Preparing for Your Mammogram

(HealthDay News) -- Mammograms are recommended every one to two years for women aged 40 and older to screen for breast cancer.

If it''s time to schedule your first mammogram, here are suggestions on how to prepare, courtesy of the National Women''s Health Information Center:

• When scheduling your appointment, make it for the week after your period so your breasts will be less sore.
• Notify the staff when you schedule your appointment if you have breast implants.
• The day of the appointment, wear a skirt, shorts, or pants instead of a dress so you only have to be undressed on top.
• Avoid using perfume, deodorant, lotion, or powder on the day of the appointment, as these products can show up on a mammogram.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: Jan. 22, 2007

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