Germany’s professional association for gynaecologists has recommended that women should avoid coffee and other caffeinated drinks for a full week prior to a mammogram examination to avoid pain during a mammogram.
Caffeine has the capacity to make a woman’s breast more sensitive and knottier and this can make the X-ray more painful, the Munich- based association said.
Apart from coffee, drinks containing such as colas, tea and energy drinks should be avoided in the week prior to the examination.
The association recommends that women who are still menstruating schedule their mammogram during the first half of their cycle. During this part of the cycle, the breasts are softer and relatively free of thickenings cause by elevated hormone levels and are thus not as sensitive.
To achieve better X-rays and avoid having to repeat the mammogram, women also are advised not to put on deodorant, perfume, body oil or powder. Cosmetics such as these can leave residue on the skin that can cause shadows on the X-rays.