Why do my breasts hurt? What to know and why not to freak out!
This is one of the most common complaints or questions I get asked daily. I wanted to give you the most common reasons and possible remedies for your pain to put your mind at ease.
One key point is that breast pain is not necessarily associated with breast cancer! Breast cancer usually presents more as a firm, painless lump. This is important to remember because I know pain makes us believe there could be a problem, but that is not always the case mujeres!
There are different types of breast pain or mastalgia which is the medical term. Usually, they are divided into cyclic and noncyclic. Cyclic pain usually tends to worsen with ovulation, get better with your period and occurs every few weeks so it correlates usually to your cycle. Noncyclic pain is usually not associated with your period and can be on one side or both. Sometimes this pain may not even be within the breast tissue, but be more related to pain caused by a muscle or bone within the chest wall such as muscle spasms, fracture, trauma from hitting yourself or your kid hitting you by accident and even inflammation between cartilage and ribs called costochondritis. An exam by your provider will help determine where the pain is coming from. Of course, if breast pain occurs with any type of nipple discharge or skin changes this should be a reason to see your doctor as well.
But what are the common causes of breast pain?
1. Hormones! Fluctuations in hormone levels, especially in estrogen specifically. These changes happen with of course pregnancy- this is the first symptom many women notice when they are pregnant, with certain birth controls, hormone therapy during menopause and even a common complaint I see are women who are perimenopausal saying their breast pain has worsened lately, likely due more hormonal fluctuations during this period in a women's life.
2. Fibrocystic breasts! This is a phrase you see a lot when it comes to breasts. These changes make your breast feel lumpy and definitely can cause pain but not always. These changes are mainly seen in about half of women in their reproductive years because it is also usually associated with hormones. It tends to improve after menopause especially since breast tissue tends to get more fatty.
3. Large breast size! This is just a matter of anatomy. I have so many women c/o breast pain and I find most of them do have larger breasts. They not only have breast pain but also a lot of neck and back pain. If you suffer from these symptoms you could benefit from a breast reduction! A lot of my patients who have had the reduction have noticed an improvement in lifestyle and are happen with their decision. You usually have to have medical necessity in your chart for insurance to approve it so it's worth a shot.
4. Diet! I know I talk about diet and exercise but I can't stress this enough. Studies have shown that women who ingest a high-fat diet tend to have more breast pain. So cut the fats and increase your protein. Your and your breasts will be happy you did!
5. Caffeine! I know you mujeres love your daily cup of coffee! But the chemical makeup in caffeine causes breast cells to proliferate or grow and even cause more fibrocystic changes within breast tissue, therefore causing more pain. I tell my patients to minimize their caffeine but I think one cup a day is likely fine.
6. Smoking! Of course, there are so many reasons not to smoke or vape or whatever! Just get rid of those things. Some studies show that breast pain is worse in women who smoke. One more reason to quit!
So what else can I do to improve my breast pain?
-Wear a supportive bra!
-You can try Vitamin E and evening primrose oil because they possibly can reduce breast tissue inflammation and there are no known side effects.
-You can also try anti-inflammatories that are topical or oral. Most studies show these improve breast up to 90% in most cases.
-Some prescription medications are available for severe breast pain that doesn't improve after trying all the above remedies. You can discuss those with your doctor to review the risks versus benefits.
Take-home point! Remember ladies 95% of breast pain is not caused by cancer but rather hormonal or fibrocystic changes! So now you can go relax and not worry... :)
Read it, Learn it, Share it!
Dr. E
Let me know of a time you were nervous about breast pain, but it ended up being nothing!??
“Real mujeres are not perfect and that is ok. ”
Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash