Women often complain of breast pain.
Breast pain also called mastalgia may be constant or it may occur only occasionally.
Women describe it as tenderness, throbbing, sharp, stabbing, burning pain or tightness in the breast tissue.
Most times, breast pain signals a noncancerous (benign) breast condition and rarely indicates breast cancer. Unexplained breast pain that doesn't go away after one or two menstrual cycles, or that persists after menopause, or breast pain that doesn't seem to be related to hormone changes needs to be evaluated.
Make an appointment with your doctor if breast pain:
- Continues for more than a couple of weeks
- Occurs daily
- Occurs in one specific area of your breast
- Seems to be getting worse over time
Prevention
The following steps may help prevent the causes of breast pain, although more research is needed to determine their effectiveness.
It is recommended to:
- Avoid hormone therapy if possible.
- Avoid medications that are known to cause breast pain or make it worse.
- Wear a properly fitted bra
- Wear a sports bra during exercise.
- Try relaxation therapy, which can help control the high levels of anxiety associated with severe breast pain.
- Limit or eliminate caffeine
- Avoid excessive or prolonged lifting activities.
- Follow a low-fat diet and eat more complex carbohydrates.
- Consider using an over-the-counter pain reliever, but ask your doctor how much to take, as long-term use may increase your risk of liver problems and other side effects.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20350423
