Though the word “mammogram” may ring as scary for many women, it is essentially an X-ray imaging of your breasts to detect a tumor or other abnormalities. There is no suggested or ideal age at which medical professionals agree one should start getting a screening mammogram, but typically women get their first mammogram between ages 35 and 40. Depending on risk level and preferences, women should discuss the options and risks with their doctor.
Remember that getting a screening mammogram does not necessarily mean there is cancer present: even if you get a call back, which is most common in first mammograms, it is most likely to look at a certain area more carefully. An extra ultrasound may be more commonly required in women who are pre-menopausal and get a mammogram done.
Facility Tips
- Choose a facility that specializes in mammograms and conducts a number of them in a day, speaking to its credibility and expertise. To reassure yourself about the standards being met, you may request to see an FDA certificate. If possible, visit the same facility every year so that your record is kept and comparisons may be done easily.
- Get your records from any other facility you may have visited in the past, so the pictures can be compared, and you can save some time.
- Also bring with you a list of places and dates when other mammograms may have been done, as well as biopsies or other breast treatments.
Day of the Mammogram
- Avoid deodorant, cream, or powder under your arms on the day you are scheduled to have a mammogram as those substances may show up as white spots.
- Wear clothes that will make it easy to remove just the top and your bra on the day of the exam.
- Try to schedule the mammogram on a day when your breasts are not swollen, so as to get a better picture and be more comfortable.
The Exam
- Most technologists are women, and you and the technologist should be the ones in the room during the exam. They will position your breasts accordingly for the mammogram.
- Expect your breasts to be compressed between two plates, and the procedure should take about 10-20 minutes, while the breast compression will not be more than a few seconds.
- For a screening mammogram, two views of each breast are required. For women with larger breasts or breast implants, more photos may be necessary.
- There may be some discomfort or pain during the procedure, but you should alert the technologist so they can try and make it more comfortable for you.
Though getting a mammogram does not necessarily mean you have a malignant lump or cancer, you should check with the facility if you don’t hear back from them—until you are certain, you should not assume the mammogram is normal. The best quality of a mammogram is that it can detect breast cancer even if it is too small to be felt; this means that it is diagnosed at a very early stage giving it the best chances at a successful treatment.
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Whether your child is back at school in-person, hybrid or e-learning, getting your child to focus on distance learning can be challenging. Parents are expected to be more involved and support hybrid and distance learning. But, remember, it’s also challenging to children because they are being asked to participate and engage with new learning modalities. Without an effective plan, it can be easy for children to become disengaged, causing frustration for the entire family.
Here are some tips for helping your kids get and stay on track.
- Adjust your expectations—hybrid and distance learning are not going to be exactly like full-time, in-person classes. Being in front of a screen all day is both mentally and physically taxing. While high schoolers can do work for longer periods of time, younger children will need more breaks and time for play.
- Make a flexible schedule—synchronous sessions (real-time video sessions with their teachers) helps structure the day and keeps a schedule, but it also leads to screen burnout. The amount of synchronous learning varies by school district, but many children are doing some work asynchronously (on their own). Making a schedule and dedicating time for all classes will help with consistency, but being flexible is recommended. This means, allow children to power through a task if they are focused and engaged, however, be willing to give children breaks when they seem overwhelmed.
- Take physical exercise breaks—sitting in front of a screen all day is draining, so it may seem like the best break is sitting and not looking at a screen, but actually the best break is being active. While some research claims that it’s best to get 10 minutes of physical movement for every 50 minutes of being stationary, incorporating as few as two (15-20 minute) exercise breaks in the day will immensely help you and your kids focus. Exercise ideas include short walks, bike rides/stationary cycling, yoga/stretching videos, and free weights.
- Reduce distractions by cultivating an ideal setting—when designating workspace for your family, do your best to reduce noise or clutter. Consider playing instrumental music or nature sounds to drown out any distractions that could distract from learning. Designate each family member their own clean, hard surface workspace such as a desk, kitchen table, or even a folding table. The key is to spread out enough so everyone has their own space.
- Rely on a checklist—help your kids stay organized by using a check-list system. Consider doing it by hand rather than digitally. Whiteboards are a great idea. Get one per family member, so that everyone has to take some responsibility for their own work.
- Give positive feedback—children need reinforcement and they are likely getting less from their actual teachers in hybrid and distance learning situations. Be sure to give your kids positive reinforcement when they have done a good job.
Above all else, stay positive and keep moving forward. Change is inevitable. Do your best to be adaptable to better handle and adjust to changing learning situations.
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How to Enjoy the Holidays without Adding to Your Waistline
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and quality time spent together. They are also a time for mashed potatoes, stuffing, and hot apple pie. If you are one of the millions of Americans who finds themselves gaining even a few pounds during the holiday season, know that this year, you can maintain, and not gain weight by simply making small sacrifices, smart choices, and staying active. Before you pledge an oath to skip all of your favorite holiday fare, review the seven tips below. You can still enjoy all of your most-loved foods this holiday season, without compromising on your health.
- Don’t starve yourself before a holiday meal. While you may think that skipping lunch will help balance out an extra-large dinner, understand that arriving to a holiday meal hungry may encourage you to eat even more than you would have if you had eaten a sensible lunch. If you do arrive hungry to an event, drink a glass of water before you start to nosh on appetizers to try to curb your initial hunger pangs.
- Weigh yourself twice a week. Bi-weekly check-ins with the bathroom scale will help you make sure that you are maintaining, and not gaining during the holiday season. Be sure to weigh yourself at the same time of the day, preferably first thing in the morning before you eat anything, to make sure you get the most accurate readings.
- Pace yourself through happy hour. It may be tempting to overeat when you are surrounded by trays of delicious appetizers, but try to keep in mind that every holiday event is a marathon, not a sprint. Sample just a few of the appetizers that are most appealing to you, and then save the rest of your appetite for the main meal.
- Don’t give-up your exercise routine. The holidays are often packed with events, parties, shopping, and more social obligations than any other time of the year. Don’t skip your exercise routine during the holidays to accommodate your busy schedule. Make sure to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, three to five days a week.
- Plate your food responsibly. Whether you are at a buffet or eating family style, curb the temptation to pile your plate with teetering towers of food doused in a layer of gravy. Take the smallest plate available and select reasonable portion sizes of just those items you want the most.
- Don’t skip desserts – but limit your portion sizes. You don’t have to skip your Mom’s famous, once-a-year apple pie, but practice the three-bite rule. Savor the first taste, a second satisfying bite, and a lingering third forkful – that’s it.
- Chew slowly and savor the taste of your food. During this most decadent and activity-packed time of the year, make sure that you are enjoying every meal, and not simply rushing through them and over-eating in the process. Eating too fast can result in extra pounds.
This holiday season, don’t deny yourself your favorite annual indulgences, but do monitor your overall consumption and stay active. With proper awareness and attention paid to your meals this holiday season, you can slip into the New Year without having gained an ounce.
For more ideas on how to stay healthy this holiday season, you might find the following articles helpful:
How to Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season
Stay Trim with these Healthy Eating Tips
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Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong? Your car won’t start, it starts to rain and you don’t have an umbrella, you forget your coffee or your lunch or you can’t find your keys… of course you have. We all do! But next time your day starts to go wrong, try one or more of these proven ways to boost your mood and make you feel better instantly.
- Turn on Some Tunes. Whether on your car radio or your iPod, put on some music and dance or sing along! (yes, you can dance in the car. Carefully.) A 2003 study in the journal Psychology and Education found that people who listened to music of any kind were instantly happier, calmer and more relaxed. If you’re stressed, music can calm your nerves—literally! It’s the music itself—not the lyrics—that affects mood. So listen to something with an upbeat rhythm and melody.
- Do Unto Others. Try doing something nice for others. Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line at the drive-through, donate to a cause or volunteer your time. Spending as little as $5 on someone else can help you experience increased feelings of satisfaction, according to a 2008 study in the journal Science. And when researchers analyzed 37 studies on volunteering, they found that people who offered their time had a better sense of well-being, were happier with their lives and were less likely to feel sad and anxious.
- Get Outside. Even when the weather is lousy, spend at least five minutes outdoors to help chase your blues away. Appreciate the sun, the snow, the rain or wind, whichever you’re experiencing. And if at all possible, take a quick walk. Research has proved that performing a low-intensity workout outside for even just five minutes can raise your self-esteem and mood levels. Take a walk around the block to calm down and get a positive outlook on life.
- Look Through Pictures That Will Make You Smile. Believe it or not, researchers from the United Kingdom found that looking at happy photos beat out chocolate, wine and watching TV when it comes to lifting your mood. Go through your Facebook feed or go through old photo albums to reminisce over happy times in your life.
- Take a Break From the World. Have you ever meditated or done yoga? If not, try! Sometimes, to boost your mood, you just need a quiet place to breathe. And study after study has shown that meditation can ease anxiety and increase positivity in your mood. Regular yoga practitioners have been found to have higher levels of depression-fighting neurotransmitters. Both practices require you to turn off the outside world to focus on your breaths and your thoughts, which may help you rationalize and rebalance after something has thrown you for a loop.
Chouchani, Sayega and Bagnarello MD cares about your overall health including your mental health. If something feels off or not right, please discuss it with us at your next appointment or make an appointment today.
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As we discussed last week, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in this country. It causes 1/3 of women’s deaths each year approximately one woman every minute dies of heart disease. So what can you do to protect yourself from heart disease?
Know Your Risk Factors
Eighty percent of women from the ages of 40 to 60 have one or more risk factors for heart disease—which dramatically increases your chance of developing a problem.
And it’s not just women over forty. Heart disease can begin as early as the teen years, and women in their 20s and 30s need to take action sooner rather than later to avoid worse complications later on.
Also, among U.S. women ages 18 and older, 17 percent are smokers. Sixty-four percent of women ages 20 and older are overweight, 27 percent have high blood pressure, and 45 percent have high cholesterol. These are all major risk factors for developing heart disease
Lower Your Risk
In addition to the risk factors above, you may have a genetic tendency toward heart disease, which is something you can’t control. But there are several lifestyle changes any woman can make to reduce the risk of heart disease:
- Quit smoking—or don’t start!
- Exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day most days; exercise for 60 to 90 minutes at a time if you need to lose weight.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Eat a diet that’s low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt.
- Take prescribed medications appropriately, including blood pressure medications, blood thinners and aspirin.
- Manage other conditions that can contribute to heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
And remember, even if you exercise regularly and eat right, you may still have heart disease or a contributing factor. Maintain a good relationship with your doctor and make sure you visit regularly and discuss your family history and your current state of health honestly.
If necessary, work with your doctor to help yourself quit smoking, lose weight or eat better. It’s never too late to work toward a healthier life for yourself!
When you are a patient at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, we care about your overall health and would be glad to help you find the solutions you need to lower your risk of heart disease.
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Being a new parent not only means experiencing new joys in your life, but it also adds a heaping pile of new responsibilities. While attempting to schedule appointments and playdates, maintaining responsibilities at work and keeping house and home in order, it can be extremely difficult to fit any time for yourself into an already-packed schedule. However, there are some simple ways to scoop up a few seconds for yourself and restore some serenity to your routine.
Seek out “child-friendly” facilities:
Some stores, gyms and other commercial enterprises offer kid-friendly rooms or babysitting services while their parents shop, workout or accomplish other necessities in a timely and efficient manner. Those few extra minutes of silence and privacy could really help you accomplish all you’re trying to do while still soaking up some personal time.
Most childcare places have a time limit, but just having the chance to absorb the additional ten to 30 minutes of peace can truly restart and refresh your day. Not to mention give you the chance to remember everything you had on your shopping list.
Treat yourself as well as you would treat others
Make sure to treat time you’ve blocked out for yourself like you would treat any other important commitment. Even if you’ve only allocated yourself ten minutes from your busy day, consider those minutes just as precious as if they’re the ten minutes you’ve scheduled for your baby’s doctor appointment, or the five minutes you’re taking to fill up your gas tank.
Just like others are deserving of your time and attention, you’re just as deserving of some valued alone time where you can choose to do whatever you wish and take pride in that decision without feeling guilty.
Read, Write and Listen
After hours of kid’s television, baby talk and nursery rhymes, keeping your brain from feeling like mush might feel like an impossible task. However, keeping a book on hand or an audiobook uploaded to your music player or burned to CDs keeps your mommy mind engaged and on edge while wandering through a stimulating crime fiction novel or best-selling biography.
Keeping a journal, blogging, tweeting or utilizing Pinterest boards and Facebook pages can be a creative and fulfilling way to chronicle your parenting experience while also interacting with other parents and sharing ideas and advice. Some parents also use social media as a way to chronicle their children’s lives, adventures and daily quirks and silliness in hopes that they’ll have a chance to share it with them later.
While posting information about your child on social media can be a difficult judgment call to make, there are ways to protect your online privacy and keep your memories within the family and safe from online strangers, usually made available under the website’s privacy settings.
Stick together
You’re not the first parent to struggle, and you certainly won’t be the last. Find another parent and work out a babysitting schedule so that you’re trading shifts throughout the month. Make a plan so that some nights you have time solely to yourself while your friend watches both children, and other nights you take them both while your friend has time alone to themselves.
Having another parent to talk with and rely on for help and advice can really make the whole parenting adventure less intimidating and, at points, more fun for both of you.
Though being a new parent can be incredibly stressful, there are simple ways to find small moments during the day for relaxation. Taking the time to take care of yourself is not only better for you, but it’s better for your relationship with your child as well. Your baby deserves a happy, healthy mom as much as you deserve time that’s all your own.
Our team of physicians at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello MD are here to help you stay healthy before, during and after your pregnancy. Check back often for more parenting tips and women’s health tips in the patient education section of the WNY-OBGYN website.
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Lumps in the breast or armpit area should always be treated as serious matters. Performing self-exams or having a clinical exam or mammogram performed in a timely manner can lead to early detection and treatment, which can greatly increase chances of survival.
However, lumps in the breast or armpit aren’t always dangerous. Some lumps can be cysts, which may feel like a lump but is actually a small sac filled with fluid. Cysts may appear singularly or in a cluster.
Is it a cyst or tumor?
To determine if a lump is a cyst or a tumor, a healthcare professional will perform an ultrasound. This scan will allow the professional to see if the sac is hollow or filled with fluid, determining if the patient needs any sort of treatment or if the issue will resolve itself on its own.
If the lump is fluid filled, it may not require any treatment, and may also swell and retract based on the hormone cycle of the patient and the patient’s menstrual cycle. If the cyst becomes bothersome, it can be drained by a professional by first applying local anesthetic and then removing the fluid with a needle and syringe. Some cysts will re-fill, requiring them to be removed surgically or simply left alone to recede on their own.
If there is a history of cancer within the family, cysts can act as a risk factor, indicating the possibility of cancer starting in the patient’s body. However, most cysts do not indicate cancer and are almost never associated with a high risk of cancer.
Types of tumors
Breast tumors can be identified as malignant, a mass of cancerous cells that can invade and damage surrounding tissue, or benign, a mass of cells usually unaggressive towards surrounding tissue that will not continue to grow.
A tumor is often biopsied to discover whether it is malignant or benign, or if it needs to be removed from the body before it affects any other areas. Metastatic cancer is when malignant tumors spread to other parts of the body through the lymph nodes, or lymphatic system, and form secondary tumors.
Tumors are classified by grade based on the severity of the cell mutation and the likelihood that it will spread throughout the body. Breast cancer is graded on a scale of one to three with one being the lowest stage of aggression and three being the highest.
Low-grade tumors, ranked at a one, most closely resemble normal tissue, whole high-grade tumors ranked at a three look the least like normal tissue and can be extremely aggressive.
Tumor grading can help best determine a treatment plan, however tumor grades should NOT be confused with stages of cancer.
For more information on stages of breast cancer, search our patient education section of our website or visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s page.
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If you’re pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, the topic of breastfeeding has probably come up. Maybe you’re determined to do it, maybe the thought makes you nervous or uncomfortable. In honor of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we’d like to share the following information about what breast milk provides to help you make—or feel good about—your decision:
Better Nutrition: Science cannot replicate everything that makes breast milk the ideal food for infants. The vitamins and nutrients in a mother’s breast milk are easier for babies to digest, and it has the perfect amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates required by your baby. Best of all, the composition of your breast milk changes as your baby grows, providing him or her with specific developmental and nutritional needs.
Better Health: Colostrum, the first milk, has high concentrations of antibodies that help protect the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines of your newborn. And breastfed kids are less likely to contract childhood diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer before the age of 15. Breastfeeding can protect your child from asthma, bronchitis, ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea and urinary tract infections, and breast-fed children have a decreased risk of tooth decay.
Boosted Brain Function: According to recent research, young children who were breastfed as infants scored higher on intelligence tests. Breastfeeding can increase a baby’s brain growth by 20 to 30 percent. The longer and more exclusively children are breastfed, the more intelligent they will become later in life.
Bonding: Breastfeeding and the closeness and comfort that come along with it can strengthen the bond between a mother and her baby. Physical contact is important to babies, as it helps them feel warm and safe. And the skin-to-skin contact boosts the mother’s oxytocin levels—oxytocin is a hormone that helps breast milk flow and can calm the mother.
Better Health for Mom, Too: It’s been proven that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and anemia in mother, and it helps you lose your pregnancy weight.
Still not convinced? You can at least think about giving breastfeeding a try—that colostrum you produce in the first couple of days is called “liquid gold” for a reason.
Need support? There are many breast feeding resources available in Western New York. or you can call us here at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello. Our goal is to help you and your baby get the best possible start in life.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net.
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You may already know how hard it is to try to quit smoking. You get cravings, you get irritable, and you find yourself fighting the urge to have “just one” cigarette. But now that you’re pregnant, you know it’s never been more important to quit. Here are some tips to help you be successful and have a healthier pregnancy:
1. Have a plan
The first step toward setting yourself up for success? Setting up a plan. Quitting smoking isn’t as easy as just throwing your last pack away. You need to know what you’re going to do when those cravings hit.
- Set a quit date. Make it public, and make yourself accountable, by telling your friends, family and co-workers. And make it as soon as possible!
- Figure out which way will work best for you—going cold turkey or cutting back gradually.
- Have a strategy for handling cravings. They can be difficult, so remind yourself that they only last a few minutes. Chew a piece of gum, have a piece of candy, go for a quick walk or make a phone call. Do something that distracts your mind for a few minutes until the craving passes.
2. Ask for support from people around you
Support from your friends, family and co-workers can double your chances of success. For example, if any of them are ex-smokers, ask if you can give them a quick call when a strong craving hits. If any of them still smoke, ask them not to smoke in front of you.
3. Talk to your doctor or other healthcare practitioner
However you decide to quit smoking, your doctor can help you. He or she can give you information about local support programs, talk to you about nicotine replacement therapy and encourage you through a difficult time. Continue to be honest with your practitioner over the course of the pregnancy about your successes and setbacks, so they can pay extra attention to the growth and development of your fetus if necessary.
4. Learn to motivate yourself
Giving up cigarettes is hard work. But as a pregnant woman, you have one of the best incentives to give up! Keep reminding yourself of the benefits of quitting, both for your unborn baby and your own health.
5. Don’t give up if you have a relapse
If you do start smoking again while trying to quit, don’t punish yourself, and don’t give up. Your ultimate goal is to kick the habit for good, so just go back to your plan. Don’t think of yourself as a failure, and be assured that your cravings and withdrawal symptoms will fade within weeks.
At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, our goal is to help you have a safe and healthy pregnancy. Please contact us if you’re looking for support to quit smoking, we can provide resources and tools to help you kick the smoking habit for good!
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There’s a lot to think about and learn when you’re expecting a baby, especially your first! And how you’re going to drive your baby around may be low down on your list of priorities.
But choosing and installing the right car seat is one of the most important things you’ll do as a new parent. In order to keep your baby as safe as possible, keep these tips in mind when purchasing:
- Infants should always be placed in a rear-facing car seat until they are 20 pounds and 1 year of age.
- Make sure that the car seat you want to buy fits properly in your vehicle. Not all car seats fit in all vehicles. Test the car seat you plan to buy ahead of time to make sure you can install it securely.
- The belt on the car seat should be fastened at chest level and tight enough so that you cannot place more than one finger between the strap and the baby’s shoulder.
- Never put an infant in the front seat of a car that has a passenger side air bag.
- If using a carrier-style car seat, check the weight restrictions. Some have a maximum weight limit of 15 pounds, which many infants will outgrow prior to turning 1 year.
- A car seat should be thrown out when it is older than five years. At this point, the materials have begun wearing down, compromising the integrity of the car seat.
- Never purchase a car seat from a yard sale or use one that comes from someone you don’t know. Even a minor fender-bender can damage a car seat’s integrity.
When you’ve purchased the car seat, you’ll want to make sure it’s installed correctly. Unfortunately, even with the LATCH system, sometimes installation can be frustrating and confusing. Luckily, most towns have police officers on staff who have been thoroughly trained in the installation of car seats and can check to make sure yours is safely in place. Ask your doctor, your hospital of choice or your pediatrician how and where to find this information.
At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, we help our mothers-to-be keep their little ones safe and healthy, even before they’re born! If you’re looking for personal, complete prenatal care in Western New York, call our offices today to set up an appointment.
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