Breasts are one of the most important components and decoration of a woman’s appearance, and her health is the first and main thing that should be taken care of. But, at the same time, chest pain is a feeling that every woman has experienced at least once. In some cases, you should not attach much importance to this, since various changes are constantly occurring in the breasts under the influence of female hormones; in some cases, you should immediately run to the doctor (???). How to find out what causes chest pain, when is it time to go to the doctor and how to correctly determine the cause? We will try to figure this out in today’s article.
The most common and common cause of chest pain is changes caused by hormones. During the cycle, the amount of hormones in a woman’s body constantly changes, stagnation occurs and the ducts become clogged, and before ovulation, the amount of epithelium in the breasts increases, as a result of which the breasts slightly increase in size, hurt, and the body temperature rises slightly. Approximately the same sensations occur before the start of the cycle, when glandular tissue grows in the chest. However, by the end of menstruation it atrophies, and the chest pain goes away. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that if the pain during this period is severe, then this may be a sign of the development of mastopathy, the distinctive features of which are the appearance of lumps in the breast. In this case, you should definitely consult a mammologist, because mastopathy in some cases can lead to the occurrence of low-quality tumors. If the pain is mild and occurs with the frequency mentioned above, this is not a deviation from the norm.
Another cause of chest pain may be hormonal imbalance. It, in turn, can be caused by taking inappropriate oral contraceptives, menopause, pregnancy, changes in the body during puberty, or even iodine deficiency. In some cases, hormonal imbalance can also be caused by excess weight, as male sex hormones can accumulate in fat tissue. Such pain cannot be ignored; it may be one of the causes of a tumor in the mammary gland. You should consult a gynecologist and endocrinologist, undergo the appropriate tests, after which the doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment.
Chest pain: even in the absence of discomfort in the mammary glands, it is important to conduct a home examination by palpationAn equally common cause of chest pain is pregnancy. Pregnancy, like lactation, also causes hormonal imbalance in the body, but this is a natural phenomenon. Moreover, during pregnancy and lactation, major changes occur in the breast. It is also worth remembering that pregnancy can be either normal or ectopic, so if your chest hurts severely, you should first check for pregnancy. In addition, it is advisable to plan your first pregnancy before the age of 30, since later breast cells are not always able to properly adapt to the hormonal storm caused by late pregnancy.
The breast is the most tender place for a woman, and any mechanical damage can cause the formation of a cyst. But not only impacts can cause mechanical damage - damage can be caused by excessive squeezing or compression. That is why it is worth paying special attention to choosing the right bra. A high-quality bra should not pinch the chest area (especially in the armpit area - there are lymphatic ducts, next to the axillary lymph nodes). In addition, please note that in the warm season, it is better to choose soft cups without foam rubber, so as not to create a greenhouse effect in a single bra cup, because large breasts are beautiful, but healthy ones are much better.
A special case of breast compression is increasing its size using silicone implants. The implants themselves often provoke mastopathy because they compress the glands. If there is a bad heredity in the family for breast diseases, then implants are strictly contraindicated. In addition, they feel very different from natural fabric - they are always colder. In any case, the intervention of a plastic surgeon is permissible only for healthy breasts, after the birth of the last child (during pregnancy and possible lactation, the implants will have to be removed, and this is another operation) and only by an experienced doctor in a good medical center.
Chest pain: stress that disrupts hormonal levels often causes discomfortAs a rule, women are more emotional than men. Constant stress affects the production of hormones, which affects the condition and health of the breast. Therefore, it is worth thinking about whether what is causing your chest pain is located directly around? Difficult work situations, family discord - and nerves are constantly on edge. Here proven soft sedatives based on motherwort, valerian, mint, as well as other relaxation methods will come to the rescue.
It is known that caffeine and caffeinated drinks, as well as salty and spicy foods, alcohol, etc., retain fluid in the body, which can cause swelling and pain in the chest, so you should not abuse these products. However, recommendations to limit these products are also justified for many other cases.
The most unpleasant cause of chest pain is breast cancer. It should be noted that this type of cancer is treated most effectively. In addition, recognizing it in the early stages allows you to achieve stable remission without relapses in the future.
Only a doctor can correctly determine what causes chest pain. But even if, at first glance, there is no pain or cause for concern, you should definitely be examined by a mammologist twice a year, and about once every three months you should conduct a breast self-examination to check for the appearance of possible tumors.
Breast pain is a common complaint among premenopausal women; pain in the mammary gland is much less common in older women. When your chest hurts, there can be many reasons, some of which are quite serious and pose a threat to life and health.
Find out why your chest hurts and aches on one side, what treatment is most appropriate in one case or another.
Basically, in medicine there are 2 types of chest pain:
Cyclical pain. When the mammary gland hurts cyclically, the causes of pain most likely lie in the body’s preparation for the next menstrual cycle. In such cases, a woman experiences pain in both mammary glands at once.
This kind of pain is not pathological and is observed in many women on the eve of menstruation. There is no point in worrying about them every month and there is no point in seeing a doctor.
Non-cyclical pain sensations. When the chest hurts without frequency, this indicates the presence of a non-cyclical nature of the pain. In this case, it often hurts not in both glands at once, but only on one side. What are the causes of this syndrome?
Non-cyclical pain, usually aching in nature, can intensify when moving the arm or touching the chest.
The reasons why one mammary gland hurts are varied:
Mastitis– the process of inflammation of breast tissue. When developing in the postpartum period, the first signs of mastitis can be noticed 3-4 days after birth. There is stagnation of milk in the breast, and this is the cause of mastitis in women in labor.
This pathology also occurs in healthy women, not only in those who have recently given birth and those who are breastfeeding. When the immune system is weakened and chronic disease processes begin in the body, for example, with sinusitis, bronchitis, and the like, pathogenic microorganisms can enter the mammary gland, causing inflammation in it.
Mastopathy- another reason why one breast may hurt. The disease is characterized by the formation of benign neoplasms, represented by the proliferation of ducts inside the lobules, gland vesicles and connective tissue.
Therefore, some of the structures in the chest shrink, others expand, and this leads to a feeling of pain, which can radiate to the armpit and even limit the movement of the arm.
This pathology is formed against the background of severe hormonal disorders; mastopathy is dangerous because benign neoplasms can degenerate into malignant ones.
Fibroadenoma– the cause of pain in the mammary gland on one side. Here, a small benign tumor is formed from connective and glandular tissue.
It is directly related to the work of the hormonal glands. If the examination is carried out the day before or during the menstrual cycle, the tumor noticeably decreases in size.
Cancer- an insidious disease. Moreover, in the mammary gland at an early stage it practically does not show itself as painful sensations.
As the tumor grows, it affects the nerve endings, and pain in the mammary gland begins. The nature of the pain is individual and largely depends on the location of the tumor.
Incompletely cured mastopathy and late childbirth contribute to the development of cancerous tumors in the mammary glands.
Fat necrosis. Frequent causes are injuries in the mammary glands. Pathology is often confused with cancer.
Cyst- a cavity of connective tissue filled with fluid. If there is pain in one breast, the development of a cyst is explained by several assumptions, although it is not completely known why it occurs. A cyst in the mammary gland is dangerous because with any injury there is a risk of damage to the walls and the contents of the cyst can spill into the surrounding tissue.
Pain with cysts is usually severe and cannot be ignored.
Tight clothes. A bra that is incorrectly sized or made of synthetics may be the reason why the mammary gland often hurts.
Due to too tight tissue in the gland, stagnation processes begin, blocking proper blood circulation. If the harmful effects are not stopped in time, the mammary gland can become the site of the formation of malignant neoplasms.
If you are concerned about non-cyclical pain in one gland, this is a definite reason to consult a surgeon or mammologist. Pay special attention to this:
It is necessary to carefully assess the condition of the bust and if suspicious symptoms appear, do not postpone a visit to a specialist so that the situation does not worsen.
Pain in one gland is not a symptom of any specific disease, which is why it is necessary to consult a specialist to understand the cause of the disease. The doctor, after listening to the complaints, evaluates:
After assessing the patient's general condition and examining the breasts, the doctor will have a rough idea of what tests and diagnostic methods are best prescribed to confirm the suspected diagnosis. Also, after receiving the examination results, it will be possible to choose treatment tactics.
Most often, women complaining of pain in one breast are prescribed:
In some cases, when diagnosis is difficult, they resort to repeating studies using contrast agents.
The choice of treatment method for pain that occurs in one breast depends on the specific disease that caused it.
Unsystematic treatment, based on a single symptom and not taking into account the diagnosis as a whole, may not only not relieve a woman of pain, but also aggravate the situation.
You can begin treatment only when an accurate diagnosis has been established and the doctor has chosen a treatment regimen. In some cases, therapy only involves taking medications to achieve a particular result, and sometimes it is necessary to resort to surgery to eliminate the pathology.
If a woman notices pain in her breasts or any changes in its shape and structure, then this is a reason to consult a mammologist rather than self-medicate at home. Examination and proper therapy will help you get rid of pain and avoid more serious consequences.
On the video channel of Karolina Streltsova. Mammologist-oncologist, doctor of the highest category Tatyana Chernova answers your questions.
On the video channel “Union of Pediatricians of Russia”. Mammologist M.L. Travina tells how to properly do self-examination of the mammary glands.
Although most women are used to having painful sensations in their mammary glands once a month, sometimes breast pain in women can cause concern: is it cancer? Such thoughts appear especially often among those over 40.
All female chest pain (mastalgia) can be divided into two types: cyclical and non-cyclical. Having figured out what type of problem your problem is, you can understand how terrible it is. This also determines what methods should be used to “treat” it.
Pain in the mammary glands often occurs during PMS
In most cases (two out of three), pain in the mammary glands is explained by hormonal reasons and is caused by changes in the body during menstruation. Non-cyclical pain is quite rare, but how dangerous they are - read on.
But first, let's dot the i's with menstrual pain. Here, the reasons are absolutely clear: hormones live by their own rules, and the fact that they cause inconvenience to us does not bother them. So if the unpleasant sensations intensify, there is no need to worry - this is not a disease, but you just need to deal with it somehow. Fight pain the usual way - with paracetamol or ibuprofen. You can also use an ointment for external use with an analgesic effect.
If these over-the-counter remedies do not help, you should consult a doctor. He will recommend special drugs that reduce the level of estrogen (female sex hormone) in the blood - tamoxifen, danazol, bromocreptine or others. They need to be taken on an ongoing basis, and not just when pain occurs.
Taking oral contraceptives, antidepressants, or blood pressure-lowering medications may worsen breast pain before your period. A gynecologist will help regulate their effect on the body.
Pregnancy, according to doctors, is the most common cause of discomfort. Take the test before visiting the doctor!
But the causes of non-cyclical pain are more varied, and are in no way connected with hormonal phenomena on the eve of menstruation. Most often women over 40 years old complain about them. They can be called:
Please note: the worst thing - breast cancer - is in last place on this list. Cases where it is accompanied by pain are very, very rare. It can appear in its later stages, but it begins generally painlessly.
As for mastopathy, its main symptom is lumps in the breast, not pain. Sometimes overgrown tissue blocks the ducts in the mammary glands and disrupts lymph flow, which also causes mastalgia.
In any case, if the slightest concern appears, it is better not to think and guess, but to visit a female doctor. After forty there are no options at all. The examination and examination will definitely show whether there is anything unnecessary in this part of the body.
When going to the doctor, be prepared for him to ask you the following questions:
After this, the gynecologist will conduct a manual examination of the mammary glands and lymph nodes in the armpits. If it finds nothing, its further actions depend on your age. He will send women over 40 years of age additionally for mammography. If it shows the presence of neoplasms, you will need to undergo a biopsy to determine the nature of the tumor - malignant or benign.
Manual inspection is the first and most important verification method
The most reliable diagnostic method that will give accurate advice is mammography.
Further treatment depends entirely on the cause of the pain. The doctor's prescription may only consist of a recommendation to wear a more comfortable bra, and not the one that caused your chest compression - and subsequent pain.
He will recommend eating less salt if excess fluid accumulates in your body. Taking vitamins E or B6 will help correct the neuro-emotional background - and thereby eliminate the consequences of the stress experienced when your chest took the blow.
It happens that pain appears only in the right or only in the left breast. This is not a symptom of some special, separate disease. For example, premenstrual mastalgia can manifest itself in this selective way - and this is normal. This may also be a consequence of compression of the pectoral muscle by a heavy bag that you always carry on your right (or left) shoulder.
Pain may occur only in a certain area of the mammary glands
Stop doing this and everything will return to normal. And one of the mammary glands (as well as both at once) can become ill during breastfeeding. Bacteria from the baby's mouth or the environment enter through the nipple and cause inflammation - mastitis. It is accompanied by fever and redness of the skin.
If your left and right breasts are different sizes, your mastalgia may be caused by the fact that one of them (the larger one) has started a protest against discrimination by bras. Her “partner” is in comfortable conditions, but he puts shameless pressure on her. Choose a bra that is a larger size or a different model (very good - with wide straps).
A visit to your doctor may also reveal (or confirm) that you are in an interesting situation. And chest pain often appears during pregnancy (also due to hormones).
Not only treatment, but also prevention will help you forget about chest pain: an active sex life, a normal work and rest schedule, wearing comfortable underwear, constant monitoring of the condition of your body and regular monitoring by a gynecologist.
There are many reasons why breasts hurt. It must be said that all women have to deal with pain in the mammary gland, more than once during their lives; moreover, this fate has not spared even men. This is due to the fact that the mammary gland is a hormone-dependent organ that reacts violently to any changes in hormonal regulation; moreover, it is also one of the most productive external secretion glands in humans; during lactation, the mammary glands are capable of secreting up to 300-400 liters of milk depending on the duration of the breastfeeding period.
In this article, we will look at the causes of pain in the mammary gland at different periods of life, and especially note the symptoms that should cause you concern and force you to see a doctor.
Your daughter, if you have a trusting relationship, may well come up to you with the question of why her breasts hurt when you touch her, and why they are swollen. The process is called thelarche, and may initially be one-sided, for example, only the right breast hurts.
Pain occurs due to stretching of the mammary gland capsule as it rapidly enlarges. Glandular tissue grows very quickly, but the connective tissue partitions between the lobules of the gland and the fascia of the mammary gland cannot stretch so quickly. Adult women experience approximately the same sensations; if they wear a bra that is too tight, the compressed mammary gland becomes painful, which is why teenage breasts hurt. Later everything returns to normal.
An interesting fact is that during puberty, boys also have a moment when a hormonal storm in the body is reflected in the glandular tissue of the mammary gland, the breasts temporarily enlarge and become painful, just like in girls. The reason is still the same, the glandular tissue reacts to hormones, which is why a teenager has chest pain, and there is no need to be afraid of this phenomenon. Usually this lasts from several months to a year and a half, and then goes away without consequences, only in rare cases the mammary glands remain enlarged in an adult man.
The reason why breasts hurt before menstruation is an increase in the level of progesterone in a woman’s blood. Progesterone is responsible not only for maintaining a possible pregnancy, but also for changes in a woman’s body that are necessary for bearing and feeding a child. Since the mammary glands are needed specifically for milk production, under the influence of progesterone produced after ovulation, the amount of glandular tissue in the breast increases, it becomes hard and painful. Not everyone has breast pain before menstruation; there are simply particularly sensitive women who suffer from the so-called premenstrual syndrome or have mastopathy. High levels of progesterone explain why breasts hurt during menstruation, but these pains, like pain after menstruation, are no longer the norm and require the attention of a doctor.
Sexual arousal and orgasm in a woman cause the release of hormones; some women experience a distinct erection of the nipples. This reaction, both reflexive and hormonal, during sexual intercourse is the reason why the breasts hurt after sex. This undesirable effect is enhanced by the partner’s excessive attention to this sensitive and tender part of the body; rough caresses of the breasts are dangerous.
During gestation, the mammary glands undergo enormous changes. Under the influence of pregnancy hormones, glandular tissue grows rapidly, the breasts increase in several sizes in a short time, such rapid growth is accompanied by stretching of the mammary gland capsule, which is why the breasts hurt during pregnancy, and of course, they become very dense and sensitive, and the skin often itches (risk ).
Changes also occur in the nipples. Rapid stretching of the breast skin leads to overstretching of the areolas, and the skin here is very sensitive. The milk ducts grow, the nipples themselves increase in size, and of course, the fact that the phenomenon is completely normal and common. It must be said that not all pregnant women have breast pain, and not necessarily in the first trimester. You may only experience pain in the last few weeks, or just at the very beginning, this is a very individual matter. But in any case, pain is a signal that special care is needed; you need a good soft bra for pregnant women.
Even if the pregnancy is terminated for one reason or another, pain in the mammary glands may persist for some time. The body needs time for the hormonal balance to be restored, which is why for several days even after this, the breasts may still hurt and other signs of pregnancy may persist.
Then the milk production and the baby’s needs for it become equalized, and the pain no longer bothers you.
There are 2 reasons why a nursing mother’s breasts hurt:
A rush of milk, stretching the lobules of the mammary gland and lactostasis. This is a dull pain, localized mostly on the sides of the mammary glands, where the lobules empty less easily during feeding. Releasing the breast during feeding and pumping leads to a feeling of relief, but at the same time, pain in the already emptied lobes of the mammary gland may persist, since overstretching them traumatizes, which is why the breast hurts after feeding. Even the process of milk release during lactostasis can be accompanied by painful sensations; the breasts hurt during feeding.
The second reason is dangerous: mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland. Redness of the breast area, pain and hardness that do not go away despite feeding, and an increase in body temperature indicate this complication, which without timely help usually requires surgical intervention.
Mastopathy is the most common and most “harmless” of these causes. With mastopathy, fibrous changes occur in the mammary glands, the breasts react violently to the usual cyclical changes in a woman’s body, upon examination you can find numerous lumps, and discharge from the nipples is possible. With mastopathy, both breasts most often hurt, but the process can also be one-sided, on the left or right.
Fibromas, fibroadenomas, are found even in young girls who are not sexually active. These changes, inherently precancerous, occur against the background of untreated mastopathy.
Mammary cancer. There is no need to explain the danger of this disease; it is a rather aggressive type of cancer, for which early diagnosis is very important.
If you periodically or constantly have engorged breasts and severe pain, if there is pain in only one mammary gland, if there is discharge from the nipples, and you know that you are not pregnant, these symptoms are a reason to visit a mammologist. Regular self-examination of the breast is necessary, and if detected, you should also consult a doctor.
Almost every woman at some point in her life has encountered painful sensations in her chest. Naturally, this phenomenon should not cause panic, but it is also not recommended to show frivolity in this situation. In order for a woman to feel calm or receive timely and adequate treatment, she should know about the causes of severe breast pain.
Pain that occurs in the mammary glands is called mastalgia. It is divided into two categories – cyclical and non-cyclical. The first group consists of pain in the mammary glands that occurs on specific days of PMS (approximately 2-7 days before their onset). In most cases, this factor does not cause discomfort in women, since its degree is tolerable and goes away after 2 days. Breasts are prone to change throughout life. This is influenced by a large number of hormones produced in the human body, stimulating relaxation or tension of the walls of the excretory canals in the glands, and also affect the tissue of the lobules. Literally 7 days before the start of menstruation, many epithelial cells and lobule fluid accumulate in the breast ducts. This is why the breasts begin to enlarge, become denser and hurt. Such cyclical pain in women occurs at a specific period and is felt in both glands at the same time.
In some cases, this phenomenon manifests itself too strongly. Sometimes the pain becomes excruciating and prevents a woman from leading her usual lifestyle. She cannot go to work, do household chores, or even move around the apartment. On days like these, I feel very aggravated. These pathological pains indicate unnatural processes occurring in the body. Therefore, you need to urgently seek help from a specialist and undergo appropriate treatment, if necessary.
Such discomfort does not arise due to the menstrual cycle. It is provoked by a disease or another factor that occurs in the female body. Sometimes it becomes pathological.
If a woman is pregnant, then she experiences various modifications in her own body, directly related to global changes in hormonal levels. At this moment, the concentration of female hormones increases several times. Under their influence, the mammary glands gradually enlarge, and fluid forms in the canals, which at the end of the period turns into colostrum. From the very beginning, the breasts become very sensitive and painful. Therefore, many girls determine the onset of pregnancy not only by the absence of menstruation, but also by breast swelling.
Important! During pregnancy, breasts can hurt in different ways: from a slight burning sensation to dull pain that affects the arms, shoulder blades or lower back. But with normal functioning of the body, the discomfort disappears by the 12th week.
Starting from the 20th week of pregnancy, the female breast is actively preparing for future feeding of the baby. The glands enlarge significantly, a strange tingling sensation, tension and hardening appear. But if no pathologies are noted, then painful sensations are not observed. If she feels severe pain, especially when it is concentrated in only one of the breasts, then she needs to seek emergency help from her doctor in order to rule out the presence of diseases and processes that are not related to pregnancy.
If a woman notices the presence of one of the described phenomena, then she should contact a specialist:
These factors answer the question of when and why you need to seek the help of a specialist. A timely visit to the doctor can prevent the disease in advance.
The most common cause of breast pain is mastitis, a disease that usually appears during breastfeeding.
A list of some factors that answer the question of why the mammary glands hurt:
If the chest pain becomes very severe and does not go away. When discomfort manifests itself along with other pathological symptoms, the woman should urgently seek help from a specialist. If you delay your visit to the doctor, the disease will progress and develop irreversible consequences. This is why regular checks of your own mammary glands and visits to a mammologist are so necessary.
There is a list of diagnostic procedures that will answer the question - why does the chest hurt and how to solve this problem:
When a woman feels chest pain and consults a specialist, he prescribes the above diagnostic procedures to identify the cause of the discomfort and understand why it is present.
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