Pain Management

Most of the women have experienced occasional or constant breast pain in their life.  Breast pain, or mastalgia, can cause symptoms include burning pain, tenderness or tightness in your breast tissue. The pain can vary from mild discomfort to severe burning sensation. Breast pain is more likely occur to premenopausal women. You may associate breast pain with breast cancer, take it easy, because generally speaking, breast pain is NOT commonly a symptom of cancer. So read this article and learn more about breast pain causes and treatment.

Causes of breast pain

1. Changes in hormones.

For cyclic breast pain, the leading cause is our hormones during a monthly cycle. During the second half of the cycle, the breasts tend to swell and become more tender stimulated by the estrogen and progesterone. The severity of the pain may differ from month to month, but it always becomes worse before a period and then disappears after the menstruation. Usually, in the years before menopause, the unbalance of the hormones level may cause more pain and tenderness for women. And the breast pain often goes away with pregnancy or menopause.

Other harmless causes related to the changes in hormones level include puberty in girls and sometimes for boys; during the breastfeeding, breast pain can be caused by a milk duck that has not been properly drained out, and in this case, an infection is likely to happen. This pain has little relation to cancer, but it can become severe without treatment.

2. Imbalance of fatty acid.  Caused by fatty acids imbalance within the cells, the sensitivity of breast tissue in hormones circulation can also result in breast pain.

3. Medications use

Infertility treatments, birth control pills, or other medications that will influence the hormones level can cause breast pain. Besides, breast pains can be caused by the side effect of estrogen and progesterone therapy.

4. Other causes

Caffeine may make cyclic breast pain worse since the chemical it contains can causes blood vessel to dilate. Other possible contributor of breast pain is stress.

Treatment of breast pain

The primary goal of breast pain treatment is to balance the hormone level in your body, based on this principle, possible treatment include:

Changes in lifestyles

1. Stress reduction. Too much stress can lead to a painful breast, so be relaxed and doing enjoyable things, or ask your friends for help.
2. Take dietary supplements including vitamin E, vitamin B or omega-3 to help your body maintain the hormone level.
3. Changing bras. Wearing a sports bra during exercise can effectively prevent breast pain and discomfort. And women with growing breasts should buy a new on every 6 months.

Medications

1. Apply a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine to the pain area directly to ease the symptoms.
2. Adjust birth control pills. Try other birth control methods that may not cause breast pain. Ask for your doctor’s advice when you are adjusting birth control pills.
3. Take prescription medication. Your doctor will recommend Danazol for treating breast pain, but this medication has many side effects, so consult your doctor before you take it.

Warnings

• If you are having any of the following symptoms of a possible breast cancer, go to the hospital immediately.
• Bloody or visible discharge from your nipple
• A lump does not disappear after the period
• Prolonged, constant breast pain
• Symptoms of a breast infection, including redness, pus, or fever