Breast pain is often caused by hormonal changes or tight muscles in the chest area. Menstruation can cause breast tenderness, but persistent pain or a lump should be reported to a doctor. Mammograms are used to diagnose breast pain and lumps, and routine activities can also cause breast pain.
Breast pain in women is usually a result of hormonal changes within the body that lead to swelling. In both men and women, breast pain can also be caused by tight muscles in the chest area. Most of the time, breast pain does not indicate a serious condition, but in some cases, it can signal tumors or cysts.
Women often feel breast tenderness in the days leading up to menstruation. This pain usually appears three to five days before menstruation and stops shortly after the bleeding begins. When your period is near, your body produces hormones that cause your milk glands to swell, which usually causes breast pain and tenderness. Some women experience this pain throughout their entire menstrual cycle, but this is considered unusual.
Breast pain associated with the menstrual cycle is seen more often in women over the age of 30 and older. Some research seems to suggest that there is a connection between breast pain and menopause. The closer a woman is to menopause, the more likely she is to experience breast pain and, in this age group, the pain is often reported to be more severe. This type of breast pain usually goes away completely after the menopause is complete.
In some cases, in both men and women, breast pain can be the result of cysts or tumors in the breast tissue or mammary glands. The mammary glands are the glands within the breast that produce milk and are commonly associated with breast cancer. Breast pain that is also accompanied by a lump or lump in the breast should be reported to a doctor.
When diagnosing pain that is accompanied by a lump in the breast, doctors typically do a mammogram. Mammograms allow your doctor to see what’s inside your breast without taking an X-ray. Doctors sometimes use ultrasound for breast exams, but they’re not considered as reliable as mammography. A thorough breast exam can sometimes be expensive, but many local health offices sometimes offer free mammograms, often as part of local health fairs.
Sometimes, routine daily activities can be the cause of breast pain. The pectoral muscles are considered to be quite easy to strain, because for many people, these muscles don’t get enough routine exercise. Any heavy lifting or unusual upper body movement can put extra strain on the pecs, which sometimes leads to pain. It is not uncommon to see breast swelling when the pectoral muscles have been damaged or strained. Any breast pain that persists for several days probably warrants a visit to a doctor.
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