If you have breast cancer, your doctor might have recommended that you have a breast biopsy. Even though you might want to do everything that you can to fight against breast cancer, you might also be nervous about the procedure. If you work with the right healthcare team and take care of yourself after the fact, however, you can help minimize the impact on your life. These are a few aftercare tips that can help you heal properly after your breast biopsy.

1. Keep it Clean

Keeping the site of your biopsy nice and clean is important if you want to promote healing. Using a little bit of soap and water to gently clean your biopsy site should help to keep it clean and help prevent an infection after your procedure.

2. Wear the Right Bra

Even though you might want to ditch your bra after your procedure for improved comfort, you're generally going to want to wear a tighter-fitting (although not too tight or uncomfortable) bra after a biopsy. This will help you ensure that your breasts and your biopsy site are both kept properly supported in the days and weeks after your procedure. In general, you should not have to buy a special bra just for aftercare from your biopsy, although your doctor might recommend otherwise, depending on your individual situation.

3. Use an Ice Pack

There is a good chance that you will suffer from a bit of bruising, swelling, and overall discomfort for a few days after your biopsy. One good way to make the swelling go down and to provide yourself with a little bit of relief is to use an ice pack for a few minutes at a time. If the ice pack does not seem to help with the swelling or if the swelling and bruising do not start going away on their own within a couple of days, you may want to consult your doctor to find out if you need to take any additional steps. You might also be able to take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory to help with swelling and discomfort, but make sure that you consult your doctor first.

Taking good care of yourself is very important after going through something like a breast biopsy. If you follow these tips and any other instructions that you might be given by your doctor, however, you should be able to reduce your discomfort and the chance of complications and recover as well as possible. For more information, contact a clinic like Hudson Valley Imaging.