Breast pain , called mastodynia , is a phenomenon with which many women find themselves having to deal with on a monthly basis, causing, in addition to the annoyance for the symptom itself, also irritability, stress and often also anxieties and fears. thought it could be a serious matter.
This state of anguish is mostly linked to the fear that pain could be the alarm bell of a malignant pathology, therefore of a breast tumor , but in reality it is difficult for a neoplasm to manifest pain as a symptom, if not in the most advanced stages. of the disease.
Before delving into what are the probable causes at the origin of the symptom, and therefore it is necessary to reassure the fact that pain is a completely natural phenomenon common to many women, which appears cyclically during the fertile life, therefore from puberty to menopause , in conjunction with ovulation and cycle (both before and after ) and is very common during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Having said these important aspects, it is however necessary to underline the need not to underestimate the symptoms and signs concerning the breast, both from an aesthetic point of view (redness, skin signs and alterations affecting the nipple) and of the structure of the breast and therefore the appearance of solid and compact formations ( breast lumps ).
How it manifests itself and what are the accompanying symptoms of breast pain Mastodynia can present itself in the form of acute and intermittent pangs in the breast , or as a continuous and constant pain. It can be located in a specific area of ​​the breast (nipple, areola or a specific quadrant) or extend to the whole breast, also affecting the shoulder and arm.
Theremastodynia can also be of the unilateral type, when it affects only one breast ( right or left without particular prevalence), or bilateral when it affects both of them. Almost always there is a greater skin sensitivity, so every slightest tactile stimulus or pressure increases the perception of pain.
In addition to breast pain, which is the topic on which we will focus our attention today, I invite you to read our in-depth information on the problems that can occur in conjunction with breast pain:
- Breast biopsy ;
- Swollen breasts ;
- Itchy breasts
- Pain in the nipples .
What are the most common causes at the origin of breast pain
Let us proceed in our treatment of the problem by going to illustrate illustrate the conditions and factors that most commonly determine episodes of mastodynia .
Hormonal changes during the fertile age
As seen above, the vast majority of episodes of breast pain, although it is a source of discomfort, can be traced back to a completely natural phenomenon, namely the fluctuations in hormone levels over the course of life fertile of a woman.
Hormones (mainly estrogen and progesterone ) in fact undergo cyclical fluctuations that are responsible for the menstrual cycleand therefore of ovulation and menstruation. These are phenomena in which the mammary gland becomes hypertrophic (therefore its volume increases considerably): the breast acquires a greater compactness and there is a greater local blood supply. All this makes the breasts swollen , turgid, painful and very sensitive.
Hormone levels not only vary monthly, determining the phases of the menstrual cycle , but also vary throughout the woman’s life, thus marking the fundamental stages of the fertile age and therefore puberty, pregnancy , breastfeeding and menopause .. Here is that these variations affect the mammary gland thus increasing the volume of the breast.
During puberty, the breasts progressively increase in size and then significantly increase in volume during pregnancy to produce breast milk during breastfeeding, while it loses tone and size in menopause . Now it is easier to understand how these multiple variations in the mammary gland also affect the surrounding tissues, generating greater pressure and the consequent sensation of pain .
Breastfeeding
Following childbirth, the mammary gland increases its volume due to the production of breast milk, and as seen before, the increase in size is reflected on the surrounding tissues, exerting greater pressure on them, resulting in a sensation of tension and pain .
When the child grows up and the first teeth appear (usually the incisors), a condition that deserves particular attention is created: the formation of fissures . These are bite wounds due to the sucking of the nipple by the child who is now equipped with teeth, capable of cutting and tearing a very delicate and sensitive tissue such as that of the nipple, and the surrounding areola, causing severe burning and pain.
These wounds, if not properly treated after exclusive medical consultation , can lead to infections and therefore to manifestations such as fever, chills and generalized malaise. It is up to a careful medical evaluation whether or not to indicate an antibiotic treatment.
Mastitis
This is an inflammatory process triggered by bacterial infections, in which the pathogen enters the mammary gland through the nipple. Symptoms are very intense, manifesting sharp pains, swollen breasts , fever, chills, and generalized malaise.
There was a belief / habit of stopping breastfeeding in case of mastitis or taking antibiotics, but:
- mastitis is not a problem for the nursing baby , who is protected by antibodies produced by the mother and supplied with the milk.
- studies have shown that different classes of drugs and antibiotics are compatible and do no harm to the child.
- continue to breastfeed and keep the breasts drained, also avoiding the onset of engorgement and edema, and help for a faster resolution of mastitis.
- the benefits of breast milk for the baby are so high that it is important to continue, supporting the mother with painkillers and antipyretics to relieve malaise and fever
As we have seen, if you are breastfeeding, your doctor can prescribe compatible drugs so you don’t have to stop breastfeeding. In fact, under the exclusive medical indication, treatment can include the administration of anti- inflammatories (such as ibuprofen), antipyretics (such as tachipirina) and antibiotics (penicillin and derivatives, erythromycin, cephalosporins).
If the women most involved in mastitis problems are those who are breastfeeding (we speak of puerperal mastitis ), mastitis in some cases can affect women outside this period ( non-puerperal mastitis ).
Clothes and undergarments
One of thethe most common causes , even if little taken into account in the diagnosis phase, are the habit of wearing too tight clothes and bras such as push-ups that compress the breasts excessively . Often synthetic fabrics are also used that can trigger skin irritation and therefore itching, skin redness and pain or clothing with porous, rough or irregular surfaces that in contact with the skin of the breast cause rubbing lesions and even real abrasions.
Use of drugs
Some drugs have among the possible side effects an annoying sensation of tension and pain in the breast. These include contraceptive drugs in both capsule and patch form and antidepressants including fluoxetine and SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
Osteo-articular inflammations
This is a decidedly less frequent case history than those seen up to now, however breast pain can be a reflex symptom that therefore does not directly concern the breast, triggered by an inflammatory process affecting the neighboring tissues . Cost-chondrite
is an example, i.e. the inflammation of the cartilages that form the junction between the sternum and the ribs, a condition that results in very intense pain perceived in a distinct way, to the point of being able to indicate the exact area of ​​pain with the finger.
Breast cancer
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, breast pain does not figure among the perceived and manifest symptoms in case of breast cancer , except in the very advanced stages of the disease. Therefore, despite the fears and anxieties that breast pain can evoke in the mind of those who suffer from it, it is necessary to reassure the fact that it is very rare that an episode of mastodynia is related to the presence of a breast cancer.
Thebreast cancer is a serious disease that unfortunately has a rather high incidence in the female population, therefore it is recommended to undergo regular self-examination and tests for prevention, as proposed by the screening campaigns.
In addition, it is recommended that you consult your general practitioner or gynecologist quickly if your breasts show skin signs such as redness, nipple retraction or the appearance of areas of the breast with orange peel skin, and again if you note the presence of nipple discharge and if you feel a lump in the breast or in the axillary cavity.
Diagnosis: what to do in case of breast pain
As reiterated, there is no need to be excessively alarmed when breast pain is perceived , in fact we have seen how in the vast majority of cases the phenomenon, although annoying, is completely natural and (unfortunately) cyclical.
Here, a slight pain concomitant with the ovulatory or premenstrual period ( before the cycle ), will most likely be linked to alterations in hormone levels. However, if the problem occurs every month and generates anxieties and fears, we recommend that you contact your general practitioner and explain the problem, so that he can help you with a drug treatment that can soothe the symptoms .
When, on the other hand, you are breastfeeding and you notice lesions and wounds on the surface of the nipple or areola or in any case if you feel breast pain accompanied by fever, chills and malaise, it is necessary to ask for a consultation as soon as possible. a doctor who, having carefully evaluated the condition, may indicate the need to stop breastfeeding and to undergo antibiotic treatment.
When, on the other hand, there are changes in the breast that concern the consistency, the external appearance, the production of secretions, the presence of itching, the appearance of areas in which the skin is dry or with an orange peel appearance, you must undergo a breast examination as soon as possible . This is to check if you are facing acarcinoma , in order to treat the problem in its early stages, significantly increasing the chances of success of the therapies.
We remind once again the importance of prevention and therefore how important it is to undergo screening tests according to the times indicated by your doctor and to carry out self-examination regularly, in order to identify the presence of nodules .
Breast painit is a symptom that, as we have understood, can be the alarm bell of very serious and important medical conditions. Therefore, we advise you not to follow up on information disclosed by untrustworthy websites, forums, Facebook groups and so on, but to rely exclusively on the information provided by your general practitioner or by a specialist in gynecology.
The latter are the only ones who have the knowledge, culture and experience to be able to provide a correct diagnosis and adequate therapy.
Share on:
