swell and feel tender before periods) and fatty tissue (which feels soft).” 

You should see your doc if you notice warmth or redness on your breast along with the pain (these can be signs of an infection) or if a lump seems to be growing. “Occasionally, a young woman can have a benign, fluid-filled cyst in her breast, or a firm, benign lump called a fibroadenoma,” says Bobby. But she assures us that breast cancer is extremely rare in teens! 

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by Lindsey Silken | 2/1/2016