I got new lab tests this week after I started using Plexus Slim about 6 weeks ago. You simply drink a powder,
similar to kool aid in a 16 oz bottle of water once a day. (It taste delicious, is sugar free and stimulant free, BERRY POMEGRANATE is the flavor) and its safe for anybody at any age. See TheBreastDiva.com click on products. This was originally made for diabetics, to lower their sugar & lipid levels, but a great side effect was weight loss, so it is great for everyone wanting to safely lose weight and stabilize their blood sugar and lipids.

My weight has had severe fluctuations because of cortisone shots I received for a bad rash I had on my face from an allergic reaction I had from neck spray at my chiropractors office. It had me totally with a dry scaly face, full of fluid and hungry as a football player! Off and on, I have lost about 5lbs from the Plexus Slim. I have a few friends who have lost 5 lbs just in the first week!

I am not a diabetic, so I do not regulary check my sugar, but I have had high cholesterol and triglycerides and my liver panel was scary.

Here are my lab results from April 2009 and then again this week and what is the normal range:

Glucose was 92, now 95, normal is 70-110
Total Cholesterol was 298, now 232, normal is 120-199, still high but much better!
Triglycerides were 171, now 80, normal is 50-150, I am thrilled!
HDL Cholesterol was 43, now 46, normal is 40-75
LDL Cholesterol was 221, now 170, normal is 63-129, still high, but much improved!

Liver Panel:
AST (SGOT) was 101, now 34, normal is 0-40, AWESOME!
ALT (SGPT) was 226, now 48, normal 0-40, getting really close to normal!

All in all, I feel there has been a huge improvement, and where my doctor thought I may have had fatty liver disease, now there is no evidence of it! I am well pleased and feel very confident in giving this testimony for PLEXUS SLIM!

Debbie Mormino
Mormino & Associates
Affordable Health Insurance & Benefits
http://DebbieMormino.com
985-892-5858 / 985-237-3360

You can prevent this precursor to type 2 diabetes from developing into full-blown disease.
By Madeline Vann, MPH
Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

By some estimates, one-third of adults in the United States have a condition called prediabetes; 13 percent have type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes may be more common in men (36 percent) than in women (23 percent).

Prediabetes means that while your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, that level isn’t high enough to warrant a diabetes diagnosis. However, a prediabetes diagnosis means it is time for action to prevent diabetes. “In simple terms, there is a gap between what we call diabetes, which is a fasting blood sugar of 126 and above, and normal, which is less than 100 fasting,” explains Vivian Fonseca, MD, a professor of medicine and pharmacology and chief of endocrinology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

“In between,” he continues, “you have impaired fasting glucose. If you do a glucose tolerance test, and you are in the gap, you have prediabetes. You are at risk for getting diabetes in the future and you are also at risk for heart disease.”

Type 2 Diabetes: Prevention

If are told your blood sugar is abnormally high, you’ve just had a red flag waved in front of you. You’re being warned that unless you make some changes in your life today, your future will probably include a diabetes diagnosis.

“Walking 30 minutes a day and reducing weight by 5 percent can decrease the risk [of getting type 2 diabetes] by 60 percent over three years,” says Dr. Fonseca. While there are medications that have the same effect, lifestyle change is less expensive and has fewer side effects, Fonseca says.

Cutting your weight is crucial. “One of the links with obesity is that fat induces a mild low-grade inflammation throughout the body that contributes to heart disease and diabetes,” Fonseca explains. Without making any changes, you could develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years of first developing prediabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes: Who Should be Tested?

Prediabetes is a “silent” condition, says Fonseca. While some people may experience symptoms of diabetes such as fatigue or increased urination, most people’s blood sugar rises without any outward signs at all. This means you might not know you need to be tested for prediabetes — and even if you are screened, your doctor might not give you all the information you need to prevent it.

For these reasons, diabetes experts developed criteria for those who should be tested. The American Diabetic Association recommends that any adult age 45 or older should be tested for diabetes and prediabetes.

The ADA also recommends that any adult under age 45 who is overweight and has at least one of the following risk factors should be tested:

* Family history (especially parent or sibling with diabetes)
* Physically inactive lifestyle
* Native American, African-American, or Hispanic heritage
* Prior gestational diabetes diagnosis
* Birth of a baby over nine pounds in weight
* High blood pressure or treatment for high blood pressure
* Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis
* Dark, velvety rash around the armpits or neck
* History of heart disease

If your test reveals that you have prediabetes, you should be tested again in one to two years, depending on your doctor’s recommendations.

Type 2 Diabetes: Types of Tests

There are two tests used to screen for diabetes and prediabetes:

* Fasting plasma glucose: a test of your blood after you haven’t eaten for eight hours (usually overnight)
* Oral glucose tolerance test: a comparison of your blood taken first after eight hours without food (fasting) and then two hours later after you have consumed a sugary drink given to you by the lab technician.

If you fit the screening criteria listed above, make an appointment to get tested as soon as possible. It could be the first step toward preventing the development of type 2 diabetes.
Everyday Health Network

1. 1 in 8 women in the USA get Breast Cancer; 1 in 6 if overweight, and 1 in 5 if obese! Obese is defined as a BMI of 30 and above. (BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight.)

2. Women who are obese when they are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer are at a greater risk of dying from the disease than women of normal weight.

3. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Sugar and refined carbs contribute to obesity and higher insulin levels and women with higher insulin levels have 283% higher incidence of breast cancer. (Check out PlexusSlim.com to help lower and regulate sugar and lipid levels while safely allowing you to lose pounds and inches)

5. Far too often, breast cancer is detected after it has spread and has affected other parts of the body. Regular breast self-examination is an important step to early detection, but most women really don’t know what they’re looking for! (The Breast Chek Kit, can make this much easier, see the breast self exam video at TheBreastDiva.com) Get familiar with “THE GIRLS” and don’t forget your annual Mammogram or Ultrasound, too!

6. Less than 10% of breast cancer cases are genetically inherited. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease, so why so many cases these days? It is believed that the breasts can store many chemicals within the fatty tissue and because the breasts are largely constrained within a bra for many hours a day, the body has no way of flushing out these toxins. It is known that the breasts can store quite high levels of chemicals from our environment. Studies of human breast milk have shown traces of household cleaning products present! It is believed that there could be a very real connection with the onset of breast disease from these toxins. The purpose of breast massage is to help flush out these toxins via the lymphatic system, and help bring nutrients to the tissues. (The Breast Cream was designed to help remove toxins from the breast tissue. Also,see the lymphatic drainage massage video at TheBreastDiva.com to help drain these toxins from breast tissue.)

7. In the Lancet Medical Journal, Nov 4, 1978, Dr John Douglas of California published an article linking bras with elevated breast temperature, and suggested that this might have a connection with breast cancer.  He studied several hundred women in a medical practice and also observed that the heavier the bra material, the hotter the breast, and that bra-free women of all sizes had cooler breasts. See more about Bras and Breast cancer at: http://www.all-natural.com/bras.html

9. Many women, who had concerns about breast cancer risk and/or breast pain, quit wearing bras and then found that their pain and cysts of fibrocystic breast disease was dramatically decreased or eliminated.  Several of these women wrote their own personal case histories, which appear on the web at: http://www.all-natural.com/fibrocys.html

10. Do you LOVE DARK CHOCOLATE? Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals might otherwise cause. Examples of antioxidants include dark chocolate, beta carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E and A and other substances. See my healthy, sugar free, antioxidant rich, dark chocolate at: http://ChocolateFromGod.com

Share this information with your friends, family and co-workers by having your own
Lunch ‘N Learn, Pink Party or Lets Lose Weight Together Party at your
home, office or organization/group meeting.

Debbie Mormino, The Breast Diva!
Phone: 985.892.5858 Cell: 985.237.3360
Email: TheBreastDiva@Gmail.com

Get your healthy chocolate at: ChocolateFromGod.com

Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times a week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared with those who never touch the stuff, a new study found.

Smaller quantities confer less protection but are better than none, according to the study, which appears in the September issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Earlier research had established a strong link between cocoa-based confections and lowered blood pressure or improvement in blood flow.

It also had shown that chocolate cuts the rate of heart-related mortality in healthy older men, along with post-menopausal women.

But the new study is the first to demonstrate that consuming chocolate can help ward off the grim reaper if one has suffered an acute myocardial infarction — otherwise known as a heart attack.

“It was specific to chocolate — we found no benefit to sweets in general,” said Kenneth Mukamal, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a co-author of the study, which Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm led.

“It seems that antioxidants in cocoa are a likely candidate” in explaining the life-saving properties, he told AFP in an exchange of e-mails.

Antioxidants are compounds that protect against so-called free radicals, molecules that accumulate in the body over time and can damage cells. The free radicals are thought to play a role in heart disease, cancer and the aging process.

In the study, Janszky and colleagues tracked 1,169 non-diabetic men and women, ages 45 to 70, in Stockholm County during the early 1990s from the time they were hospitalized with their first heart attack.

The participants were queried before leaving hospital on their food consumption habits during the previous year, including how much chocolate they ate on a regular basis.

They underwent a health examination three months after discharge and were monitored for eight years after that. The incidence of fatal heart attacks correlated inversely with the amount of chocolate consumed.

“Our findings support increasing evidence that chocolate is a rich source of beneficial bioactive compounds,” the researchers concluded.

The results held true for men and women across all the age groups in the study.

Copyright AFP

by Janie Emaus (Thu Aug 06, 2009)

It used to be that a hot guy could turn my body upside down, filling me with anxiety and making it hard to think straight. As the adrenaline rushed through my veins, my heart would pump loudly and I’d forget what I was trying to say, mumble something incoherent and hope that my smile was getting to him the same way he was getting to me.

Nowadays, I still have anxious moments where my adrenaline pumps quickly and my heart pounds loudly. I quite frequently lose my train of thought, not to mention a particular word. And I often mumble incoherently, causing those around me to think I’ve entered early Alzheimer’s. (OMG, they are talking about me! This STILL happens, unfortunately!)

Unfortunately, this time around, it’s not because of a hot guy, but the result of a hot flash – one of the symptoms of out-of-whack hormones. And I can no more control these raging hormones than I could tame the ones that raged when I was a teenager.

Back then I was taking my clothes off for something fun. Now I’m shedding layer by layer for survival.

For those of you who have not yet reached the hot flash zone, let me tell you how it is:

The heat starts from deep inside your body, and begins slowly to creep out of your pores, drenching your neck and forehead. It can be subtle at first. You might think it’s just an extremely warm day, although no one else seems to be experiencing this ‘summer effect.’ You may attribute it to having just eaten hot, spicy food or to walking too fast on the treadmill.

Once it passes, you’re left with a slight chill and several seconds of reorientation as your body returns to normal. And with the hope that it won’t happen again.

But there is no fooling yourself once they arrive. No turning back. You’re merging into a new lane on this highway of life and you’ve got to keep going forward.

There are a few remedies you can apply, but as of yet, I haven’t found any real cure, only temporary solutions.

First, and most important, always dress in layers. Whether you’re going walking along the beach, sitting in an air-conditioned restaurant or skiing down a black diamond mountain: think layers.

Second, there are pretty fans made from wood or plastic. You can purchase these to match your outfits or buy one for each day of the week, much like those little girl underpanties that we used to wear. Or if you’re so inclined, you can buy one of the electrical fans. But here’s a warning: the whirring noise will attract attention and it does often sound like a mini vibrator!

Third, you can take hormone pills of one variety or another. But the verdict still hasn’t come in on the benefits of these.

And lastly, you could give up those activies known to trigger hot flashes.

In my case this would be all of my favorite things: coffee, my work-out sessions, fine wine and those extra-dry, extra-cold martinis. But these are also the things I share with my best friends. Women who relate completely to what I’m going through. Things I do not want to give up.

So, pass the fan and that bottle of wine…oh, here it comes…off with my sweater…

Pt. 1: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

In 2002, the National Institute of Health was conducting a ten-year clinical trial, involving over 16,000 women, which studied Hormone Replacement Therapy, a program that Doctors had been widely prescribing to women since the 1960’s. The study was abruptly discontinued because the level of dangerous side effects and diseases was found to be so great. These diseases all increased:
Pulmonary Embolism risk (blood clots in lungs) increased by 114 per cent!
Strokes by 41 per cent!
Heart attacks and cardiac deaths by 29 per cent!
Breast Cancer by 26 per cent!
There were slight reductions in colon cancer and hip fracture but not significant enough to outweigh the dangers.

For thirty years, the safety of this process was debated in the alternative health world and it has now finally been scientifically proven that Premarin, the drug in the Pempro Estrogen therapy, can cause way more harm than good in the general female population. For forty years, drug companies promoted the myth that Estrogen deficiency was the major factor in menopausal symptoms. What has surprised me is that more women aren’t extremely angry that this went on for so long before something was done about it. Natural or Functional Medicine follows the view that these problems are a sign of overall hormone imbalance in both the ovarian hormones and the ones that generate stress response by the adrenal glands.

If anything, it has been shown more and more that women are more Estrogen dominant then deficient. It’s all relative. Even if a woman’s Estrogen drops, Progesterone, the other female hormone, drops much more dramatically near menopause. Plus, many other factors can increase Estrogen.

An inactive woman who consumes more calories than she uses, will have elevated Estrogen. Estrogen levels are also increased from Xenostrogens, chemical compounds found in our daily lives that are mostly byproducts of the petroleum industry. These are found in plastics, Styrofoam, many beauty and hair products, meat from any animals given growth hormones and pesticides used on non-organic fruits and vegetables. Birth Control pills have Estrogen also.

Progesterone needs to be in balance with Estrogen. Emotional and physical stress can significantly reduce Progesterone by affecting the levels and ratio of cortisol and DHEA produced by the Adrenal glands. The key to rebalancing the overall female hormone system is to balance the Adrenal system, establish an appropriate diet and specifically balance the Estrogen and Progesterone levels naturally till the Adrenal system takes back over.

The first step is to take a saliva test, which shows the specific levels of female hormones available for the body and the state of health or exhaustion of the Adrenal glands. The Adrenals are responsible for 33 per cent of the overall hormones in pre-menopausal women and half of them in menopausal women. This is why many female hormone treatment programs are often unsuccessful unless you include the Adrenal system as well.

Part 2: The part of your brain that regulates heat gets a trigger from somewhere, so your blood vessels dilate to release that heat. More blood rushes through the upper half of your body, which releases it and voila, you’ve just had a “hot flash”. Don’t be alarmed, 85 percent of women will experience them at some point. “Night Sweats” are just hot flashes when you’re sleeping. If you are too young for menopause and have them, see your physician. They can be caused by many ordinary things; alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, spicy foods, fat, chocolate, climate, medication etc. But fluctuations in hormones are usually the trigger if you‘re having them consistently and taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is a sometimes successful but more dangerous option. (see HRT dangers http://fabulously40.com/blog/id/female-hormones-for-women-over-40-11158 ) Other “traditional” medical options are antidepressants and epilepsy medication while a newer option being tried is an injection of a local anesthetic into your neck!

Many women take Black Cohosh to help with hot flashes and menopausal symptoms in general. Some succeed, others don’t. Like anything taken on your own, you need to be careful about possible side effects or interactions with medications. Incorrect amounts can cause anything from indigestion and headaches to seizures and liver damage. There’s bad with the good in natural or herbal remedies, just like pharmaceutical medications. The “bads” aren’t typically as bad or as dangerous as medications but they’re still there.

The Natural Medicine approach to hot flashes addresses the specific imbalances of female hormones found with diagnostic testing. The patient then gets specific amounts of natural, plant-based substances that turn into female hormones in the body. The Adrenal glands control up to 50 per cent of all hormones in menopausal women so that aspect of their health always needs to be checked to see how much that’s affecting the hormonal imbalance. A saliva test finds the Adrenal and hormone levels to give the Physician a place to start for the amounts of treatment supplements. When adrenals are stronger, many aspects of your life can stabilize also: fatigue, weight gain/metabolism, insomnia and immune system, to name a few.

These specific Bio-Identical hormones are much safer than HRT. If the amounts of these hormones can be determined with the help of a saliva test and you address the Adrenal issue also, you may be more successful in dealing with menopausal symptoms. The treatment goal is to balance the hormones so that menopausal symptoms stop and then strengthen your adrenals enough for your body to keep things that way.
Here is a link to my website for further information on female hormone symptoms.
Please contact me with any questions you may have.

http://www.drmichaelmadden.net/

Here is a link to Fab 40 member, Janie Emaus’s page about what practical, daily steps you can take to deal with the discomfort from hot flashes.

http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/feel-it/warning-hot-flashes-ahead.html

–

Debbie Mormino, in connection with Elaine Iagatta, Dr. Wallach, and Youngevity, are excited to announce the debut of Tru Chocolate™ (http://ChocolateFromGod.com) starting off in the US. This is the ALTERNATIVE SUPER SNACK, that will be an important addition to help people world wide with the increasing problem of WEIGHT ISSUES.
 
Chocolate lovers all over the world are asking, “What Is Tru Chocolate”?
 
Tru Chocolate™ is: 
*Good for you and good tasting!
*GUILT FREE, SUGAR FREE / HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS CHOCOLATE!
*100% Natural, but still tastes great; it has been formulated to be compliant with the health requirements of the vegan communities
*Gluten free and Kosher
*Diabetics, hypoglycemic, and lactose intolerant individuals can all eat this chocolate with no worries or ill side effects!
*Helps with weight management/loss while promoting healthy blood sugar levels and helping to satiate your appetite
*Sweetened with ALL NATURAL Xylitol and loved by dentists for it dental health benefits
*Tru Chocolate™ kills harmful bacteria in the mouth, improving the health of teeth and gums
*Overflowing with powerful antioxidants and all natural ingredients
*Ridiculously high ORAC value (3040 per piece!) compare it to Goji or Noni per serving
*Only 36 calories per serving

Chocolate is the universal language and Tru Chocolate™ is the latest in the ALL NATURAL weight management system and whole food. It is engineered with entirely natural ingredients. In addition, it has been formulated to be compliant with the health requirements of the Vegetarian communities. This new product is focused on the main objectives to lower and control blood sugar, to increase lean body mass, and to establish a solid platform for the restoration of health.
 

  TRU Chocolate™ “WOW”  – The Razzle Dazzle After-Taste

Most people feel an amazing after-taste when they eat Tru Chocolate™. After consuming the chocolate wafer, immediately drink cold water.  “Wow,” your water just became chocolate milk!  It is wild!   This is an experiential, “must-try-to-believe” product!
 
The amazing chocolate after experience is like a sweet taste with a bit of spice added to it that stays in your palate for about 15 – 30 minutes after consuming Tru Chocolate™. This is the result of several of the ingredients in Tru Chocolate™  —  and indeed, it is an indication that it is working!
 
Tru Chocolate™ is a “Functional Super Food,” i.e. it has a nutraceutical function in addition to its nourishment value. The razzle dazzle after-taste arises from three ingredients:
 Bio Flavenoids (from the citrus extract)- are 2000 times sweeter than sugar. It is strong enough for a few molecules to stay in the palate to create that sweet after-taste
Bioperin – is a black pepper derivative enhances the perception of taste. Anything you eat or drink after Tru Chocolate™ will taste stronger
Fabenol – is a lentil derivative blocks the absorption of sugar and, therefore, increases the sensation of sweetness.
The after-taste is an advantage. It induces an individual to drink water, which is very important for weight loss and the body.  Because it makes water taste sweet, one can drink simple water, hydrate the body, and be satiated, instead of filling-up on soda or juice (which are generally high in calories, carbs and sugar).

Known as the “Guilt-Free Chocolate,” Tru Chocolate was created as a healthy and tasty treat for calorie conscious people (who still have taste buds).  Today, it is a delicious treat everyone can enjoy.
All Natural, Toxin Free Ingredients: Organic Cocoa Liqueur, Organic Cocoa Butter, Xylitol, Proprietary Herbal Formula, Natural Vanilla Extract and Organic Lecitin. A proprietary blend containing Momordica Charantia, Dehydrated Noni Fruit, Bioflavonoids (Citrus Extract), Ellagic Acid (from pomegranate), Green Tea Extract, Fabanol®** and Bioperine®** (from black pepper).Note:  These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.

As a parent, you should know about the history, the present, and the future of childhood immunization.
By Marijke Vroomen-Durning, RN
Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

Immunizations and baby shots are often misunderstood. Some believe that their children can become ill from the immunizations, getting the very disease that the shots are meant to prevent. Some of the misunderstandings result in parents choosing not to vaccinate their children against childhood diseases.

The saying “knowledge is power,” has a place here. Elizabeth, a mother of four in Kansas City, Mo., says, “I’m not for or against vaccinations. I always did them at first because that’s what you’re taught. These days though, I tend to wonder and worry about what’s being put in them.”

Immunization: What Is a Vaccine?
“A vaccination is part of a bacteria or virus that can be safely given to a person either as a shot or a liquid,” explains Michele E. Estabrook, MD, a professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. “It doesn’t make the person sick, but does cause the immune system to make protective antibodies against the bacteria or virus.” In other words, the immunization primes the system to be ready in case it’s exposed to the infection so the immune system can fight it off.

Vaccinations and immunization go back for centuries, when it was first discovered that smallpox could be prevented through an inoculation, or injection, of cowpox. The use of vaccinations, especially baby shots, as a general program to prevent childhood illnesses goes back to the 1950s, when many children in the United States were contracting polio.

Immunization: Why Is It Important?
Vaccinations prevent serious illnesses from being contracted and spread. Doing so reduces the number of deaths and other complications.

“Vaccinations are probably the most cost-effective medical intervention ever developed,” says Dr. Estabrook. A child who is ill with a contagious disease can’t go to school or daycare, so parents must stay home to mind them or find other caregivers. Also, the cost of doctors’ visits, medical supplies, and possible hospitalization can’t be overlooked. The cost of baby shots is much less than the potential cost if the diseases are contracted.

If people keep their children from being vaccinated — reasoning that others have received these shots so their kids don’t have to — then this logic weakens as the number of vaccinated children drops. Right now, a vaccinated public helps protect those who can’t be vaccinated (for health reasons) and babies who are too young for their baby shots. This is called “herd immunity.” However, if more people choose not to vaccinate, the herd grows smaller and more people are put at risk.

Immunization: Why Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?
Childhood diseases can cause death and long-term effects for many of those who survive them. While there may be side effects from the vaccines — and there have been reports of rare, serious ones — the chances of developing complications from the diseases are much higher.

“Vaccines are very carefully studied before they are ever given to anyone. Then it must be proven that they work and are safe before they can be licensed,” explains Estabrook. “Universally, the infection that the vaccine prevents is far more dangerous than the rare side effects associated with the vaccines.”

A good example is measles, a very infectious disease. Because of travel and immigration, the disease is often brought back to the United States by people who haven’t been vaccinated, and they spread this disease to other unvaccinated people. According to statistics, in the United States, about three out of every 1,000 people who get measles will die. In the developing world, where vaccinations aren’t common, the death rate is 10 out of every 1,000.

Immunization: Vaccines on the Horizon
New vaccines continue to be developed. Not all parents know about a vaccine for rotavirus, a virus that causes severe gastrointestinal issues. This vaccine has been around since 2006, and another type was licensed in the United States last year.

A new meningitis vaccine is expected to be available later this year. It will protect against pneumococcus, a bacteria that causes pneumonia, and will add to the protection that has been provided by existing pneumococcal vaccines, explains Estabrook.

As a parent, it’s normal to be concerned about the medications and vaccines that your child will be getting. Understanding the history behind immunization and staying informed of future research will help ease your mind.
Last Updated: 03/27/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

Though ALL breast lumps need to be evaluated by a trained medical professional, most are benign, especially in younger women.
By Debra-Lynn B. Hook
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

You’re in the shower, conducting your monthly breast self-exam (or you’re using your Plexus Pink Breast Chek Kit). Suddenly your hand freezes. You’ve found a lump. Now what?

First, don’t panic — 80 to 85 percent of breast lumps are benign, meaning they are noncancerous, especially in women younger than age 40. Not only that, but if you’re at an age where you’ve been having regular mammograms, and if those mammograms have been negative, odds are even better that your palpable (capable of being felt) lump is not cancer.

“I tell women that years before they ever experience a palpable lump we will have seen something on their screening mammogram,” says Steven R. Goldstein, MD, who is an obstetrician-gynecologist and a professor of obstetrics-gynecology at New York University’s Langone Medical Center in New York City.

But how do you know? How do you differentiate between a lump that is breast cancer and one that is benign? What causes benign breast lumps? And do they go away on their own?

Breast Lumps: Tell-Tale Distinctions
Your breasts are made up of fat, nerves, blood vessels, fibrous connective tissue, and glandular tissue, as well as an intricate milk-producing system of lobules (where the milk is made) and ducts (the thin tubes that carry milk to the nipple). This anatomy in and of itself creates a lumpy, uneven terrain.

A breast lump, however, distinguishes itself from this background of “normal” irregularities: A breast lump can be solid and unmovable like a dried bean, or soft and fluid-filled, rolling between your fingers like a grape. It can be smaller than a pea or several inches across, although this larger size is rare.

Meanwhile, what typically differentiates a benign breast lump from a cancerous breast lump is movement. A fluid-filled lump that rolls between the fingers is less likely to be cancer than a lump that is hard and rooted to the breast.

This is not to say all benign lumps move and all cancerous lumps don’t. While this is a good rule of thumb, the only way to know for sure is through the wisdom of your doctor and specialized medical tests, such as an ultrasound, a mammogram, or a fine needle aspiration, in which your doctor uses a tiny needle to extract a bit of the lump for a biopsy, or laboratory examination. Another rule of thumb has to do with pain. Breast cancer does not usually present pain, but benign conditions often do, although there are exceptions to this as well.

Not all benign breast lumps will require additional testing, by the way. If you find what appears to be a fluid-filled cyst during your menstrual period, your doctor may want to check your breast again at the end of your period to see if the cyst has disappeared. If the cyst goes away, you and your doctor will know your lump was indeed benign and related to the hormonal fluctuations associated with menstruation.

A Variety of Benign Breast Lumps and Conditions
Most benign breast lumps and conditions are directly related to your menstrual cycle — to fluctuations in your hormones and to the fluid buildup that comes with your monthly period. Other benign breast lumps and conditions may be related to plugged milk ducts, infections, and even breast injuries. Here are some of the most common benign breast conditions:

* Fibrocystic changes. A general lumpiness that can be described as “ropy” or “granular,” these lumps are the most commonly seen benign breast condition, affecting at least half of all women. Symptoms of fibrocystic change include tender, fibrous, rubbery tissue; a thickening of tissue; or a round, fluid-filled cyst. These changes, related to hormone fluctuation, may increase as you approach middle age and then disappear with menopause. Sometimes, your doctor will recommend limiting salt and caffeine in your diet to ease fluid buildup. You may also be prescribed hormones, in the form of birth control pills, to help ease particularly troublesome symptoms. Your doctor may also recommend a needle or surgical biopsy to make sure your breast condition is related to fibrocystic change and not cancer.
* Cysts. Related to fibrocsystic changes, these are round or oval sacs, measuring one inch to two inches across. They are tender to the touch and filled with fluid. They may come and go with your menstrual period, becoming larger and more tender at the beginning of your period and disappearing at the end. Your doctor may order an ultrasound or a fine needle aspiration to make sure it’s a cyst and not something else. In very rare cases, when a cyst is particularly large or painful, your doctor may use a needle to withdraw and reduce the fluid inside it. Cysts generally affect women between the ages of 35 and 50.
* Fibroadenoma. Occurring in young girls and women in their teens and 20s, fibroadenomas are more common in those who use use birth control pills before age 20. This benign tumor ranges in size from microscopic to several inches across. It is movable under the skin, round and hard like a marble, and may be diagnosed by aspiration or removal of the lump. If the fibroadenoma shrinks or doesn’t grow over time, and your doctor is sure of the diagnosis, he or she may decide to simply leave it alone.
* Fat necrosis. This occurs when fatty breast tissue is damaged by injury to the breast, resulting in the formation of round, firm lumps. It is more common in women with large breasts, particularly in women who are obese. Your doctor will most likely watch the lump through several menstrual cycles and may decide to remove it surgically. Sometimes the necrosis will produce what is called an oily cyst, which your doctor will drain with a needle.
* Nipple discharge. Sometimes women experience nipple discharge with or without a breast lump. The color of nipple discharge related to benign fibrocystic changes can vary from yellow to green. A clear to milky discharge may mean a hormonal malfunction. Green-black discharge could be related to duct ectasia, a narrowing or blockage of the duct. It can even be bloody in appearance, which can, in fact, mean cancer. More than likely though, a red discharge means injury, infection, or a benign tumor. Your doctor may study the fluid under a microscope to determine its origin, particularly if there is also a mass or lump in your breast.
* Mastitis. An infection of the milk duct, this can create a lumpy, red, and warm breast, accompanied by fever. It occurs most commonly in women who are breastfeeding, but can occur in non-breastfeeding women as well. Treatment involves warm compresses and antibiotics.
* Other less commonly known conditions. Some medical conditions can also cause breast lumps, including hyperplasia, an overgrowth of cells in the breast ducts or lobules; adenosis, which causes enlarged lobules; intraductal papilloma, a wart-like growth of gland tissue that grows in the duct; and lipoma, which is a benign fatty tumor.

The risk for benign breast conditions increases for women who have never had children and those who have a history of irregular menstrual cycles and/or a family history of breast cancer.

If You Find a Breast Lump
All breast lumps should be evaluated by a medical professional, who will help you decide how to proceed. Most benign breast conditions are treatable, and some will even go away on their own, but it’s best to let your doctor be the one to tell you that.

Last Updated: 04/30/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

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