Some myths related to mammograms that should be busted
To stay healthy, it is always said prevention is better than cure. One such step for women over 40 years of age is to schedule a yearly mammogram. Many women associate various myths with this and thus avoid the process. This can only do more harm if undetected. Read on to find out.
- No family history:
Most women associate the ailment with their family history. They fail to give attention since they think they had no one in their family who suffered from breast cancer. This is a very wrong thought and doctors advise all women over 40 years to have them screened regularly. Always, identification of any disease at an earlier stage is very helpful. Some people miss out on the symptoms thinking that they will not be affected and thus lose the period during which they could have been cured.
- Fear of radiation exposure:
Many people fear that radiation exposure is harmful and thus avoid visiting the doctor for mammogram screening in Fair Lawn. Radiation is indeed used for screening but the usage is very minimal and one-time exposure does not cause any damage. Also, these are the tried and tested methods to find out if anything is wrong inside our body that cannot be done through other means. Try to visit a reputed center that has authentic equipment so that there is no issue.
- No symptoms:
This is yet another mistake that people make and land in great trouble later on. ‘Why should I be tested when I have no symptoms? , is what most people think. But regular check-up helps in the early detection and prevention of damage. Sometimes the onset of the disease is without any symptoms and by the time they occur, it may be too late for recovery. This is the reason doctors advise women to have the mammogram done after reaching 40 years of age, periodically.
- Testing done once:
Though not sweet to hear, you are not guaranteed that once the mammogram is taken, the result holds good for a lifetime. You have to take the test regularly so that early detection is possible.
