5 Causes of Breast Pain
Nearly half of all problems involving the breast are due to breast pain, sometimes known as "mastalgia." Please read this before drawing any ominous conclusions (breast cancer!).
We can appreciate that you're probably afraid and assuming the worst if you have discomfort, tenderness, or heightened sensitivity to touch or pressure in one or both of your breasts.
So let's first establish some facts. According to specialists, painful, aching breasts are considerably more likely to be caused by something else than breast pain, which isn't typically a sign of breast cancer.
You may be experiencing pain or perhaps heightened sensitivity in your breasts for the following 5 highly plausible causes:
1. Mastitis
Mastitis, an infection of the breast tissue, causes inflammation, or abnormal breast enlargement and redness.
It typically affects nursing mothers and results from an infection of the woman's breast ducts. A woman's nipple may allow microorganisms from the infant's mouth to enter her breasts while she is breastfeeding.
In addition to breast pain, mastitis may cause other symptoms like:
- Breasts generally feel uncomfortable.
- Fever that is 38.3 C or above (101 F).
- Malaise, tiredness, or chills.
- Having a warm or crimson breast.
- Additionally, typical are pimple discharge or pus
Mastitis could result in the development of an abscess if neglected. If an infection is found, your doctor may provide antibiotics as well as NSAIDs to treat the pain, swelling, and fever.
2. Fibromas
The discovery of a breast lump can be alarming. Though, not all bumps and tumors are malignant. A benign (i.e., non-cancerous) tumor of this type is referred to as a fibroma. Most often, it is found in women under the age of 30.
Although relatively small, fibromas feel significantly different from the surrounding breast tissue. They can be manipulated under the skin and have distinct borders. They may have a rubbery sensation and resemble tiny marbles.
The 'estrogen' hormone has been hypothesized to play a role in the origin and growth of these benign tumors, albeit the precise cause of fibromas isn't entirely understood yet. Additionally, oral contraceptive use in women younger than 20 has also been associated with an increased chance of fibromas developing.
Particularly if you're pregnant, these benign tumors could spread. Women frequently remark that their fibromas have shrunk after menopause. Fibromas could very well go away on their own, spontaneously. On occasion, though, if they're more substantial, they might need to be surgically removed.
3. Cysts
Although it may feel like a lump, a cyst in the breast may really be a small, usually innocuous sac that is located there and is filled with fluid rather than cancerous or non-cancerous cells.
They may be present in one or both breasts and exhibit symptoms and signs like:
- Breast discomfort or tenderness where the cyst is located.
- A discharge from the nipple that may be clear, straw-colored, or even dark brown.
- Smooth, easily movable lump with clearly defined edges or bounds (indicating a benign nature).
- Breast soreness and lump size fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle.
Simple fluid-filled breast cysts are typically detected on ultrasonography and hardly ever need any treatment, in any kind of treatment. If your symptoms are severe, your doctor might advise hormone therapy or birth control. In very few instances, surgery is advised.
4. Menstruation
The most frequent cause of mastalgia is cyclic breast pain, or pain that comes and goes with your monthly periods. This symptom is a member of the premenstrual syndrome, sometimes known as PMS, which is a collection of symptoms.
The natural monthly swings in hormones are usually what cause it in women, and it typically affects both breasts. Progesterone and estrogen both induce milk glands and breast ducts to expand, which results in painful breasts. Menstruation-related breast discomfort is frequently described by women who experience it as a soreness or heaviness that radiates to the arm and armpit.
This pain typically worsens just before a woman's period and typically goes away once the period is over.
5. Diet
Your diet may very well be to blame for the discomfort in your breasts. Perfect examples include foods that are high in fat, caffeine, or sodium.
The following foods should also be avoided:
- Almonds, walnuts, and other dried foods
- Soda, coffee, black tea, green tea, and other caffeinated drinks
- Chocolate
- Prepared sauces or condiments
- Popcorn or fries with salt
- Sausage and red meat
Please schedule an immediate medical checkup if you haven't already seen a doctor and your breast soreness persists despite restricting your intake of the items mentioned above.