What Is Breast Implant Illness?
03 November 21
BII impacts each person differently. Breastcancer.org list the smptoms as:
- joint and muscle pain
- chronic fatigue
- memory and concentration problems
- breathing problems
- sleep disturbance
- rashes and skin problems
- dry mouth and dry eyes
- anxiety
- depression
- headaches
- hair loss
- gastrointestinal problems
However, in the UK, the Government has asked experts to review the evidence on this several times. Each of these reviews has found that there is no evidence of harm caused by silicone implants.
In many cases though, surgery to remove the breast implants improves or completely resolves the BII symptoms, so that is good to know. That said, it's poorly understood and hasn’t been studied much as a unique condition. It still isn't known what the actual cause is.
Thousands of women have joined online communities related to breast implant illness. For example, the Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole Facebook group currently has more than 100,000 members, that's a huge number of women.
Risk factors that are thought to be asscociated with BII point to the liklihood of increased occurance in people who have a personal or family history of autoimmune conditions, allergies, and conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, chronic fatigue, or fibromyalgia. But some women who develop BII don’t have any of these risk factors.
Thorough history taking needs to be completed by the surgeon and each individual needs to understand all the information and risks so they can make an informed decision. Breast cancer surgery conversations needs to include the flat closure option to reconstruct the breast after cancer surgery, alongside implants and flaps.
Many of Skarlette's customers are women who have gone through BII, and consequently, implant removal, ultimately making the decision to remain flat. We are so pleased to be providing our beautiful lingerie to them to help with their continued recovery.
Further information about this topic can be found at:
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