Breast is the front of the chest. The same term is used in the plural to describe the mammary glands in women. Breast development is one of the secondary sexual characteristics that distinguish women from men. The function of breasts is to produce milk after childbirth to feed the baby. Each breast is an adult female contains 15 to 20 milk glands or lobes, surrounded by fatty tissue, each of which contains a duct ending in a lactiferous sinus, that leads to the nipple. Breasts develop in girls at the onset of puberty in response to hormones produced by the ovaries and the pituitary gland.
Question: Is it normal for one breast to be slightly larger than the other?
Yes. The difference is partly caused by a variation in the size of the underlying muscles that supply the shoulder. The muscles tend to be larger on the dominant side (for example, the right side of a right-handed person).
Question: When do the breasts produce milk?
Milk production is a response to special hormones that are produced at the end of pregnancy. The start of milk production in the breasts coincides with the birth of the baby. Early milk is a thin white fluid (colostrums) that differs in composition from normal breast milk that is secreted later. Production of milk not during pregnancy (galactorrhea) is sometimes caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland. Treatment consists of surgical removal of the tumor.
Question: Do males ever grow female-type breasts?
Such a condition (gynecomastia) may occur in adolescent boys. A boy should be reassured that the condition will last only for 6 to 12 months. In an adult male, hormone imbalance or disease may cause female characteristics.
Question: Is it natural for the breasts at times to feel different and change in size?
Such changes accompany different stages of the menstrual cycle. Before menstruation, the breasts may feel "tight" and congested; some pain may be experienced, often accompanied by a tingling sensation in the nipples. These changes settle down as soon as the menstrual period begins. However, changes in the breasts, such as thickening and lumps, may mean breast cancer and need to be reported to a physician immediately. Regular, monthly self-examination of the breast can detect cancer early.
Question: Why do some women have bigger breasts than others?
Differences in breast size and shape are largely due to inherited factors. Being overweight increases the size of the breasts with extra fatty tissue.
Question: In addition to breast self-examination, what other procedures can be done to detect breast cancer?
Mammography of the breasts at age 35 and annually after age 40 is recommended by the American Cancer Society.
Hospitalization - Admission Procedures
The procedures you follow on admission to a hospital vary from one hospital to another, but basically the process is the same in most institutions in the United States.
Care of the Dying - Role of Friends
The friend can show appreciation of the work being done by the family and offer to stay with the patient if the family needs a little time away from home.
Care of the Dying - Death of an Older Child or an Adolescent
From the age of three years onward, a child begins to understand the concept of death and dying. The dying child feels protective toward his or her parents. Although the child desperately needs to talk about what is going to happen, he or she may never get close to the subject. The child may attach himself or herself to a nurse or physician while still relying on the parents. By doing this, the child is sharing the emotional responsibility. The parents may find this difficult to accept, but must realize that someone else can perhaps give more help by listening dispassionately to the child's fears and anxieties.
