Almost every woman has experienced chest pain in her life. There can be many reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon: from a banal osteochondrosis to a formidable oncological disease. Someone has chest pain on certain days of the cycle and the pain becomes habitual, someone experiences painful sensations while feeding the baby. Let's see what diseases cause mastodynia - painful sensations in the chest and what to do if they do not appear.

Which doctor to contact

Modern medicine is sure of one thing - the breast of a healthy woman does not cause painful sensations. Any pain is a wake-up call that not all is well in the body. You need to undergo an examination, take tests, sign up for an ultrasound scan. With painful sensations in the mammary glands, you need to come to an appointment with a gynecologist or, if possible, a mammologist. If a woman is at risk for oncology, a gynecologist can give a referral to an oncologist. If the gynecologist does not identify obvious hormonal and other reasons for the appearance of pain, it is worth visiting a neurologist and being examined for osteochondrosis. As well as a cardiologist and do an EKG.

Chest pain and pregnancy

Literally a few hours after conception, the woman's body begins hormonal changes and the mammary glands are the first to react to this. A woman who is especially attentive to herself can even determine the onset of pregnancy by breast swelling and an increase in the level of her sensitivity. Chest pain can accompany a woman throughout pregnancy, or it can stop in the first trimester and no longer appear. These are all variants of the norm.

To reduce painful sensations in the chest, you should carefully consider the choice of a bra. Breast size gradually increases during pregnancy. It is possible that your underwear will need to be changed several times. Preference should be given to products made from natural fabrics. From the second half of pregnancy, the bra can be left on even at night.

However, if the pain is pronounced, the chest thickens and begins to react painfully to any touch, and redness appears on the gland and nodules begin to be felt, it is possible that this is how the onset of mastitis or lactostasis manifests itself. Lactostasis is stagnation of milk or colostrum in the milk ducts, and mastitis is an inflammatory disease of an infectious and non-infectious nature. With both diseases, it is imperative to urgently consult a doctor and begin treatment.

Breast pain while breastfeeding

When breastfeeding, a young mother may experience pain due to an improperly organized process, non-observance of feeding hygiene, or simply due to inability. Many are holding the baby incorrectly or weaning the baby incorrectly. As a result, he bites the nipple with his gums. And this can lead to bruises and abrasions. After feeding, the nipple should be lubricated with special ointments (bepanten, solcoseryl) to prevent it from drying out. If the nipple is not hygienic, a painful fissure may develop. A cracked nipple is the gateway for infection.

Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast tissue caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Mastitis must be distinguished from lactostasis, since the symptoms of the onset of the disease are similar, and the treatment is different. Mastitis is characterized by an increase in temperature, a deterioration in general well-being. The chest hurts, part of it turns red, begins to gradually thicken. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, mastitis can lead to the development of an abscess and phlegmon.

Lactostasis is stagnation of milk in the milk ducts. Lactostasis can develop as a result of the narrowness of the ducts or their blockage. An excess of milk may be the cause. Insufficient expression of the breast leads to increased pressure in its ducts, which causes swelling, tissue inflammation and soreness. With lactostasis, an increase in temperature is rarely observed. The breast tissue thickens and becomes tense and painful. A venous pattern appears on the skin. To get rid of lactostasis, you need to limit drinking, more often apply the baby to the breast and start expressing milk on your own. Frequent lactostasis is conducive to the development of mastitis.

Chest hurts during menstruation

For many women, menstruation also accompanies chest pain. Tenderness and pain in the chest can be felt as much as 10 days before menstruation, and during them, and even after. Some have chest pain during ovulation. In general, this disease is called mastopathy and it is associated with the proliferation of internal tissues, usually against the background of hormonal changes. Constant stress, anxiety, depression, excessive nervous tension can lead to mastopathy.

Mastopathy is characterized by pain in the chest, its increase in size and discharge from the nipples. Unpleasant sensations are intensified when touched. The pains can be aching, bursting and dull. Sometimes painful sensations can spread to the area under the breast and into the armpits.

The general term mastopathy refers to a number of diseases occurring in the mammary gland. Mastopathy can be:
- diffuse fibrocystic with a predominance of the glandular component or fibrous, or cystic, or a mixed type component;
- nodular fibrocystic.

Many forms of mastopathy are not dangerous and only cause discomfort. However, some can lead to the development of a more formidable disease - breast cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to timely identify the causes of mastopathy and eliminate them. Mastopathy can occur at any age, in one form or another it is diagnosed in 90% of women. However, in general, this disease begins to develop after 40 years.

For early detection and diagnosis of mastopathy, as well as early forms of breast cancer, women under 40 years old should undergo an ultrasound scan of the mammary glands 2 times a year, and after 40 - mammography. All studies are carried out on the 8-10th day of the cycle. Mastopathy is caused by hormonal imbalance, therefore, hormones are tested to prescribe treatment.

Fibroadenomas and cysts

It happens that on an ultrasound examination, a woman is found to have fibroadenoma: a benign formation that occurs against a background of hormonal disorders. This is a nodular pathology of breast tissue, arising from the abnormal development of cells of the glandular and connective tissue of the breast. Usually, fibroadenoma does not manifest itself as painful sensations, but is felt as a lump in the chest to the touch.

However, there is a form of fibroadenoma in which it grows to a very large size - phylloid fibroadenoma. It is a marker of breast cancer risk. Phyloid fibroadenoma can involve a very large part of the breast and cause severe pain. The rate of transformation of this form of fibroadenoma into a malignant form reaches 10%.

Not all fibroadenomas are treated with surgery. However, even if a large fibroadenoma is removed surgically, but the hormonal balance is not normalized, the likelihood of the appearance of new formations is high.

A growing cyst in the chest can also cause bursting pain. A cyst is a capsule with a cavity filled with liquid contents. One or more cysts in the chest may form. Large formations press on nearby tissues, which causes soreness. Most often, pain syndrome is observed before menstruation. The cyst is detected mainly by palpation or ultrasound.

If a cyst suddenly begins to manifest itself with a sharp jerking pain and an increase in temperature, then its inflammation has begun. An urgent need to see a doctor before the abscess begins. The pain in this case takes on a pulsating hue and radiates to the neck or shoulder blades. The inflammatory process proceeds against the background of general weakness, sometimes with nausea and vomiting. The chest becomes hot, the skin at the location of the cyst turns red.

Breast pain in breast cancer

As oncologists say: not all mastopathy leads to cancer, but all breast cancer begins with mastopathy. If a woman is at risk for breast cancer, has a maternal hereditary disposition, smokes, suffers from hormonal disorders, obesity, etc., close attention should be paid to the early detection of breast cancer.

Early breast cancer does not manifest itself with any sensations, is not palpable and does not hurt. At an early stage, breast cancer cannot be detected even by self-examination methods. Its onset can only be determined by diagnostic methods: ultrasound, mammography, CT, MRI and puncture. If pain occurs, weight loss, swelling of the arm, and swollen lymph nodes are usually already observed. That is, the disease has developed up to stage 3-4.

Other chest pains

Very often, pains of joint or muscle origin can be given to the chest. For example, severe dull pain can manifest osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. Osteochondrosis is often the cause of myositis of the muscles located around the spine. They can also cause severe pain in the chest area. These pains can be easily confused with the pain observed with mastopathy. To identify thoracic osteochondrosis, it is necessary to make an X-ray of the thoracic spine in two projections.

With osteochondrosis and other diseases of the spine, the thoracic nerve roots are pinched and very painful intercostal neuralgia can develop. Pain in intercostal neuralgia is diffuse in nature and can affect not only the mammary glands, but also the back, arms, shoulders, lower back. Neuralgia is characterized by increased pain when inhaling.

In addition, chest pain can be caused by wearing the wrong bra, overly tight bikini and other inappropriate clothing for the bust. The chest can hurt for a long time after an injury or bruise.

In some women, after conception, their breasts begin to hurt. This symptom is considered one of the early signs of pregnancy, but it can develop for other reasons. Sometimes the soreness is uncomfortable and is accompanied by other changes affecting the mammary glands. Find out the causes of pain and find out how you can relieve it.

The mammary gland is a hormone-dependent organ of the female body, that is, it reacts sharply to changes in hormonal levels. Hormone levels change almost constantly throughout the menstrual cycle. In the first follicular phase, under the influence of follicle-stimulating hormone, the dominant follicle grows. In the ovulatory phase, luteinizing hormone stimulates the final maturation of the egg and its release from the ruptured follicle.

Global changes begin after ovulation. The corpus luteum, formed at the site of the ruptured follicle, triggers the production of progesterone. It is called a pregnancy hormone and is responsible for preparing a woman's body for the process of carrying a fetus. It is the increase in progesterone levels that causes changes affecting the reproductive system, of which the mammary glands are a part.

Progesterone performs several important functions: it reduces the tone of the uterus and reduces the risk of miscarriage in the early stages, prepares the walls of this organ for the introduction of the ovum, prevents the rejection of the embryo by the mother's body and prepares the mammary glands for the forthcoming appearance of the baby. The increase in the amount of this hormone in the blood continues after ovulation and is observed until the end of the menstrual cycle, that is, before the onset of menstruation. During this period, some women develop premenstrual syndrome, one of the symptoms of which is breast tenderness. It occurs under the influence of progesterone and is caused by changes in the structure, in particular the growth of glandular tissues.

What happens in the body after conception?

Once fertilization occurs, progesterone levels rise rapidly, causing a number of changes. Under its influence, the structure of the mammary glands changes, because they begin to prepare for breastfeeding. And the final formation of the breast in women occurs precisely during pregnancy. During this period, the lobes and alveoli develop, the milk ducts gradually expand, through which milk will pass after the birth of the baby.

During pregnancy, the structure of the mammary glands undergoes changes. Glandular tissues develop, increase in volume under the influence of progesterone. In this case, the connecting ones remain in their original state and do not participate in the process. Later, the hormone prolactin begins to be synthesized, which also prepares the breast for lactation and stimulates the active development of the alveoli, which are responsible for milk production.

Reasons for pain

Why does the chest hurt after conception? Soreness occurs due to changes occurring in the mammary glands. The glandular tissues are actively growing, while the volume of adipose and connective tissues is preserved. This provokes compression of the vascular and nerve endings and bundles responsible for the blood supply and innervation of the organ. That is why soreness is observed. In addition, there is a rush of blood into the mammary glands, blood vessels and capillaries expand, which can also be accompanied by unpleasant sensations.

Thus, the main causes of chest pain during pregnancy are changes in hormonal levels associated with the conception that have occurred, designed to prepare the body of the expectant mother for the birth of a child and change the structure of the mammary glands.

Pain and other symptoms affecting the chest

After conception, the following symptoms are observed that affect the female breast:

Soreness. Minor aching or dull pains may be felt, aggravated by mechanical action (pressing, squeezing underwear).
Increased sensitivity. After fertilization, the breast can react sharply to any impact, including touching, rubbing against the bra. Such changes will allow in the future to stimulate the flow of milk upon contact with the baby.
Engorgement of the mammary glands. They become denser, more elastic: on palpation, one can clearly feel the lobules and glandular tissues, which in structure resemble clusters of small peas or grape bunches.
Increase in the size of the nipple and areola, hyperpigmentation (darkening). This area of the breast becomes more voluminous and darker so that the baby can see and recognize it immediately after birth.
In the third trimester, under the influence of prolactin, colostrum can be secreted - a yellowish-transparent thick liquid that comes out of the nipples. Sometimes the discharge is profuse and leaves marks on underwear and clothing.
The swelling of the veins is due to their blood filling. They can grow in size, stand out and darken.

When does soreness occur?

When does chest pain appear? It is impossible to name the exact period of the appearance of the symptom, since the changes and symptoms are purely individual. Some women feel the first manifestations already a few days after conception, others begin to feel changes after a delay. It all depends on the level of hormones and the sensitivity of the expectant mother. So, if her chest almost never hurt, including the PMS period, then after conception the signs may be absent.

When will the pain stop?

Soreness in many women persists during the first trimester, that is, for three months after conception. During the second trimester, the breast may continue to enlarge, but less rapidly and without obvious symptoms. Before childbirth, pain may reappear due to the rapid rise in prolactin levels. But unpleasant sensations can be observed almost throughout pregnancy, this is not a deviation and is due to increased sensitivity.

How to relieve discomfort?

If the breast begins to hurt after conception, and the sensations cause discomfort, you can alleviate the condition. To do this, the expectant mother can follow several tips:

It is imperative to choose underwear that is comfortable and appropriate. The bra must be of the correct size and anatomically correct cup shape. He cannot squeeze and tighten the mammary glands. It is advisable to choose underwear made from natural, elastic and breathable materials, such as knitwear. Wide straps will help to provide adequate support and to distribute the weight of the chest. You should be prepared for the fact that the bra will have to be changed several times as the breast volume increases.
A warm bath or shower can help you relax and reduce soreness. You can also massage with a shower head.
Avoid mechanical stress and intense stress on the chest. But simple exercises, on the contrary, will be beneficial, improve blood circulation and strengthen the muscular system.
It is worth limiting the use of salt, as it retains fluid in the body and provokes swelling of tissues, including the mammary glands.
You can make warm compresses with decoctions of medicinal herbs: chamomile, string, calendula.

Free maternity bra.

When to sound the alarm: pathological causes of breast tenderness

Sometimes the pain is not associated with pregnancy, but due to pathological reasons. One of them is mastopathy. The disease is very common and is characterized by abnormal tissue growth and changes in the structure of the mammary glands. Often the symptoms of mastopathy after pregnancy fade away or disappear altogether, which is associated with the positive effect of progesterone, which suppresses the activity of estrogens. But exacerbations after conception are possible.

The video tells in detail about fibrocystic mastopathy, as well as why the chest hurts.

Another possible cause of pain is neoplasms. They can be benign (fibromas, cysts, fibroadenomas) or malignant, that is, cancerous. During pregnancy, the active growth of the tumor may begin: it will begin to squeeze the nerve endings and lobes, causing unpleasant manifestations. With multiple neoplasms, sensations affect both breasts, if the neoplasm is single, then the symptoms will be one-sided.

If the chest does not hurt at all

If the chest does not hurt at all, this is not a deviation. Perhaps the changes are simply imperceptible due to the low sensitivity and high pain threshold. In this case, the mammary glands will change, because they must prepare for breastfeeding. Soreness and other change-related symptoms are less pronounced during the second and subsequent pregnancies, as the mother's body is already adapted and prepared.

A sharp cessation of pain and other signs of pregnancy should be alerted. If the breast suddenly stops hurting and swelling, the levels of important hormones may have decreased and the fetus is in danger. In this case, you need to see a doctor.

Having learned why, after the conception occurred in women, the chest hurts, you can understand that the symptom is normal and is due to physiological changes in the body of the expectant mother. And following simple recommendations will help relieve pain.

In contact with

Painful discomfort in the mammary glands is not always provoked by a pathological process. An unpleasant condition in some women develops due to hormonal changes at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy or menopause.

When a woman who has a sore breast gland seeks her doctor, important attention is paid to determining the sympathetic picture. What is the nature of pain sensations, their frequency, localization, duration of each attack. Experts classify pain by whether or not there is a periodicity in their onset.

In medicine, there is a division into 2 types of pathological sensations in the mammary gland:

Non-cyclical. The peculiarities of such pain are not associated with the onset of menstruation. In most cases, they are permanent, affecting only one breast or some part of it.
Cyclic. Such sensations directly depend on the phase of the menstrual cycle.

A decrease or increase in the level of sex hormones throughout a woman's life has a stimulating or relaxing effect on the ducts of the mammary glands. Breast enlargement, swelling, and soreness depend on blood flow to them when pregnancy or menstruation begins.

Causes of cyclical pain

In the first days of menstruation, the content of estrogen rises, this contributes to the appearance of painful sensations not only in the uterus, but also in the mammary glands. In some women, discomfort develops 5-7 days before the start of the cycle. The breasts swell a lot, it hurts to touch them. This is especially troubling for girls during puberty. In adolescents, chest pain is associated with the development and enlargement of the mammary glands.

Premenstrual syndrome manifests itself individually in every woman. This is influenced by many factors, including the nervous and physical condition, features of the endocrine system. Pain in the mammary gland is accompanied by heaviness in the lower abdomen, it can be aching or stabbing. After the end of the cycle, health is restored, and treatment is not required.

Why non-cyclic pains bother

Painful sensations in the chest may not be related to the menstrual cycle. Often, only one gland is affected. At the initial stage, non-cyclic pains are mainly aching, then they turn into a more intense stage.

During pregnancy

A few weeks after conception, the woman is not only nauseous, but her breasts also begin to swell. The content of prolactin increases, as a result of which the milk ducts grow, and the amount of glandular tissue increases. Some pregnant women even feel painful to touch their breasts.

Increased breast sensitivity is associated with a change in hormonal levels. High levels of estrogen and chorionic gonadotropin provoke the formation of secretions, and in the last months of pregnancy - colostrum. After the baby is born, when milk begins to arrive and the breasts increase, the risks of mastitis increase. Thorough expression and good hygiene are essential.

With menopause

Soreness of the mammary glands is noted with menopause. A woman is worried about weakness, dizziness, frequent mood swings. Hot flashes develop, pulsation in both breasts, pain is cutting and encircling. Features of the female psyche are such that during this period libido decreases and sex becomes uninteresting.

The special sensitivity of the mammary glands during menopause is associated with sharp jumps or drops in the level of sex hormones. Taking medications, stress, obesity, and alcohol abuse can aggravate painful symptoms.

Development of diseases

Often, chest pains are a symptom of various diseases. In pathologies associated with disturbances in the work of the heart, aching sensations disturb in the left chest, they are given to the hand. Pain in the hypochondrium and right breast are characteristic signs of liver problems.

If there is neuralgia, then the chest hurts from the side, tingling begins with increased breathing, while walking.

Mastopathy is manifested by dull aching pains already at a late stage, when the risks of the condition developing into a malignant tumor are high. This disease is characterized by growths of the internal tissues of the mammary gland with the formation of nodes and cystic voids in them.

Fibroadenoma refers to benign breast tumors, which in extremely advanced cases degenerates into a malignant tumor. Painful seals appear in both glands at once. The most effective treatment is surgery.

With an infectious lesion of the mammary glands, mastitis develops during the feeding period. Its main cause is purulent inflammation of the ducts during milk stagnation. Mastitis develops in one or both breasts. In addition to severe throbbing pains, it is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, redness and swelling of the glands.

Early stage breast cancer never bothers a woman. The disease is dangerous because the first uncomfortable sensations develop at the second stage, when an internal malignant lesion has already caused dangerous structural changes in the mammary gland.

Pains appear in any part of the chest, accompanied by redness and shapeless nodules, which only increase over time. Burning girdle pain, and nausea constantly bother the patient, the lymph nodes are enlarged.

Tight underwear

A feeling of heaviness in the chest develops due to the use of tight underwear. There is a violation of blood microcirculation in the mammary glands, lymph stagnation is noted. This factor is often called by mammologists the main cause of the formation of not only inflammatory processes, but also malignant tumors.

Bad habits

Breast pain often develops in women who smoke. Smoking disrupts the normal functioning of the respiratory system. Sometimes discomfort manifests itself with dangerous lung lesions, including tuberculosis and cancer.

The clinical picture is accompanied by shortness of breath, severe and tearing cough. Doctors focus on the fact that with an addiction, pain in the mammary glands manifests itself much more acutely than in other women.

When to see a doctor

Chest pain in a woman is a dangerous signal for an immediate visit to the clinic for examination in the following cases:

If there is a change in the size or shape of the mammary glands.
With the appearance of discharge from the nipples or their deformation.
If breast tissue hardening is found or axillary lymph nodes are enlarged.
With redness and wrinkling of the skin on the chest.

Unpleasant sensations in the chest area, in which it begins to pulsate strongly and the body temperature rises, indicate an acute inflammatory process. To prevent complications of pathology, the visit to the doctor cannot be postponed. Self-medication at home for pain syndrome that bothers more than 12-14 days is unacceptable.

Diagnosis of breast diseases

If the mammary gland hurts during pregnancy or during menstruation, then treatment is not required. However, if there is discomfort in the chest for more than 2 weeks, as well as if hardening or redness appears, an immediate consultation with a mammologist is required.
The following examinations help to make the correct diagnosis:

Palpation. Helps to identify seals, breast edema, changes in symmetry. It is necessary to carefully examine the lymph nodes in the armpit on both sides.
Uzi. Special equipment allows the doctor to diagnose seals, determine their location and size.
Mammography. The essence of this examination is an X-ray of the mammary glands, with the help of which it is possible to determine the features of tissue changes and the level of their distribution.
Ductography. Diagnostics of the milk ducts by means of X-ray with the introduction of a radiopaque substance.
Biopsy. The method in which the tissue, removed after the operation of the neoplasm is examined.
Pneumocystography. This diagnosis refers to a type of biopsy, its essence lies in taking the contents of the tumor with a long needle.

The risk group consists of women who have never given birth or have had several abortions. Regular diagnostics should be carried out with a hereditary predisposition to cancer. An annual visit to a mammologist is required for patients with overweight, large breasts, endocrine diseases and diabetes mellitus.

It is normal for even one breast to have pain on the eve of your period. But if the discomfort does not go away, there are seals or discharge from the mammary gland, mastopathy, oncology are not excluded.

What warns about pain in one of the mammary glands before menstruation

All women know how the mammary glands sometimes hurt in this or that life situation. With the onset of the menstrual cycle, under the influence of hormones, the breast undergoes changes every month. Often women wonder why one breast hurts before menstruation.

Why does chest discomfort correlate with the phases of the menstrual cycle? The female breast is directly related to the reproductive system. The entire menstrual cycle is a kind of preparation of the body for the possible conception of a child. This applies not only to the pelvic organs, but also to the mammary glands. The size of the breast and the functions it performs depend on the amount of hormones produced by the body. The main task of the gland is to produce milk for the offspring, so the breast is also included in the preparation phase for a possible pregnancy.

Before menstruation, an increase occurs and, the woman experiences a feeling of fullness, some pain. Can only one breast hurt before menstruation? These changes are quite physiological and are the body's response to hormone surges. Increased breast tenderness appears on the eve of ovulation. At this time, soreness and other symptoms are possible, this happens approximately.

Why does one chest hurt?

Everyone has a different physiology, and every woman feels this discomfort in her own way. before menstruation is designated by doctors as cyclic mastodynia or mastalgia, and is one of the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. On average, unpleasant symptoms can be observed for about 10 days.

Mastodynia can manifest itself without any regularity and periodicity, while it is possible that only one breast hurts.

Mastodynia can be accompanied by poor health, depression, and other PMS symptoms. Discomfort goes away after the onset of menstruation, usually after 2-3 days. Sometimes chest pains before menstruation suddenly stop after several years, why is this happening?

This is due to the establishment of balance and the required amount of hormones that the body produces. The formation and normal functioning of the breast depends on the main hormones: estrogen, prolactin, progesterone and testosterone. An excess of some and a lack of others leads to uncomfortable sensations, poor health and illness.

The pain is explained by the fact that conception has occurred. The body reacts with a sharp change in hormonal levels. Menstruation does not occur, and pain appears in one or both breasts.

Causes of pathological pain

Often the reason why the chest hurts before menstruation is mastopathy. Pathology affects women between the ages of 20 and 60, and every third woman in the world suffers from this disease. Painful sensations are present both before and after menstruation. When examining and palpating the breast, the doctor can feel small nodules and seals characteristic of mastopathy.

After clarifying the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed a course of treatment. If a woman neglects the advice of a specialist and is not treated, a benign or malignant tumor may develop in the breast. When oncological neoplasms appear, at the first stage, the pain is weak. Symptoms increase over time, and pain may spread to the other breast. The progression of the disease contributes to the "dispersal" of metastases throughout the body.

Gynecological diseases can provoke pain in the mammary gland. At the same time, symptoms such as itching in the vagina, and menstrual irregularities occur. Usually, an adult woman knows well the characteristics of her body, so when strange and incomprehensible symptoms appear, you should not waste time, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Diagnostics

If a woman cannot independently determine why her chest hurts, it is necessary to visit a doctor. In addition to a mammologist, you will need advice from a gynecologist and an endocrinologist. To find the cause of the pain and make a diagnosis, the following procedures will be required:

mammography;
in the second phase of the cycle is carried out;
study of the level of sex hormones and thyroid hormones;
tests for tumor markers;
ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs;
radiothermometry procedure.

In addition, it will be useful for any woman to learn how to examine her breasts. The examination should be carried out every month, standing in front of a mirror. First, you should visually determine if there are any changes in the shape of the mammary gland and nipples. Then, with one hand, you need to lift the corresponding breast from below, with the other, feel it starting from the periphery and moving towards the nipple. It is necessary to make sure that there are no tubercles, strands, seals, and there is no discharge from the nipple.

A woman should remember that sometimes a pronounced pain syndrome does not correspond to the severity of the disease, for example, with a mild stage of mastopathy. And sometimes a serious oncological pathology develops almost asymptomatically. Therefore, it is better to play it safe, and at the slightest unusual painful sensations in the chest, see a doctor.

Treatment and prevention

If the chest hurts slightly before menstruation, and after a few days the discomfort disappears, treatment is not required. With mastopathy, pain may be present all the time. There are two forms of the disease: diffuse, when the breast evenly increases and thickens, and fibrous.

The fibrous form is characterized by the formation of nodules in the thickness of the breast.

The main symptoms are feelings of heaviness and distention, while the nipple becomes very painful. Why does mastopathy develop? The disease is caused by endocrine disorders, while treatment mainly consists in the use of drugs that stabilize the hormonal background.

A woman, for her part, can improve her well-being by revising her diet, excluding fatty foods, salt, strong tea, and coffee. And also it is necessary to reduce the amount of fluid. It is best not to wear tight-fitting clothing before your period. The bra should be in size, comfortable and soft, but firmly fixing the chest.

The best prevention of chest pain is to transition to a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet. It must be remembered that constant anxiety, stress or depression negatively affects the state of women's health and the mammary glands, in particular.

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The condition of the female mammary glands directly depends on the ratio of sex hormones, which constantly changes throughout life. If pain appears in the mammary gland, then the woman begins to analyze what she may be associated with, she is frightened of the accompanying symptoms. Often worries are in vain, sensations are caused by reasons that have nothing to do with breast diseases. But often a painful reaction is a symptom of a pathology in the tissues of the gland, requiring immediate examination.

Content:

Classification of chest pain

When a woman goes to a doctor with complaints of painful symptoms in the chest area, the first thing the doctor asks about is the nature of pain sensations, their duration, frequency, localization. The main sign by which the pain arising in the mammary glands is classified is the presence or absence of the frequency of their onset.

There are 2 types of painful sensations:

Non-cyclical. Their duration and intensity have nothing to do with menstruation (for example, pain due to bruised chest, breast disease). Non-cyclical pain sensations most often occur in one breast, are localized in a certain area, are permanent, and can intensify over time.
Cyclic. Their occurrence is associated with the processes of the production of certain hormones in different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Immediately after menstruation, estrogen levels rise, which leads to the formation of a new egg in the ovary. After about 14 days, she matures, ovulation occurs. As a result of the fertilization of an egg, a woman becomes pregnant. At this time, the level of progesterone rises, the embryo enters the uterus, and its development begins. There are changes in the mammary glands, and pulling pains in the chest may occur.

If the egg is not fertilized, then the ratio of hormones changes in the opposite direction, leading to the removal of the egg along with the uterine lining. Menstruation begins, a process associated with pain, both in the uterus and in the mammary gland. After menstruation, they pass if the woman's health is all right.

The nature of pain

Mastalgia (also called mastodynia) is pain in the mammary gland. It can be stabbing, cutting, shooting, aching, burning, pulsating, constant. The pain can be given to the shoulder, accompanied by a feeling of distension of the chest due to the resulting swelling of the soft tissues.

By the nature of the sensations, the doctor will make an assumption about the presence of the disease.

Causes of pain

The causes of chest pain can be:

hormonal processes associated with the menstrual cycle;
changes in breast tissue during pregnancy;
breast diseases;
chest trauma;
breast surgery;
diseases of other organs and systems of the body.

Causes of cyclical pain

PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is one of the main sources of cyclical chest pain. Aching or stabbing pain occurs a few days before menstruation and ends after it. Painful sensations are accompanied by swelling of the breast, touching it becomes painful due to tissue edema.

The emergence of such a syndrome is associated with various factors: the state of the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular systems, metabolic rate. Therefore, the nature and strength of feelings associated with PMS is individual for women.

Painful sensations during ovulation (rupture of the follicle and release of the egg). Many women do not feel it.

The intensity of pain can be affected by the features of the anatomical structure and size of the breast. Usually, pain that occurs in the mammary gland due to hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle does not require treatment.

Video: Breast pain associated with menstruation

Chest pain during pregnancy

Significant hormonal changes are observed in a woman's body during pregnancy. An increase in prolactin levels leads to an increase in the number of cells of the glandular tissue, proliferation of the milk ducts and the vascular system. In the mammary gland, preparation for lactation occurs, an increase in the volume of the gland, pressure on the nerve endings of neighboring tissues increases, which causes painful sensations.

Chest pain during menopause

During menopause, a significant hormonal shift again occurs in a woman's body. In some cases, this can lead to the appearance of breast disease. As a rule, in younger women, menstrual irregularities occur, due to which they go to the doctor. This allows you to notice the symptoms of diseases in a timely manner.

With menopause, menstruation is no longer regular and may disappear altogether. The appearance of pain in the chest is sometimes the only symptom for which a serious illness is detected. Therefore, the occurrence of pain during menopause should alert a woman and force her to go to a doctor for a checkup: a gynecologist, mammologist, endocrinologist.

Diseases that cause chest pain

Sometimes chest pains become a concomitant symptom of diseases of other organs. For example, with heart disease, a woman is worried about aching pain in the left chest. With liver diseases, a painful sensation arises in the hypochondrium and is given to the right chest.

The source of painful sensations can be neuralgia, inflammation of the intercostal nerve. In this case, the stabbing pain increases with breathing, walking, and is given in the back, depending on the position of the body.

Diseases of the mammary glands as a cause of pain

Mastopathy- pathological proliferation of the connective and glandular tissue of the mammary gland with the formation of individual nodes and cystic voids in its tissues. Sometimes nipple discharge appears. Aching dull pain is not always felt right away, it may appear already at a later, dangerous stage of the disease, when mastopathy can degenerate into a malignant tumor.

Video: Pain in the mammary glands with mastopathy

Fibroadenoma- a benign tumor in which painful lumps appear in one or both glands. Usually, when found, they are removed to prevent them from degenerating into cancer.

Mastitis- infectious inflammation of the mammary glands. Usually occurs during lactation. Cracks that form on the nipples when feeding a baby, as well as stagnant milk, cause purulent inflammation of the ducts. The process is very painful, accompanied by an increase in temperature, swelling and redness of the gland. Occurs in one breast or both. Requires antibiotic treatment or surgery.

Mammary cancer... The pain occurs in various parts of the chest. In the early stages, the woman may not bother. Symptoms of this disease are changes in the structure of the skin of the chest, redness, the formation of shapeless dense nodules, which gradually become very painful. Burning pain becomes constant, there is an increase in axillary lymph nodes, which causes additional pain.

The importance of breast self-examination

Breast pain is very common. If it is associated with menstruation or pregnancy, then no treatment is often required.

Women should have regular breast self-examinations. In the reproductive period, it is recommended to do this 5-7 days from the beginning of each menstruation, when the breasts are soft. During menopause, when the cycle is disrupted or menstruation is completely absent, breast self-examination is carried out once a month on any day. Self-diagnosis is necessary in order to notice the slightest changes in the breast tissue. If pain not related to the cycle occurs, it is necessary to see a doctor as soon as possible, especially when the exhausting pain disrupts the normal rhythm of a woman's life.

A warning: If continuous chest pain lasts more than 2 weeks, if after menstruation (when it should not be normal), it not only does not disappear, but also intensifies, this may be a sign of a serious illness. The situation deserves special attention when pain appears in one gland, its separate areas.

At-risk groups

The risk of chest pain is increased in women in the following cases:

if they did not give birth at all or gave birth to only 1 child;
have repeatedly had abortions;
after giving birth, they could not or refused to breastfeed the baby;
are overweight or have large breasts;
have a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer;
have an irregular sex life;
suffer from diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases;
suffered chest injuries.

Stress and bad habits increase the likelihood of breast disease and pain.

Diagnosis for chest pain

Palpation. Allows you to carefully examine the condition of the breast manually, detect seals, tissue edema, external changes, violation of the symmetry of the mammary glands. Lymph nodes in the armpit are also examined.

Ultrasound. Allows you to detect seals, establish their size and location.

Mammography- X-ray of the mammary gland, which allows to establish the nature of changes in its tissues and the degree of their distribution.

Ductography- X-ray examination of the milk ducts, into which the radiopaque contrast agent is launched.

Biopsy. The tissue removed during the operation of the seal is selected and examined under a microscope. This allows you to accurately establish the nature of the lesion and make a prediction about the further development of the disease.

Pneumocystography. It is a type of biopsy. The selection of the contents of a cyst or tumor is performed using a long, thin needle.