If your chest hurts. Breast pain in women: alarm or normal? What are the symptoms of breast cancer

The human breast is a pair of mammary glands that attach to the pectoral muscles. In men, the mammary glands do not normally develop and are rudimentary; in women, during puberty, the breast enlarges and acquires a hemispherical shape.

Based on these physiological characteristics, most women under chest pain often mean pain in the mammary gland, and men - pain in the pectoral muscles. Moreover, women usually associate this manifestation with the approaching menstruation and consider it the norm, while men attribute the pain to malaise or excessive zeal in training in the gym.

However, in both cases, chest pain can be not only a physiological manifestation (for example, during menstruation, during lactation, or after excessive exercise), it can also serve as an alarming symptom of a serious illness.

Causes and manifestations of pain in the chest

Hormonal abnormalities in the body

The mammary gland is an organ whose growth and development is controlled by sex hormones. Therefore, the main explanation for why a woman’s chest hurts is a change in the normal ratio of hormones that affect the tissues and cells of the mammary glands. The hormonal background in the weaker sex can change due to the reasons listed below.

Monthly fluctuations in different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Before menstruation, there is an increase in the content of hormones in the body (which is considered the norm), designed to preserve a possible pregnancy. At this time, the chest enlarges and slightly hurts due to the stretching of the capsule, or itches due to irritation of the superficial nerve endings of the stretched skin. When you press the nipple, a few drops of a colorless or yellowish liquid may come out of it. With the onset of menstruation, the woman's pain disappears, the mammary glands after menstruation return to their original size and become soft.

In the middle of the cycle, there may also be short-term pain in the chest, along with pain in the lower abdomen, which occurs under the action of hormones that ensure the release of the egg from the ovary. After ovulation, this kind of pain disappears without a trace, the breast tissue does not change.

If a woman has a hormonal imbalance in the direction of the predominance of estrogen for a long time, their excessive amount can lead to permanent swelling of the tissues and the development of mastopathy. The chest in such cases is poured, swells and hurts a lot. The pain is so intense that a woman cannot wear a bra or other tight clothing. In addition, there are changes in the tissues of the mammary gland in the form of heaviness or small nodules.

Mastopathy is no longer considered a physiological manifestation of a drop in hormone levels, it is a disease that requires a careful approach to treatment.

Effects of the hormones progesterone and prolactin during pregnancy

In the first trimester of pregnancy, the breasts can hurt due to the effect on the breast tissue of progesterone, a hormone that maintains pregnancy. Under its influence, the alveolar tissue grows, the gland increases in volume, preparing to perform the subsequent function of lactation.

Around the beginning of the 12th week, when the continuation of the pregnancy passes to the placenta, chest pains decrease. At the end of the third trimester of pregnancy, the body begins to prepare for childbirth and feeding, prolactin production increases, so the breast becomes full and painful again.

Increased milk production and gland enlargement during lactation

Immediately after childbirth, due to prolactin and oxytocin, there is a sharp increase in the production and release of milk, which leads to painful breast enlargement. If breastfeeding "on demand" is observed, soreness in the mammary glands in a nursing mother quickly passes.

If milk stagnation occurs or an infection has joined, then mastitis develops - a disease that is characterized not only by severe chest pain, but also by reddening of the skin and the appearance of a swollen focus of compaction (often on the sides of the mammary glands), as well as a deterioration in the general condition of the woman and an increase in body temperature .

Changes in the gland due to abortion

After an abortion, the breasts may hurt for about a week. This time is necessary for the natural decrease in the concentration of pregnancy hormones and reduce their effect on the mammary glands. If soreness is noted for a longer period after termination of pregnancy, it is necessary to consult a doctor to find out the cause. One of the options for the development of such a situation may be the continued growth of the fetal egg after an unsuccessful abortion, for example, if a woman tried to get rid of the pregnancy on her own with the help of medications.

In other cases, the cause of prolonged chest pain after abortion (especially frequent and repeated ones) is severe dysregulation of sex hormones, which can lead to mastopathy, various genital diseases and infertility.

Gynecomastia

Hormonal disorders in the male body can lead to gynecomastia (literally, "women's breasts"). When it appears, in addition to soreness in the chest, in men there is an overgrowth of alveolar tissues, the mammary gland increases and takes the form of a female breast.

This pathology occurs in the event of a violation in the body of the stronger sex in the production of male sex hormones and / or excessive secretion of female ones. The cause of such a hormonal imbalance and the subsequent gynecomastia can be:

the presence of tumors;
the use of hormonal drugs for the treatment of oncological diseases (testicular cancer),
taking drugs for a quick set of muscle mass (anabolics);
diseases of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus and dysfunction of the thyroid gland);
liver or kidney disease;
alcohol and drug use (marijuana, heroin);
the use of certain types of antibiotics, tranquilizers, as well as drugs for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system.

Non-hormonal causes of pain

The chest can also hurt for reasons not related to hormones, for example, after bruises and against the background of certain infectious diseases (shingles). Also, chest pain in both men and women can occur after weight training, for example: in cases of selecting the wrong weight, improper technique, or working with record weights.

The situation of one-sided pain, when, for example, the right chest hurts in isolation, can also appear due to trauma and sprain (most often damage to the pectoral muscles and ligaments occurs when doing bench presses). In the event of such an injury, pain may be accompanied by swelling, swelling and bruising in the sternum and shoulder, as well as weakness or dysfunction of the arm and a violation of the natural contour of the damaged pectoral muscle.

If the left breast hurts in isolation, it is first necessary to exclude diseases of the cardiovascular system (angina pectoris, heart attack), since ischemic pain in the heart can disguise itself as pain in the mammary gland, and also irrigate (“shoot”) into the area of the scapula, neck, jaw , abdomen, shoulder or left arm. Pains of this nature are usually very strong, tearing, pressing and burning, which distinguishes them from muscle pains.

Also, in the left side of the sternum, pains not associated with the heart may appear, the cause of which may be:

cervical or thoracic osteochondrosis;
scoliosis;
muscle weakness in the thoracic spine;
costal cartilage disease;
stress, depression or neurosis;
bloating;
disease of the stomach or pancreas;
and much more.

breast cancer

The cause of soreness in the chest area, and in both women and men, can also be cancer. Despite the fact that in men the mammary glands are not naturally developed in the event of endocrine disorders, as well as due to cirrhosis of the liver, genetic diseases, unfavorable heredity or radiation exposure, they are also susceptible to breast cancer, although this occurs very rarely. In women, on the contrary, breast cancer ranks first among oncological diseases.

Usually, in the early stages, breast cancer is painless, but at the same time, symptoms characteristic of cancer appear in the breast area in both sexes: a solid nodular formation is palpable, skin changes (“lemon peel”) and nipple retraction are visible, and lymph nodes increase.

For early detection of both malignant and benign neoplasms in the breast, regular breast self-examination is necessary. The video will tell you how to do it right.

Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain

Treatment of chest pain caused by injuries of the ligaments and muscles should begin with a visit to the surgeon, if you suspect a pathology in the work of the heart, you should urgently contact a cardiologist, with osteochondrosis and other problems with the spine - a neurologist, with problems with the gastrointestinal tract - a gastroenterologist. Or you can simply ask for help from the local therapist, and then follow his direction.

In case of pain in the breast area, as well as the appearance of other symptoms (enlargement of the gland, the appearance of discharge, etc.), women should make an appointment with a mammologist or gynecologist, and men with a mammologist or surgeon. The doctor will pay attention to the appearance of the mammary glands, symmetry, the presence of seals and their consistency, the condition of the nipple and skin of the breast, as well as axillary, supraclavicular and subclavian lymph nodes. Already at the stage of the survey and external examination, a preliminary cause of pain in the chest can be established.

Further examination to identify the causes of breast pathologies may include the following steps:

Ultrasound - allows you to determine the formation in the soft tissues of the breast larger than 0.5 cm. This study is preferable for young and nulliparous women.
Mammography is a type of x-ray examination of the mammary glands, in which even the smallest nodules located deep in the chest are determined. This method is widely used both for primary diagnosis and for monitoring the growth rate of detected neoplasms. Mammograms for young women are done only when indicated.
Ductography - the introduction of a special substance into the milk ducts for subsequent x-rays. The contrast fills the extensive system of excretory ducts, and this allows us to evaluate the preservation of the internal structure and functional tissues of the mammary glands.
Biopsy - this method allows, without an incision, using a very thin needle, under the control of an ultrasonic sensor, to take a piece of breast tissue for microscopic examination and determining the type of altered cells. The choice of treatment tactics often depends on the results of a biopsy - if malignant cells are detected, a radical removal of the mammary gland is performed.
MRI and / or ultrasound of the chest and abdominal cavity, small pelvis and head - to determine the primary disease that caused chest pain (if there is a suspicion that changes in the mammary gland are the consequences of metastasis of a tumor of the uterus, lungs, liver, and other organs) .

The treatment prescribed will depend on the established cause, due to which the chest may hurt.

For example:

with manifestations of premenstrual syndrome or ovulatory pain, treatment is usually limited to the use of vitamins and herbal preparations with mild hormonal activity;
if purulent inflammation of the mammary gland is found, it is often recommended to take a course of taking antibacterial drugs inside, sometimes it is necessary to open and drain the focus;
diffuse forms of mastopathy, as well as the manifestation of gynecomastia in men, can usually be corrected by the appointment of hormonal drugs;
nodules, cysts, and tumors may suggest surgical removal;
if the chest hurts due to stretching or inflammation of the muscles, they will help to prescribe anti-inflammatory tablets and ointments, as well as warming compresses.

You need to know that the severity of the pain symptom in the chest is not always directly proportional to the severity of the disease. Sometimes a mild form of mastopathy leads to severe pain even from contact with clothing. Conversely, some forms of cancer are painless until the last stages.

Therefore, if painful breasts bother you periodically or constantly for quite a long time, the best solution would be to seek help from a qualified specialist.

The condition of the female mammary glands directly depends on the ratio of sex hormones, which is constantly changing throughout life. If pain appears in the mammary gland, then the woman begins to analyze what it can be connected with, she is frightened by the accompanying signs. Often, worries are in vain, sensations are caused by reasons that are not related to breast diseases. But often a pain reaction is a symptom of a pathology in the tissues of the gland, requiring immediate examination.

Content:

Classification of chest pain

When a woman goes to the doctor with complaints of painful symptoms in the chest area, the first thing the doctor asks about is the nature of the pain, their duration, frequency, localization. The main feature by which the pains that occur in the mammary glands are classified is the presence or absence of the frequency of their onset.

There are 2 types of pain:

Non-cyclic. Their duration and intensity are in no way related to menstruation (for example, pain due to bruising of the chest, breast disease). Non-cyclic pain sensations most often occur in one breast, are localized in a certain area, are permanent, and can increase over time.
Cyclic. Their occurrence is associated with the processes of production of certain hormones in different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Immediately after menstruation, the level of estrogen rises, which leads to the formation of a new egg in the ovary. After about 14 days, she matures, ovulation occurs. As a result of fertilization of the egg, the woman becomes pregnant. At this time, the level of progesterone rises, the embryo enters the uterus, and its development begins. There are changes in the mammary glands, there may be pulling pains in the chest.

If the egg is not fertilized, then the ratio of hormones changes in the opposite direction, leading to the removal of the egg along with the uterine mucosa. Menstruation sets in, a process associated with pain, both in the uterus and in the mammary gland. After menstruation, they pass if the woman's health is all right.

The nature of pain

Mastalgia (also called mastodynia) is pain in the mammary gland. It is stabbing, cutting, shooting, aching, burning, pulsating, constant. The pain may radiate to the shoulder, accompanied by a feeling of fullness of the chest due to the resulting swelling of the soft tissues.

By the nature of the sensations, the doctor will make an assumption about the presence of the disease.

Causes of pain

Causes of chest pain can be:

hormonal processes associated with the menstrual cycle;
changes in breast tissues during pregnancy;
breast diseases;
chest injury;
operations on the mammary glands;
diseases of other organs and systems of the body.

Causes of cyclic pain

PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is one of the main sources of cyclical chest pain. Aching or stabbing pain appears a few days before menstruation and ends after it. Painful sensations are accompanied by swelling of the breast, touching it becomes painful due to swelling of the tissues.

The occurrence of such a syndrome is associated with various factors: the state of the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular systems, metabolic rate. Therefore, the nature and strength of sensations associated with PMS in women is individual.

Pain during ovulation (rupture of the follicle and release of the egg). Many women do not feel it.

The intensity of pain can be affected by the anatomical structure and size of the breast. Usually, pain that occurs in the breast due to hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle does not require treatment.

Video: Pain in the mammary glands associated with menstruation

Chest pain during pregnancy

Significant hormonal changes are observed in a woman's body during pregnancy. An increase in the level of prolactin leads to an increase in the number of glandular tissue cells, the growth of the milk ducts and the vascular system. In the mammary gland, there is a preparation for lactation, an increase in the volume of the gland, pressure on the nerve endings of neighboring tissues increases, which causes pain.

Breast pain during menopause

During menopause, a significant hormonal shift occurs again in a woman's body. In some cases, this can lead to the appearance of breast diseases. As a rule, in younger women, this causes a violation of the menstrual cycle, because of which they go to the doctor. This allows you to notice the symptoms of diseases in a timely manner.

With menopause, menstruation is no longer regular, and may disappear altogether. The appearance of chest pain is sometimes the only symptom by which a serious illness is detected. Therefore, the occurrence of pain during menopause should alert a woman and force her to go for a check-up with doctors: a gynecologist, a mammologist, an endocrinologist.

Diseases that cause pain in the chest

Sometimes chest pains become a concomitant symptom of diseases of other organs. For example, with heart disease, a woman is worried about aching pain in her left chest. In diseases of the liver, pain occurs in the hypochondrium and is given in the right chest.

The source of pain may be neuralgia, inflammation of the intercostal nerve. In this case, the stabbing pain increases with breathing, walking, is given in the back, depends on the position of the body.

Diseases of the mammary glands as a cause of pain

Mastopathy- pathological growth of the connective and glandular tissue of the mammary gland with the formation of individual nodes and cystic voids in its tissues. Sometimes there is discharge from the nipples. Aching dull pain is not always felt immediately, it may appear already at a later, dangerous stage of the disease, when mastopathy can degenerate into a malignant tumor.

Video: Pain in the mammary glands with mastopathy

Fibroadenoma- a benign tumor in which painful seals appear in one or both glands. Usually, when detected, they are removed to prevent their degeneration into cancer.

Mastitis- infectious inflammation of the mammary glands. Usually occurs during lactation. Cracks that form on the nipples when feeding a child, as well as stagnation of milk, cause purulent inflammation of the ducts. The process is very painful, accompanied by fever, swelling and redness of the gland. Occurs in one breast or both. Requires antibiotic treatment or surgery.

Mammary cancer. Pain occurs in various parts of the chest. In the early stages, it may not bother a woman. Symptoms of this disease are changes in the structure of the skin of the breast, redness, the formation of shapeless dense nodes, which gradually become very painful. Burning pain becomes constant, there is an increase in axillary lymph nodes, which causes additional pain.

Importance of breast self-examination

Breast pain is very common. If it is associated with menstruation or pregnancy, then no treatment is most often required.

Women should have regular breast self-exams. In the reproductive period, it is recommended to do this on the 5-7th day from the beginning of each menstruation, when the breast is soft. During menopause, when the cycle is broken or menstruation is completely absent, breast self-examination is carried out once a month on any day. Self-diagnosis is necessary in order to notice the slightest changes in the tissues of the breast. If you experience pain that is not related to the cycle, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, especially when debilitating pain disrupts the normal rhythm of a woman's life.

Warning: If continuous chest pain lasts more than 2 weeks, if after menstruation (when it should not be normal) it not only does not disappear, but also intensifies, this may be a sign of a serious illness. The situation deserves special attention when the pain appears in one gland, its separate parts.

At-risk groups

The risk of chest pain increases in women in the following cases:

if they did not give birth at all or gave birth to only 1 child;
repeatedly had abortions;
after childbirth, they could not or refused to breastfeed the child;
are overweight or have large breasts;
have a genetic predisposition to breast cancer;
live an irregular sexual life;
suffer from diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases;
suffered a chest injury.

Stress and bad habits increase the likelihood of breast disease and pain.

Diagnosis for chest pain

Palpation. Allows you to carefully examine the condition of the breast manually, to detect seals, swelling of tissues, external changes, violation of the symmetry of the mammary glands. The lymph nodes in the armpits are also examined.

ultrasound. Allows you to detect seals, set their size and localization.

Mammography- X-ray of the breast, which allows to establish the nature of changes in its tissues and the degree of their spread.

Ductography- X-ray examination of the milk ducts, into which a radiopaque substance is launched.

Biopsy. The tissue removed during the sealing operation is selected and examined under a microscope. This allows you to accurately determine the nature of the lesion and make a prediction about the further development of the disease.

Pneumocystography. It is a type of biopsy. The selection of the contents of a cyst or tumor is performed using a long thin needle.

Many women (over 70%) have experienced chest pain at least once in their lives. Usually this condition worries women of reproductive age, but it is also possible in the postmenopausal period. According to statistics, approximately one in ten of the fair sex experiences discomfort in the mammary gland for more than five days a month. Of course, such a situation affects the condition of a woman, her mood, work and family life. Why can there be pain in the chest?

The nature of the pain

The causes of pain are largely due to its nature. Unpleasant sensations in the chest can be of two types:

Cyclic. In this case, the pain is observed in both glands and spreads over their entire area, most affecting the outer and upper chest. Characteristic signs are swelling, irritability of the gland, the appearance of a feeling of fullness and heaviness in it, pain when pressed. Most often, in this way, the chest hurts before menstruation, after which the discomfort gradually disappears. Pain of this nature occurs in two-thirds of women aged 30-40 years.
Non-cyclic. Sensations of this kind are usually localized in only one gland. In most cases, they occur in a specific place, much less often, non-cyclic pain is diffuse in nature, while the entire gland is completely affected. The nature of the pain is burning, irritating. Most often it is observed in women after 40 years.

Causes of cyclic chest pain

To answer the question of why a woman is diagnosed with cyclic chest pain, knowledge of the factors that can provoke such a condition will help. The causes of pain in the mammary gland are as follows:

Hormonal changes caused by the monthly cycle. In the middle of the cycle, ovulation occurs, which entails a sharp increase in the production of hormones designed to prepare the body for pregnancy and childbirth. This cyclical pain is called mastalgia. With the onset of menstruation, all signs usually disappear.
Dull, aching pain is usually localized in the upper outer quadrants of the chest. It is especially pronounced when pressed. The pain can be of varying intensity: from slight to severe, radiating to the arm or armpit. A similar condition is diagnosed in approximately 70% of the fair sex who are of reproductive age. Sometimes cyclic mastalgia is found in postmenopausal women receiving treatment with hormonal drugs.
Mastopathy. This disease is characterized by abnormal growth of breast tissue. Why does it arise? The cause of mastopathy lies in the violation of the hormonal background of a woman. In the first stages of the disease, its symptoms appear before menstruation and then disappear. In advanced cases, they are observed constantly. With mastopathy, the main symptom is pain in the mammary glands, they become edematous and swell. On palpation, seals can be felt. A woman has pain in her chest when pressed. This condition requires mandatory treatment.
Imbalance of fatty acids in the body. Such a violation usually leads to an increase in the sensitivity of the mammary gland to hormones. The intake of primrose oil helps to eliminate the problem, a feature of which is the normalization of the balance of fatty acids.
Pregnancy. To maintain the onset of pregnancy, progesterone is actively formed in the body of a woman. It causes the growth of alveolar tissue, which increases the volume of the mammary gland and is designed to prepare it for lactation. Almost every woman during pregnancy feels that her breasts hurt and swell. Later, the discomfort disappears. Pain may reappear at the end of the third trimester. The glands swell and become painful.
Abortion. After an artificial termination of pregnancy, chest pains may be observed. They usually go away in 1-2 weeks. If the discomfort does not disappear for a long time, you should consult a doctor. Sometimes they are explained by the continued growth of the fetal egg due to an error in surgical intervention, sometimes they are caused by a hormonal imbalance that has arisen.
Taking a number of hormonal drugs used in the treatment of infertility, as well as some contraceptives. In addition, certain antidepressants can provoke such problems.

Causes of non-cyclic chest pain

The causes of non-cyclic pain are usually associated not with hormonal imbalance, but with anatomical changes that have occurred in the gland. In most cases, discomfort is due to the following circumstances:

Mechanical damage to the mammary gland. Breast pain can be caused by trauma. Squeezing or compression of the gland caused by the wrong choice of underwear can also lead to pain. To avoid such problems, every woman should carefully choose a bra while in transport or in crowded places, try to protect her breasts from shocks and bumps.
Breast surgery.
Fibroadenoma. This is the name of a benign tumor localized in the mammary gland. This is one of the forms of nodular mastopathy. In a patient with pressure, you can find a mobile rounded formation that is not associated with the skin. It can be both small (2 mm) and large (up to 7 cm).
Mastitis. With mastitis, inflammation begins in the mammary gland. The chest turns red, the skin over the affected area becomes red, there is an increase in the temperature of both the local and the body as a whole. The disease develops very quickly (within a couple of days). The vast majority of patients are nursing mothers. Why does this disease occur? There are two reasons for the appearance of this pathology: stagnation of milk (lactostasis) and infection (it enters the body through damage to the nipples). Mastitis needs immediate treatment, because in a neglected state it can lead to extremely negative consequences. In rare cases, the disease is diagnosed in non-breastfeeding women.
breast cancer. In rare cases, discomfort in the gland is a sign of breast cancer. Usually at an early stage the disease does not cause discomfort. The reason to see a doctor is the retraction of the nipple, the appearance of discharge from it, an increase in lymph nodes, a palpable seal in the tissues.
Breast abscess. This is a disease in which suppuration of a certain area occurs in the chest, separated from the rest of the tissues. This pathology is quite rare and has a secondary nature. An abscess is a consequence of some other inflammatory disease of the breast, such as mastitis.
Cyst. Such a pathology can cause discomfort in the gland. Filled with liquid, the formation begins to put pressure on the surrounding tissues, which leads to discomfort. The pain can be both sharp and aching, dull. If a cyst is found, the patient must definitely consult a doctor to find out the causes of the disease and undergo treatment.

Chest pain may also not be associated with the mammary gland, but is dictated by problems with the muscles, nerves, joints, chest wall. The causes of chest pain lie in diseases such as scoliosis, osteochondrosis and other disorders of the skeletal system. Heart disease also often leads to the appearance of pain (for example, angina pectoris).

Pain in the breast (mastalgia) is common, mostly in women between the ages of 30 and 50.

Pain often occurs in the upper-outer part of the mammary glands, can be given to the armpits or arms. In most cases, the chest hurts moderately, less often the discomfort reaches medium or high intensity, deprives you of rest, causes anxiety and stress. This is largely due to the fear of a serious illness. Although pain in the left or right breast is not in itself a symptom of breast cancer and does not increase the risk of developing it.

Depending on the time of occurrence, pain in the mammary gland is:

cyclic when the chest hurts before menstruation or during menstruation;
non-cyclic when the pain is not related to the menstrual cycle.

To determine why the mammary glands hurt, it is useful to keep a diary in which you can track all changes in the mammary glands throughout the menstrual cycle. In a diary or on a calendar, it is necessary to mark the days when the pain appears and when it disappears, what is its intensity, and what it is associated with. If necessary, you can show this diary to the doctor, which will facilitate the diagnosis.

The reasons

Why does my chest hurt?

The cause of cyclic pain in the mammary glands is considered to be a change in the hormonal background of a woman before the onset of the next menstruation. The pain appears at about the same time every month, usually 1-3 days before the onset of menstruation and disappears with its end. The intensity of the pain may vary. Post-menopausal women on hormone replacement therapy may also experience cyclic breast pain. Cyclical chest pain is not a symptom of the disease.

It is not always possible to determine the cause of non-cyclic pain in the mammary glands. Pain in the left or right breast can occur with the following diseases:

mastitis - inflammation of the mammary gland, more common in lactating women;
lumps in the breast - there are various types of benign (non-cancerous) lumps, some of which can cause pain;
breast abscess - a painful purulent formation in the tissues of the mammary gland.

Non-cyclic breast pain can also be caused by trauma, such as a strained chest muscle or bruising of the breast. In rare cases, mastalgia can be caused by medications, such as certain types of antifungals, antidepressants, or antipsychotics.

Pain in the mammary gland: treatment

If the chest hurts before menstruation (cyclic mastalgia), non-drug methods of treatment usually help to alleviate the condition, less often - painkillers. If the chest pain has a more serious cause, the doctor may prescribe specific drug therapy.

In 30% of cases, cyclic chest pain resolves on its own within 3 menstrual cycles. For some women, it periodically appears and disappears over several years. Knowing that discomfort in the mammary glands is not dangerous to health, it is easier to deal with them.

If the breast hurts cyclically, the use of a comfortable bra that fits the size can provide relief. It must be worn throughout the day. It is also recommended to wear underwear at night, but for sleep you need to choose a bra with weak support. During training and active pastime, it is advisable to use a sports bra.

If necessary, you can take pain medication, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. You can also use drugs containing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), local action in the form of gels or ointments, for example: indomethacin ointment, diclofenac gel. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and make sure the medication is right for you. For example, topical NSAIDs should not be applied to damaged skin.

Some experts believe that chest pain can be alleviated by making lifestyle changes:

reduce your intake of caffeine, which is found in tea, coffee and coca-cola;
reduce your intake of saturated fats, which are found in oils, chips and fried foods;
stop smoking (if you smoke).

Women sometimes resort to alternative medicine, such as acupuncture or reflexology, to relieve cyclic chest pain, but these methods have not yet been scientifically proven to be effective. If the cause of mastalgia is mastitis, an abscess, or another infectious disease, then antibiotics and surgical treatment quickly bring relief.

Medical treatment for mastalgia

Drug treatment is more often required for non-cyclic pain in the mammary glands associated with various benign diseases, but is occasionally prescribed in cases where the chest hurts before menstruation. For example, your doctor may prescribe you danazol, tamoxifen, or goserelin.

These drugs regulate the hormonal balance in the body and can reduce discomfort in the mammary glands. However, in addition to the positive effect, they have pronounced side effects, such as excessive growth of body hair and an irreversible decrease in the timbre of the voice. Some of these drugs are used in the treatment of breast tumors, but doctors sometimes recommend them to get rid of chest pain.

Danazol is a drug for the treatment of severe pain caused by fibrocystic breast disease, a disease in which benign (non-cancerous) lumps form in the breast. Side effects:

rash;
weight gain;
decrease in the timbre of the voice, sometimes irreversible;
hirsutism (excessive hair growth) - for example, on the face.

Tamoxifen is a drug for the treatment of breast cancer, but it can also be prescribed for chest pain. Side effects:

bleeding or discharge from the vagina;
flushes of heat;
increased risk of developing uterine cancer (endometrial cancer);
increased risk of thromboembolism - when blood clots (thrombosis) form in the veins, which can lead to blockage of the vessel.

goserelin is a drug for treating breast cancer, but it can also be prescribed for chest pain. Side effects:

dryness of the vagina;
flushes of heat;
loss of sexual desire;

When to See a Doctor for Breast Pain?

See your doctor if you find any of the following breast changes:

the appearance of a lump or seal in the breast;
discharge from the nipple;
the appearance of a lump or swelling in the armpit;
a change in the size or shape of one or both mammary glands;
the appearance of dimples or other deformation of the breast;
rash on or around the nipple;
change in the appearance of the nipple, for example, it becomes sunken;
pain in the chest or armpit, not associated with menstruation;
any signs of infection in the breast, such as swelling, redness
or fever in the chest or fever.

If chest pain is accompanied by other symptoms or does not go away during the entire menstrual cycle (not just during monthly bleeding), it may not be cyclical chest pain. To determine its cause, consult a doctor.

If your breast hurts, find a good gynecologistwho will diagnose and, if necessary, treat your condition. In difficult cases, for a more detailed examination, you may be referred to a mammologist, who can be found using the NaPopravku service.

Women's breasts should be not only beautiful, but also healthy. If a woman begins to feel pain in the mammary gland, she should pay attention to it. Often we are talking about natural and harmless causes of their occurrence. However, one should not ignore those situations when pain is a consequence of the development of some diseases and pathologies.

A woman should seek medical advice if she cannot explain the reasons for her. For example, they are more and more intensified or localized in one mammary gland - signs that we are most likely talking about a pathological disease. On the site, we will consider the common causes of pain in one of the delicate areas of the female body in order to prevent the development of serious diseases, such as malignant tumors.

There are many reasons for chest pain. Diagnosis should be made according to the nature of the pain:

Single sided or double sided.
Cyclic or non-cyclic.
Acute or chronic.
Stitching, pulsating, sluggish, unexpressed, variable, etc.

Causes of pain in the mammary gland

Why does the mammary gland hurt? Only a doctor can answer this question. We can consider a number of reasons that most often affect the sensations in the chest. It should be understood that the female breast reacts to any changes in the body. Often it hurts due to ongoing diseases in the reproductive system. It seems that we are talking about various organs, but for some reason the chest hurts.

It is better to consult a doctor so that he can diagnose the mammary glands and identify the causes of their pain. Among them may be:

Period. Many women experience chest pain just before the onset of menstruation, and then go away with the onset of menstruation. These pains are cyclic, that is, arising in the second phase of the menstrual cycle and disappear spontaneously without the use of any medication. In this case, pains are localized simultaneously in both mammary glands, which increase in size, the skin coarsens, and tissue edema occurs.
Pregnancy. The breast is the first to react to the fact that conception has occurred, and the birth of a child is also to come. So, during pregnancy, the chest hurts already with its onset before the woman reveals her condition. Usually the chest hurts a lot, becomes sensitive, increases in size, hurts symmetrically. At the same time, the nipples also increase in size, changing their color with the areolas. Also, the chest can hurt just before childbirth, as it is being prepared to feed the baby.
Wearing tight or uncomfortable underwear. Many girls and women wear small bras to lift or enlarge their breasts. However, these manipulations lead to the fact that the mammary glands occupy an unusual position for them, which is why they begin to hurt. The pain intensifies when removing the bra, and then gradually disappear.

These pains are temporary and completely natural. In this case, no measures need to be taken, except for changing the underwear to the appropriate size. The pains are bilateral and disappear in a certain period.

However, often painful sensations in the breasts are the result not only of hormonal disruptions or tight underwear, but also due to the development of pathological processes:

- a common disease due to hormonal failure, which manifests itself in the form of a seal with severe pain.
Chest injuries, squeezing, blows, pressure and other manipulations that do not cause any problems other than pain.
Period or lactostasis. After giving birth, women begin to produce colostrum and milk. It is quite normal if the process is accompanied by pain. However, pain may indicate the development of lactostasis - milk stagnation, when individual milk ducts overlap and prevent milk from coming out. In this case, you need to consult a doctor who will help in eliminating stagnation by pumping. Mothers are encouraged to frequently breastfeed their babies, express themselves, massage and keep their breasts warm.
Lack of sexual discharge, which leads to stress and depression. This can affect overall well-being.

Oncological and infectious diseases of the mammary glands

Doctors divide pain into cyclic and non-cyclic. If the pains are bilateral and cyclic, then there is no particular cause for concern. Usually we are talking about menstrual features, when the breast swells and swells shortly before menstruation. However, pain can be non-cyclic, localized from one mammary gland - in such a situation, we can talk about oncological or infectious diseases of the mammary gland.

Cyclic pain can be associated with pregnancy when the breasts increase in size, fill with blood and become tender as they prepare to feed the baby. There are certain changes in the mammary glands, which causes pain.

Also, pain can be a consequence of taking certain medications, especially hormonal ones. Here you need to consult a doctor so that he changes the drugs to others that will not affect health in this way.

Non-cyclic pain is always associated with the development of diseases. Such pains occur at any time, they have a clear localization, they can appear only in one mammary gland. By themselves, they are burning, unpleasant, cutting.

The causes of non-cyclic pain are:

Injuries, bruises, squeezing.
Postponed breast surgery.
Mastitis is an infectious disease caused by stagnation of milk, into which the bacterium penetrates through microcracks in the breast. Pain is accompanied by headaches, weakness, loss of appetite, fever.
Fibromyoma.
. With this disease, pain occurs already in the later stages. Their appearance indicates the progression of the disease.
- purulent formation in the tissues.

When is a doctor needed?

When should I contact a mammologist for advice and treatment? If the pain intensifies, is not relieved by drugs and does not go away on its own, then a doctor is definitely needed:

The appearance of edema.
The occurrence of discharge not associated with pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Redness.
Nipple retraction.
The appearance of orange peel on the skin.
Asymmetry of the mammary glands.
Change in the shape and size of the breast.

Breast cancer manifests itself in the later stages, so you should undergo regular breast examinations. It is important to observe prevention, which will save a woman from various diseases and pains.

During breastfeeding, you need to observe body hygiene, eat right, wear special underwear, and use creams to moisturize the skin of the nipples.

Forecast

Every woman should be careful about her breasts. Well, if the pain is caused by natural causes. If the causes, such as a small bra, can be quickly eliminated, then the disease will have to be treated. And the forecasts here are different. Some diseases require the use of potent drugs that cause various side effects in the body. That is why it is better not to lead to diseases at all.