Breast pain, scientifically known as mastalgia, is a relatively common symptom that affects about 70% of women and is most often caused by strong hormonal changes, such as during menstruation or menopause.
However, the pain can also be linked to other more serious situations such as lactational mastitis, the presence of cysts in the breast or even breast cancer. Therefore, if the pain or discomfort in the breasts persists for more than 15 days or if it seems not to be related to menstruation or menopause, you should go to the gynecologist for evaluation and, if necessary, perform tests.
- Breast pain can always occur in one or both breasts at the same time.
- And it can even radiate to the arm.
- This breast pain can be mild.
- Considered normal.
- But it can also be severe.
- Making it difficult to perform daily tasks.
- These are the most common causes of breast pain:.
Girls between the ages of 10 and 14, who are entering puberty, may have some soreness or discomfort in their breasts, which begin to grow and become more painful.
What to do: No specific treatment is necessary, but bathing in hot water can alleviate discomfort, at this point it is also important to wear a bra that offers good support for your breast size.
Before and during menstruation, hormonal changes can cause breast pain in some women, without being serious, although they are uncomfortable every month. In these cases, the woman may experience small stitches in the chest or increased sensitivity, even in the nipple. When the pain is mild or moderate and lasts 1 to 4 days, it is considered normal, but when it lasts more than 10 days and radiates to the arm or armpit, it should be evaluated by a gynecologist or mastologist. .
What to do: Medication is rarely necessary, but continued use of the contraceptive pill can help relieve symptoms with each menstrual period. When the pain is very uncomfortable, the gynecologist may recommend taking bromocriptine, danazol, and tamoxifen, or as natural options. , Agnus Castus, primrose oil or vitamin E, which must be taken for 3 months to evaluate the results.
Some women during menopause may experience pain or burning in the breasts, in addition to other typical menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, for example.
Breast pain is due to changes in levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which tend to vary widely during the first phase of menopause, affecting breast tissue and causing discomfort.
What to do: No specific treatment is needed, but wearing a well-supported bra, reducing the amount of caffeine, and applying warm compresses to your breasts are simple strategies that can reduce pain.
The breasts can be particularly sensitive in early and late pregnancy, due to the growth of the mammary glands and the production of breast milk, for example. If you think you may be pregnant, check out the first 10 pregnancy symptoms.
What to do: Putting on warm compresses can help relieve discomfort, take a warm bath, and lightly massage the area. During pregnancy, it is also recommended to wear a nursing bra for better breast support.
During breast feeding, when the breasts are full of milk, the breasts can become stiff and very painful, but if the pain is acute and located in the nipple, this can indicate a fissure, causing severe pain and even bleeding.
What to do: If your chest is full of milk, the best strategy is to breastfeed or remove milk with a milk extractor. If the nipples are sore, the area should be carefully observed to see if there is a clogged duct or crack at the site of pain, which prevents the passage of milk, which can cause mastitis, which is a more serious situation. For example, if you have breastfeeding problems, your obstetric nurse may personally tell you what to do to solve this problem. solve this and other common breastfeeding problems.
Taking certain medications, such as Aldomet, Aldactone, Digoxin, Anadrol, and Chlorpromazine, have side effects on breast pain.
What to do: Your doctor should be informed of the onset of this symptom as well as its intensity, your doctor may check for another medicine that does not cause mastalgia.
Some women have irregular breast tissue called fibrocystic breasts, which can cause pain, especially before menstruation. This type of problem is not related to cancer, but it also causes lumps to form in the breasts that can grow or disappear on their own.
What to do: In cases where the pain is not related to menstruation, medications such as Tylenol, Aspirin, or Ibuprofen may be used under medical advice. Find out how breast cysts are treated.
When starting to take or change the contraceptive, breast pain may appear, which can be mild or moderate and usually affects both breasts at the same time, and there may also be a burning sensation.
What to do: Massaging while bathing and wearing a comfortable bra can be a good solution as long as the body does not adjust to the contraceptive pill, which can take 2-3 months.
In addition to these causes, there are many other situations, such as trauma, physical exercise, thrombophlebitis, sclerosing adenosis, benign tumors or macrocysts, which can be clarified by the gynecologist or mastologist.
Thus, if breast pain remains present even with the home solutions that we indicate here, a consultation is recommended so that the doctor can make the diagnosis and indicate the most appropriate treatment for each situation.
Breast pain is rarely a sign of cancer, as malignant tumors are usually painless. In the case of breast cancer, other symptoms such as discharge from the nipple, depression in a part of the breast, should be present. Discover the 12 symptoms of breast cancer.
Women who are most at risk for breast cancer are those who have a mother or grandparent with breast cancer, over the age of 45 and those who have had some form of cancer. Young women who have breastfed and only had mild injuries or even a benign breast cyst no longer have a risk of breast cancer.
In any case, if you suspect, you should go to the gynecologist to investigate and perform the mammogram at age 40.
You should consult your doctor when your chest pain is severe or lasts longer than 10 consecutive days, or if it appears with symptoms such as:
In addition, it is important to go to the gynecologist at least once a year for tests that evaluate the health of the breast and reproductive system, prevent problems and identify diseases at an early stage.
Your doctor usually evaluates your breasts by looking at the location of your pain, if there are changes such as asymmetry or breast retraction at any given time, and you’re also looking for swollen or painful areas in your armpits or collarbones to see if tests such as mammography, ultrasound, or breast ultrasound are needed, especially if there are cases of breast cancer in the family.