Numbing gel eases pain from mammograms
I guess I’m lucky because, although having a mammogram isn’t the most comfortable procedure in the world, I can’t say they really hurt for me. But I know some women do have pain and some are afraid to go because they may have pain.
For those women, a new study found that using lidocaine gel, a numbing ointment had less pain or discomfort than did women who took over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol or ibuprofen and women who didn’t take anything. The study, which was published in the online edition of the journal Radiology, is an important one because if the fear of pain is keeping women from having mammograms, something needs to be done to counter the fear, especially as women get older.
Women can and should have mammograms at any age if their doctor feels it’s warranted, but regular, screening mammograms should being around age 40 and be done every year or two thereafter, according to National Cancer Institute guidelines.
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