Breast Pain: 9 Reasons Why Your Breast Hurt

Breast pain is a common occurrence among women in certain stages of life. Up to 70% of women develop pain in one or both breasts in their lifetime.

There are plenty of risk factors that cause breast pain and breast cancer. Women between the ages of 20 and 50 are more likely to experience breast pain. It’s also common for pain to occur two weeks before their period begins.

Common types of breast pain

If you are wondering why your breasts hurt, the type of breast pain is important in determining its cause. Breast pain is classified as either cyclical or non-cyclical breast pain.

Cyclical breast pain is soreness in your breasts related to your period. It usually happens in the second half of your monthly cycle, and the pain normally gets worse in the days leading up to your period.

Non-cyclical breast pain is swelling and pain in your breasts that is not related to your menstrual cycle. For example, discomfort, swelling, or pain may occur from breastfeeding or a breast infection. Women may also have pain coming from the muscles of the chest wall which can be felt in their breasts.

Here are some common causes of breast pain:

1. hormonal fluctuation

2. breast infection (mastitis)

3. breastfeeding
4. breast cyst
5. breast injury
6. wearing the wrong bra
7. medication side effects
8. chest pain mistaken as breast pain
9. breast cancer

Hormonal fluctuation

Hormonal fluctuation is one of the most common causes of breast pain. An increase in the levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone before menstruation can cause breasts to hurt a few days before menstruation. Hormonal production during the first trimester of pregnancy also causes breast tenderness. You can also experience fluctuations in your hormone levels during puberty and menopause.

An imbalance of fatty acids in the cells can also cause women to be more sensitive to hormonal changes. A poor diet may also cause hormonal imbalance or insufficient amounts of estrogen in the body.

To ensure stability in hormone levels, you can do the following:

• Take hormonal birth control to regulate your menstrual cycle.
• Maintain an anti-inflammatory and low-fat diet.
• Take low doses of estrogen if your doctor recommends it.

Breast infection (mastitis)

Breast infection (mastitis) is normal, especially for women who breastfeed their children. Common breast infection symptoms are pain, swelling, and redness in one or more breasts. This occurs when the bacteria from the baby’s mouth goes into the milk ducts through a crack on the nipple. As a result, bacterial infection can cause pain and inflammation.

Pain relievers or over-the-counter pain medication is generally safe to take while breastfeeding and can relieve your pain temporarily. However, treatment by a breast doctor may be required and he/she may prescribe antibiotics to reduce inflammation.

If your doctor finds an abscess in your breast, treatment involves draining of the pus and you might also need to take antibiotics to clear up any underlying infection.

Breastfeeding

Many women experience breast tenderness from breastfeeding. Some symptoms you may experience include sore nipples because of cracked skin being bitten due to improper latching techniques, or a letdown that causes a tingling sensation.

Some corrective actions that you can take to help heal the breast pain or any sore nipples experienced due to breastfeeding include:

• Make sure that your baby correctly latches on to your breast. You can seek advice from a lactation consultant at ParentCraft Centre.
• Use ice packs on engorged breasts.
• Ask a healthcare professional whether or not you could benefit from a nipple shield.
• After feeding, massage some breast milk onto your nipples and allow them to dry.

Breast cyst

As a woman gets older, their breast tissue is replaced by fat. In young women, normal hormonal changes can trigger fibrocystic changes and breast cysts form. As a result, there can be fibrocystic changes and breast cysts form. Fibrocystic breasts or cysts may feel tender and lumpy. This appears on the skin of the upper part of the breasts.

Breast cysts are the accumulation of fluids in the glands of the breasts. The buildup of fluid can lead to lumps, which may cause breast pain and discomfort.

Typically breast cysts will go away on their own without treatment. However, if the cyst persists and becomes increasingly painful, visit a doctor at Thomson Breast Centre for a breast examination.

A breast specialist may perform the following treatments to get rid of cysts:

• Fine-Needle Aspiration: A thin needle is inserted into the breast lump to withdraw the fluid.
• Hormone Use: For women with severe symptoms, birth control pills or hormone therapy may help.

Breast injury

Breasts, like other parts of your body, can be injured. After trauma to your breast, tenderness or sharp pain may occur. Some of the causes of breast injury include sports, a sudden large impact on your breast, or breast implant complications.

Treat the injury with a cold pack to minimize the inflammation caused by the injury. You can also take pain relievers to manage breast pain. However, if the breast pain gets worse or you experience discharge or bleeding from the nipple, you may have to seek help from a breast specialist at Thomson Breast Centre.

Wearing the wrong bra

Using a bra of the wrong size or a bra that doesn’t provide proper support can also lead to pain and injury. The reason is that the ligaments connected to the chest wall and breast can become overstretched. This is especially true for women with large breasts. Wearing a supportive bra that is of the correct size will prevent this issue.

You can get professionally fitted at most bra stores. In general, bra straps should sit directly above the point where they are attached to the bra and the band at the back should be level with the front. The cups should not be gaping at the top when you wear the bra and neither should they be pressing down on your breasts. The bottom rims of the cups should also not be digging into your skin or riding up. A full-coverage bra or underwire bra can be suitable for women with large breasts.

Medication side effects

Breast pain can be a side effect even if you’re taking medications meant to treat other health problems. Examples of drugs that can cause this side effect include methyldopa, oxymetholone, water pills, chlorpromazine, and any hormone therapy.

Consult a doctor or medical professional to find out how to mitigate these side effects. Your doctor may advise you to pause these medications temporarily to see if the pain from the breast tissue goes away.

Chest pain mistaken as breast pain

A painful chest may be mistaken as breast pain since it can provide a similar sensation to breast pain. The chest wall is the area of tissue, bone, and muscle that protects and surrounds your lungs and heart. This soreness or pain is usually caused by a pulled muscle, bone fracture, trauma to the chest wall, or inflammation around the ribs.

The best course of action is to talk to your doctor especially if the pain is getting worse. They can perform a chest screening to identify the cause of the pain. For example, if it’s a pulled chest muscle, you can apply compression and ice. However, if it’s a bone fracture, you may be referred to other specialists for treatment.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer usually isn’t painful, and it’s very rare for cancer to cause pain. This cancer may affect one or both breasts, causing redness, discolouration, pain, or swelling.

Early diagnosis and treatment are key to managing any type of breast cancer. At Thomson Breast Centre, we can perform diagnostic screening to identify the root cause of the pain in your breast tissue.

When to consult a doctor?

Breast pain can be caused by your menstrual cycle, hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, or transitions such as menopause or puberty. However, other noncyclical breast pain may be cause for concern and you may need to see a breast specialist for medical advice. This is especially if you’re experiencing breast pain that is severe or getting worse, or accompanied by other signs such as nipple discharge, lumps, redness, or swelling.

Here’s what you can expect from the initial consultation with a breast specialist at Thomson Breast Centre. They may ask you various questions about your medical history to understand better the symptoms and reasons for your pain, such as:

• What does the breast pain feel like?
• Is the pain severe or mild?
• Is the breast pain located on one breast or both breasts?
• Have you recently performed vigorous exercises requiring your chest muscles?
• Have you recently experienced any trauma to your chest?
• Do you have a family history of a benign breast condition or breast cancer?
• When does the pain occur? When during the menstrual cycle does it most frequently occur? (pre-menstruating or during mid-cycle)

Next, the breast specialist will inspect any abnormalities on your breasts like swelling, rashes, severe redness, or skin changes. They will also examine your breasts for any possible lump or nipple discharge.

If a lump or mass is felt, your breast specialist may recommend various imaging tests for diagnosis. These tests may include an ultrasound, mammogram, MRI scan, or breast biopsy. Following the results, our specialists can then identify the cause and design a treatment plan to resolve the breast pain. Treatment may include medications and drugs, diet changes, or sometimes surgery.