Breast Pain Causes

Breast pain is medically known as mastalgia. Masto means breast and algos means pain in Greek. The other medical terms for breast pain include mastodynia and mammalgia. Studies have proven that at least 7 in 10 women have experienced breast pain once in their life. The discomfort in breasts can range from mild to severe breast pain. Many women complain of severe breast pain during their menstrual cycle.

It is a common belief that pain in any part of the body means that something is not right. Many women are on the verge of panic thinking that breast pain signifies breast cancer. The breast pain causes may not be so extreme most of the time.

Symptoms of Breast Pain
Breast pain are usually of two types, cyclic breast pain and non-cyclic breast pain. Cyclic breast pain is the most common pain experienced by women. Non-cyclic breast pain is far less common than cyclic breast pain. It is seen in women who have undergone breast biopsy or any trauma to the breast.

Symptoms of Cyclic Breast Pain

• Cyclic breast pain is related to menstrual cycle
• Dull, heavy pain
• Breast swelling or lumpiness
• Affects the upper, outer portions of both the breasts and radiates towards the underarm.
• The pain intensifies at the start of menstrual period and eases as the days go by.
• Seen in women in their 20s and 30s. Also affects perimenopausal women in their 40s.

Symptoms of Non-Cyclic Breast Pain

• Non-cyclic breast pain is not related to menstruation.
• The pain feels like a tight, burning sore.
• The pain is constant or sometimes intermittent.
• It affects a localized area in one breast and may spread across the whole breast.
• It is seen in post menopausal women in 40s and 50s.

Causes of Breast Pain
Have you ever wondered what causes breast pain? There are many breast pain causes that lead to discomfort in your breasts. Following are the list of causes of breast pain:

• Hormones: It is seen that cyclic breast pain is linked to hormones. The hormonal changes during periods, pregnancy and after pregnancy play a major role in breast pain.
• Retention of Water: During periods, breasts absorb extra fluid instead of discharging it. This water retention may also cause breast pain.
• Physical factors: Non-cyclic breast pain is caused due to breast cysts, trauma, breast surgery and other factors related to the breast.
• Imbalance of Fatty Acids: The fatty acid imbalance affects the breast tissue cell sensitivity to hormone circulation. Thus, it is advised to take primrose oil capsules to restore fatty acid balance in the evening.
• Size of Breast: It is seen that heavy chested women suffer from non-cyclic breast pain. This breast pain is accompanied by neck pain, shoulder pain and back pain.
• Medications: Oral contraceptives and infertility treatments also cause breast pain. Estrogen and progesterone hormone replacement therapy lead to breast tenderness. Intake of certain antidepressants may also be possible breast pain causes.
• Infection: A possible microbial infection may lead to breast pain.
• Cancer: Breast cancer may be a possible cause of breast pain. But pain is a very unusual symptom of breast pain.
• Other Causes: Hormone replacement therapy, weight gain, unfitting bras and tumors may be other breast pain causes. You should keep in mind that not all tumors point towards breast cancer. It is best for your doctor to decide whether the tumor is a form of cancer or not.

If you experience any discomfort or pain in the breast that is unusual, consult a doctor for further examination. Most of the breast pain causes are mysterious without a valid reason. If you are anxious about the breast pain cause, speak to your doctor. Search for solutions and breast pain treatments that will prove beneficial to you. Timely medical intervention will prove beneficial to you.