In October we go pink.

You might have seen more of the color pink around this month, and it is to remind us all to take care of our health, more specifically our breasts. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and all though we cover everything in pink, it doesn’t mean only women should pay attention to our breasts, but also men.

It’s a campaign that takes place all over the world in the month of October, by many organizations, all of them trying to achieve the same purpose: to highlight the importance of breast cancer awareness, to educate us all and to have more research which at the end helps to save more lives.

At My Doctor Medical Group, we believe that when it comes to breast cancer, early detection is key. We can achieve that by doing breast self-exams at least once a month, scheduling regular doctor visits and having an annual mammogram. The death rates for breast cancer has declined 40% from 1989 to 2016 among women, and early detection has a lot to do with it.

Always look for any change of shape on your breast, any difference on how your nipples look, any unusual discharge and of course any lump you might feel on your breast, around your breast and under your arms. Signs and symptoms are different for everyone, that’s why is so important to pay attention to your body and also to have regular doctor visits as some symptoms might be invisible to you.

One more important thing about this special pink month is being supportive for others; no one will ever know how hard or scary it is to go through this kind of diagnosis as the person being diagnosed. And this is when we come in, being there for that person, helping her or him, having words of support or by just being there quiet if that’s what they prefer…and even wearing pink.