At least once in a lifetime, any woman felt soreness in her chest. There are many causes of pain in the mammary gland - these can be hormonal disorders, serious pathologies, and sometimes physiological processes, which means there are no reasons to worry. The stronger the pain, the more significant it affects the well-being, the sooner you need to visit a doctor. It makes sense to imagine why the chest hurts, what is the nature of the sensations in this case.
Anatomy Dedicated
Before figuring out where the pain in the left mammary gland or the right came from, it is worth understanding the structure of the chest. The body is formed:
- fibrous tissue;
- fatty structures;
- dividing the glandular regions into ducts;
- glandular cells.
Fibrous tissue, gland are correlated with each other in a certain proportion. For a woman, the meaning is strictly individual. The ratio is determined by the hormonal background, age. The specificity of the structure of a particular woman plays a role.
Normally, iron undergoes cyclic changes corresponding to menstruation. They are explained by the adjustment of hormonal balance. Usually the cycle time is 28 days. The follicles mature in the ovaries in the first half of this period, then rupture occurs, the egg is released. The process is called ovulation.
Ovulation provokes emissions into the circulatory system of estrogen. The follicle after it is occupied by the corpus luteum, and progesterone becomes dominant in the circulatory system. In the absence of conception, the corpus luteum degenerates on time. At the end of the cycle, the concentrations of hormonal compounds in the circulatory system are low, monthly bleeding begins.
One of the causes of pain in the mammary glands may be estrogen. This hormone has a strong effect on breast development, stimulates an increase in the number of glandular cells, and provokes the growth of fibrin tissue. With an excess of estrogen, the glands can transform into cysts. Such formations do not carry dangers in an overwhelming percentage, and no treatment is prescribed, but the patient is registered, regularly examined by ultrasound, and palpation is performed.
Under the influence of progesterone, the breast can swell, and the blood supply to this zone is activated. Shortly before monthly bleeding, most women experience pain in the right mammary gland or left, more often in both. These features should not cause panic: the processes are natural, the cells are prepared in the production of milk in the event that conception occurs. However, if the pain becomes very severe, then it seems worth it to the doctor - perhaps the reasons are much more unpleasant, unnatural.
Mammalgia
This term refers to the condition when pain in the mammary gland on the left, on the right occurs when menstruation approaches. Medical statistics show that the main percentage of women who go to doctors because of pain, suffer from them precisely because of the cycle. Unpleasant sensations begin a few days before the start of bleeding, weaken when discharge begins, completely disappear with the completion of menstruation. Such pains in the mammary gland with menopause completely disappear.
Mastodynia is more often fixed in the age group of 17-40 years. To a greater extent, individuals with medium or larger breasts are exposed to it. Usually sensations are evenly distributed on both breasts. Maximum pain is localized in the upper part of the organ.
ICP
Quite often, pain in the mammary gland (left, right) bothers every month, being an element of the premenstrual syndrome. The discomfort associated with this period can be significant. Additionally, the ICP is indicated by:
- mood swings;
- tendency to irritation;
- anxiety;
- concern
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- increased appetite;
- gas formation is more than normal.
If the cause of the pain is PMS, there are no unpleasant sensations before ovulation. If they bother at any point in the cycle, the reason is something else. Usually, soreness comes after the 14th day of the next menstrual cycle, until that moment there is no discomfort in the chest. The peak of negative sensations occurs 2-3 days before the start of bleeding.
Such a syndrome worries a predominant percentage of women, although its strength varies. There is no need to treat pain due to PMS. Some healers believe that the syndrome is one of the harbingers of cancer, but special studies conducted on this topic have not revealed any patterns and relationships.
Pain: not tied to a cycle
Non-cyclic pain is a sensation that cannot be explained by PMS. Causes of pain in the mammary glands in women:
- drug therapy;
- transferred operation;
- injury;
- neoplasms (malignant, benign).
Statistics show that non-cyclic pains are most often attributed to a cyst, tumor, or trauma. For such reasons, sensations are disturbing only in one of the breasts. Often, sensations are localized in a small, easily identifiable area.
Cysts
By this term it is customary to denote cavities filled with a special organic liquid. According to doctors, at least one cyst is in the body of almost any woman - this is due to the specifics of the menstrual cycle. Problems begin when such formations become larger than average in size. To determine the cause of pain in the mammary glands, the patient is referred for ultrasound. In the absence of signs of malignancy, the cyst is usually not disturbed. In some cases, a course of treatment is prescribed, similar to diffuse mastopathy.
A special approach is necessary for patients who, with ultrasound, were able to detect dubious areas of tissue in the chest. If the pain is associated with precisely such areas, doctors will direct for additional studies to exclude malignant processes. There is a high probability that they will be advised to go to surgery to remove suspicious elements, especially if they provoke very severe pain in the mammary gland.
Fibroadenoma
The term is used to denote a benign neoplasm. In most cases, it has a round shape, rarely provokes severe pain. The adenoma is mobile, smooth. Different localization options are possible; dimensions also vary significantly from case to case. Pain in the mammary glands in women with fibroadenoma depends on the size and location of the formation. With such a problem, you need to contact a mammologist, a gynecologist.
Fibroadenomas are due to hormonal imbalance. More often, young ladies are diagnosed. If studies have shown fibrous adenoma, the patient is sent for a biopsy to exclude malignancy of cells. The specialist inserts a needle into the detected node, takes a small amount of samples for histological examination. Cells are studied under laboratory conditions at high magnification. After confirming the diagnosis, a benign neoplasm is removed surgically. After surgery and successful rehabilitation, the syndrome completely exhausts itself.
Lactocele
There may be pain in the mammary glands in women due to milk-containing cysts. Usually, the formation is caused by a scar, due to which the liquid does not stand out. Lactocele is a formation characteristic of women in whom milk stagnates during feeding and the outflow of this fluid is disturbed. Over time, the cyst becomes larger, since the cavity accumulates the milk produced by the gland, and this becomes the cause of the pain syndrome.
Especially severe are the pains in the area of the mammary glands with lactocele, if the violation is accompanied by an abscess, when suppuration occurs in the affected area. To clarify the condition, a puncture is required. If the procedure is accompanied by the release of milk, the diagnosis is considered established. To alleviate the condition, a woman is sent for surgery to remove the formation.
Lactostasis
In this case, pain in the mammary gland is explained by an unformed feeding rhythm. For example, a child may have a weak appetite, and the glands produce a large amount of milk, which leads to stagnation. Over time, individual sections of the chest become denser, aching pain is localized here . Possible increase in temperature, but not too significant. Usually this phenomenon is observed in the first quarter, sometimes a third of the year from the moment of feeding. Gradually, the body adapts itself to the rhythms that satisfy the child’s appetite.
The main method of combating lactostasis is the activation of feeding. The initial portion of milk should be decanted. The first three months after giving birth, you need to feed constantly, when the baby asks to eat. This applies not only to daylight hours, but also to nighttime hours. With lactostasis, pain in the mammary gland becomes even stronger if a woman ceases to use troubling breasts to feed her baby.
Mastitis
The word is familiar to many, although not everyone knows what it means. The term is used to denote inflammatory processes that explain chest pain. The mammary glands are often inflamed during the period of feeding the baby naturally. Mastitis in this situation is closely associated with lactostasis. With stagnation of milk and the presence of cracks in the nipples, local immunity is greatly weakened, pathological bacteria get conditions that are comfortable for existence and reproduction, and colonies grow at a very fast pace. With mastitis, the breast swells, a fever is possible, and the skin turns red. The organ hurts a lot, the patient as a whole feels weak. Heat can reach 39 degrees.
If the pain in the mammary gland on the right, on the left is explained precisely by mastitis, there are no problems with diagnosis. It is more difficult to maintain the possibility of natural feeding. The therapeutic course usually involves antibiotics. Medicines are chosen by the doctor, based on the characteristics of the pathological microflora identified during the tests. If the condition does not improve, antimicrobials do not show a pronounced effect, the patient can be sent to the surgical department. An incision is made on the chest to remove purulent discharge. All activities are carried out as carefully as possible, so that the possibility of breastfeeding as the recovery improves.
Injuries
For this reason, discomfort is rare. In women, pain in the mammary gland on the right or on the left is possible if the patient is injured in, for example, an accident. If the event caused a hematoma, the area begins to hurt over time. Removal of a hematoma is possible by a puncture method. This helps prevent inflammatory processes. By the way, this is characteristic not only of the fair sex, who have large mammary glands. Pain in a man’s chest after an injury is also possible - it all depends on how the person suffered, on what part of the body the load of an external aggressive factor fell.
Implants as a cause of pain
Pain can accompany the period after surgery to install implants. There are many reasons for carrying out such surgical intervention, but the most common are two:
- reconstruction;
- breast augmentation.
During the rehabilitation period, the scars heal, the body gradually gets used to new volumes. After some time, the pain completely disappears by itself. If this does not happen, the sensations intensify, the condition of the patient as a whole becomes worse, the likelihood of an inflammatory process is high. In addition, improper, unsuccessful installation can cause irritation of nerve endings, which is also the cause of pain.
If after the operation a woman often feels aching pain in the mammary glands, it is necessary to consult a doctor who performed the intervention. The doctor will explain in which cases sensations are considered the norm, in which additional intervention is required.
Nipples: cracks appeared
Soon after giving birth, chest pain in almost every woman. The child needs frequent feeding, and the body is not used to it yet, the process of milk production does not converge in rhythm with the appearance of appetite in the child. The need for frequent feeding causes not only pain, but also local burning, itching, because the nipple is constantly irritated by the child’s lips. If the skin is dehydrated, cracks will soon form, exacerbating the discomfort.
After birth, the mother should feed the baby often, and the time intervals between the activities are not enough for the wounds received during the previous procedure to heal. The child irritates the damaged nipples again and again, the cracks become larger, they hurt greatly, and it is simply impossible to heal. To slightly alleviate the condition, you should use special wound healing agents. Popular ointments:
They are made specifically for nursing mothers, and therefore are completely safe for both the adult body and the baby. If on the nipples appeared more severe than cracks, wounds, you should consult a doctor. The process is complicated by inflammation, pathological microflora multiplies here. Feeding a child with a sick breast should not be.
It hurts! But why?
The pain in the mammary gland in women on the left is not always explained on the right by the specific features of the reproductive cycle. One possible cause is Titz syndrome. Medical statistics show that it occurs infrequently. A distinctive feature is pain, swelling near the costal cartilage. The causes of this disease have not yet been established. It is known that the condition becomes worse if a woman is faced with excessive physical exertion, is regularly exposed to stress factors. The spread of pain from the ribs is possible in the area of the mammary gland. To identify the disease, you must sign up for an x-ray of the chest. The doctor will examine the results and evaluate the condition of the cartilage in this area. A specific therapeutic approach has not yet been developed. If the pain is severe, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs are prescribed. It is known that there is a high probability of self-healing if you adjust your lifestyle, in the first place - physical activity.
Possible pain radiating to the mammary gland with shingles. A disease of viral origin. For the first time, a person encounters a pathogen as a child - chickenpox has a similar nature. Although the disease goes away, the person will still be the carrier of the virus, over time a relapse in the form of shingles is possible. The disease is accompanied by various unpleasant sensations, rashes, vesicles with a specific fluid appear on the skin. Affected areas hurt. If lichen has affected the chest, this area will also respond with pain.
More often with shingles, the lower back suffers, damage is done both to the skin and to the nerve endings of this area. Foci on the mammary glands are somewhat less frequently fixed. Symptoms are in many ways similar to mastopathy, which can cause an incorrect diagnosis. Usually, rashes after 2-3 weeks after the onset of the disease become less noticeable, gradually the pain goes away completely. Antiviral drugs can be used to alleviate the condition. In modern pharmacies, the choice of remedies for herpetic viruses is quite large - they are indicated for shingles.
Danger lurks every
Perhaps the worst thing that can explain the pain in the mammary gland is cancer. Among the total number of women suffering from pain in this area, only a small percentage is ill with cancer. At the same time, among the malignant neoplasms, perhaps the most common in women is the process that affects the chest. In developed nations, the incidence of this cancer is increasing from year to year. If you fail to notice the disease on time, make a diagnosis, choose the right treatment method, the risk of death is high.
An oncological process is more likely if a woman:
- did not give birth;
- not pregnant
- over 60 years old;
- suffered malignant neoplasms of the intestinal tract, ovaries;
- has cancer patients among the closest relatives.
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If there is stitching pain in the mammary glands, aching, becoming more active when touched, feeling, if the condition is accompanied by one or more of the mentioned symptoms, it is reasonable to make an appointment with the doctor. The doctor will prescribe instrumental and laboratory tests. In a predominant percentage of cases, the patient is referred for mammography - an x-ray of the breast. It is especially important to regularly undergo such a study for people over the age of forty. If the structure of the gland is such that there are many densities, mammography will not provide accurate information. In the reproductive period, ultrasound study of the structure of the breast is much more useful and informative. With ultrasound, it is possible to make a differential diagnosis of cysts.
To clarify the condition, they are sent to MRI, CT. Such preventive approaches are irrelevant, but if you suspect cancer, the study will have to go through without fail. If an ultrasound or X-ray examination showed the presence of compaction, a biopsy is necessary even if this area does not provoke pain. Obtaining cells for laboratory histological examination allows us to determine exactly what the nature of the formation is, how dangerous it is, whether malignancy has occurred, and if not, how high the risk of such a transformation is. A fairly popular approach is the removal of the neoplasm. After the operation, a study is carried out to determine whether malignancy has occurred. If it is revealed that the area was malignant, additional procedures are prescribed for the patient.
Pain does not always indicate bad
Pain under and in the mammary glands can occur if a woman becomes pregnant. Often it is soreness - the first sign that comes earlier than the absence of another menstruation. Immediately after conception, changes in the hormonal background begin, which means that the processes of reconstruction of the gland are started. The sensations are similar to those that are followed before the onset of monthly bleeding.
To clarify the nature of pain, you should consult a doctor. Perhaps special tests will reveal the fact of pregnancy. The sooner this can be established, the faster the woman will be able to adjust the rhythm and lifestyle so that the process proceeds as easily as possible, and birth passes quickly, the child is healthy.
Left chest pain
If the pain is acute, localized strictly in the left mammary gland, it is likely that it is associated with a violation of the functionality, health of the tissues of the respiratory or cardiac system. Perhaps pulmonary pleura is affected. There is a possibility that chest pain indicates an injury, inflammation, malignant neoplasm in the respiratory system.
In the left half of the chest, pain can be heard with unhealthy changes in the pericardium and other muscle tissue of the heart. In some cases, acute pain is provoked by pulmonary thromboembolism. The patient loses consciousness, before that shortness of breath disturbs.
Particular attention should be paid to diagnosis if the left mammary gland and arm from this half of the body are simultaneously sore. It is likely that the cause is a heart attack. It is known that women have a rather high percentage of cases when a heart attack occurs without clearly defined manifestations, they are only worried about soreness, a general increase in temperature, so many do not pay due attention to their condition. This leads to complications in the future. If your chest and arm hurt, you should visit a doctor and check your heart. You may have to undergo treatment.
Diseases and consequences
If the pains bother for a long time, have a pulling character, it is likely that inflammatory processes manifest themselves in this way. The area of their localization is not easy to predict - these can be organs not only of the sternum, but also of the abdominal cavity. It hurts in the chest if foci of chronic inflammation are found in:
- intestinal tract;
- pleura;
- pancreas;
- the spleen.
If the sensations become stronger at the time of physical exertion, the cause is probably the heart. Perhaps this is myocardial pathology. With vomiting, chest pain is a sign of an ulcer.
If the nature of the pain is stitching, neuralgia between the ribs is highly likely. The reason is the infringement of the nerve roots. This may indicate inflammatory processes localized in the tissues of the nervous system or muscle fibers. In some cases, stitching or acute pain is a sign of a severe pathological process in the intestinal tract, lungs. Perhaps the consequences of injuries sustained by the organs of these systems express themselves in this way. Only after identifying the exact cause, it is necessary to begin the fight against symptoms.
Hormone aches: what to do?
Since in most cases the reason is precisely the adjustment of the hormonal background, it is worth considering what measures and methods will help alleviate the condition. You do not always need to resort to medications - the most common foods will benefit. For example, to get rid of excess estrogen, you should diversify the diet with products containing tocopherol. The accumulation of hormones leads to pain and can cause neoplasms, and regular use of vitamin E eliminates such consequences. You can not only include vitamin-rich foods in your diet, but also use pharmacy medicines. Doctors advise providing the body with a daily intake of 500 units.
Excess estrogen can be produced with a lack of fiber. It is useful for women to eat fiber-rich foods, which contain a minimum content of fat fractions. This will allow you to control the concentration of estrogens, which means that the risk of the appearance of cysts, tumors, depending on the hormonal background, is reduced.
Chocolate, coffee, tea are considered harmful. These products contain methylxanthines that can provoke the appearance of dense nodular structures in the glands. The body receives methylxanthines with cola. To ensure safety and reduce the risk of development of formations in the mammary glands, it is necessary to minimize the intake of these products. This is especially important for individuals who are prone to the appearance of cysts from connective tissue. During the PMS period, drinks containing caffeine should be completely excluded from the diet.