Pain Under Left Breast

A week ago I went to see one of my dear friends Shirley at her place. After having a superb lunch that she cooked for me, while talking, suddenly I observed an expression of intense pain and discomfort on her face. However, it lasted for a few seconds only. On inquiring, she told me that from the past few weeks she has been experiencing sharp pain under her left breast. The pain usually comes 3 to 4 times a week and sometimes it is so severe and annoying that she is unable to breathe or move until the pain goes away. Getting worried of her condition, we decided to visit a doctor to diagnose what causes pain under left breast...

Sharp left side pain under breast may occur due to various physical and emotional health issues which may cause such severe discomfort that a person may even have sleepless nights. Although, pain under left breast is not a life-threatening disorder, there are various causes that may contribute to sudden pain under left breast. While a painful sensation or discomfort anywhere on or around the breast region may ring breast-cancer-alarm-bells for women, you would be relieved to know that breast cancer has very insignificantly little to do with any sort of pain that occurs under either of the breasts.

Causes of Pain Under Left Breast

As mentioned above, pain under left breast hardly has anything to do with the much-dreaded breast cancer. That being said, the most probable causes of pain under left breast are as follows:-

• Flatulence: The most common cause of pain under the breast region in healthy individuals, flatulence is a condition of excessive gas or air trapped in the alimentary canal which gets swallowed by eating too fast, sucking through a straw, chewing gum, etc. The gas swallowed while eating or breathing is a combination of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane which creates pressure in the abdominal cavity, causing such pressure to be conveyed to the organs in the chest cavity that are in immediate vicinity of the stomach. This gas is eventually released from the rectum, providing relief to both bloating and the sharp pain that is felt in the lower chest region.
• Angina: Angina is a common cause for chest pain under left breast which occurs when the heart doesn't receive enough oxygen rich blood. It gives a feeling of pressure or squeezing in the chest which may even radiate to shoulders, arms, neck or back of the body.
• Muscle Pinch: A muscle spasm or pinch in or around both sides of the ribs can be a probable cause of sudden pain in the left breast. Nutritional deficiencies, lack of salts and electrolytes in the body or dehydration can cause sudden, involuntary and painful contractions in the rib muscles, leading to pain under left or right breast.
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a state in which the heart muscle becomes thick that forces the heart to work harder to pump the blood. It is a serious health disorder which if not treated on time can cause sudden collapse and eventual death.
• Pleurisy: Pleurisy, also called pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs that leads to pain under left breast while breathing, coughing or sneezing. In this ailment, the inflamed pleural layers rub against each other when the lungs expand to breathe in air, causing sharp chest pain under left breast.
• Costochondritis: Although more common in children, costochondritis is an inflammation of the joints where the upper ribs connect with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone or sternum. It may cause pain in the left breast but is relatively harmless and goes away without treatment.
• Others: Ulcers, inflammation of stomach or esophagus, stress, etc., are some other probable causes for pain under left breast.

The severity of the condition primarily depends upon the cause of the disorder. Therefore, if you experience any pain or discomfort under left or right breast, it is recommended to instantly consult a doctor to diagnose the underlying cause and getting prescribed necessary medications.