Men Encouraged to Do Breast Examinations

Men are being encouraged to do breast examinations, as they, too, are at risk of getting breast cancer.

The plea was made by Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, during the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, which was held on October 10.

“Everybody has two breasts and whereas breast cancer affects women much more than men, there are recorded cases of men getting breast cancer, so it’s very important to pay attention to your breasts,” she said.

“We encourage the ladies to examine their breasts once every month and then at least once a year to have a medical professional do that examination for you,” Dr. Graham added.

She also implored women to do their mammograms, noting that for this October, which is being observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, local facilities that do mammograms tend to offer discounts.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is being observed under the theme ‘No one should face breast cancer alone’.

Meanwhile, Dr. Graham also highlighted that October is Oral Health Month, and it is being observed under the theme ‘A happy mouth is a happy body’.

She emphasised that the theme is significant, as poor oral health could lead to other health issues.

“Good oral health impacts your overall health, because in addition to tooth decay, what we call dental caries, tooth loss, poor oral health is linked to other diseases such as stroke, diabetes, heart disease, gum disease, oral cancer and even poor pregnancy outcome,” Dr. Graham said.

“So, it’s a good thing to have a healthy mouth. We encourage persons to take care of their teeth, do your brushing, do your flossing to get in-between the different teeth that you have in your mouth, because the toothbrush doesn’t get in-between and sometimes persons develop cavities between the teeth without being aware, until they have pain or swelling,” she outlined.

Dr. Graham also informed that the Great Shapes 1000 Smiles dental mission will be taking place in the last week of October into early November, at the Grange Hill Baptist Church in the parish.