Can nipples hurt before menstruation? Most women, asking this question to the doctor, want to make sure that pain in the mammary glands is a temporary phenomenon and is not associated with pathology, provoked by hormonal changes in the body during menstruation. Indeed, unpleasant sensations in the chest in the predominant number of cases should not cause cause for concern, since they are not considered a deviation.
Chest pain: normal or pathological?
Being one of the premenstrual syndromes, painful nipples before menstruation cause discomfort for almost every second woman. Often this symptom occurs simultaneously with other manifestations of PMS - swelling, dizziness, acne on the body, mood swings and a number of other signs.
According to statistics, nipples before menstruation hurt women very often. If the menstruation is late, but the woman at the same time experiences pain in the mammary glands, the first thing the gynecologist must make sure is the absence of pregnancy. Therefore, for girls experiencing these symptoms, first you need to do a pregnancy test.
Or do nipples hurt before menstruation for a long time? It is possible that there is a pathology of the mammary glands. Anyway, if the chest and nipples are sore before menstruation, and with the onset of menstruation the syndrome does not go away, you need to consult a doctor.
Why is this happening
Can nipples hurt before menstruation? There are several main reasons for this phenomenon:
- increased production of female hormones on the eve of critical days;
- the emergence and development of pathological processes in the mammary gland;
- disruptions in the endocrine system.
If the gynecologist suspects the presence of a breast disease, he will give the patient a referral to a mammologist. Based on the results of the examination, the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the cause, the elimination of which guarantees the success of treatment.
Hormonal changes
Estrogen and progesterone are the hormones prevailing in the female body. Their number at different periods of the menstrual cycle can differ markedly. So, for example, estrogen reaches the highest concentration in the body shortly before ovulation.
A change in hormone levels can significantly affect the condition of the mammary glands. In many women, the breast is poured, becomes elastic, slightly increases in size. If your breasts regularly swell before your period and your nipples are sore, there is probably nothing to worry about. The change in the color of the areola, which occurs as a result of an increase in hormone production, is also considered the norm.
Can nipples hurt before menstruation? Of course, after all, the production of female hormones in the body entails stimulation of the growth of adipose tissue, which is the main material in the structure of the mammary gland. The breast swells, increases, and therefore pain appears. The severity of the syndrome depends on the woman's age, physiological characteristics and lifestyle.
Breast diseases
If the relationship between menstrual flow and discomfort in the nipples is not observed, you need to look for a reason in another. Among the diseases of the mammary glands, the most common is mastopathy - this is a benign proliferation of tissues, accompanied by pain. For mastopathy, discharge from the nipples is also characteristic. Unlike natural breast swelling before menstruation, with mastopathy, there is prolonged swelling and more pronounced mastodynia (as doctors call pain in the mammary glands).
Other causes of nipple pain can be associated with inflammation of the tissues, malfunctions of the endocrine and genitourinary system, but the most dangerous is cancer. Regardless of age, if nipples hurt before menstruation at 42, 32 or 22, you should not postpone a visit to a antenatal clinic.
External irritants
Female breasts are overly sensitive. The skin covering the mammary glands consists of many nerve plexuses, therefore, individually, the breast can respond to certain factors. Nipples will not get very sick before menstruation, if the cause of the pain syndrome is not any pathology. But still, the increasing sensitivity of the breast before menstruation can cause a lot of discomfort to a woman because of:
- uncomfortable or low-quality bra;
- excessive sweating and poor hygiene;
- prolonged exposure to the sun or under the influence of ultraviolet rays;
- climate change;
- sudden changes in weight;
- stress
- long-term use of medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, hormonal, etc.);
- the use of allergenic household chemicals, cosmetics.
In some cases, the problem can be solved by eliminating the influencing factor or using special moisturizers.
Pain in the nipples before menstruation
In some women, the onset of menstruation goes unnoticed and completely painless, while other women may experience real suffering before menstruation. Interestingly, to date, no criteria have been established that would determine whether this phenomenon is the norm or pathology, depending on when the syndrome arose, how many days before menstruation. Can nipples hurt before menstruation, one week before they occur, or a couple of days in the same woman? Yes, this really happens, but the most important indicator that would indicate a pathology is the continuation of pain during menstruation, and sometimes after it. Normally, discomfort disappears in the first days of female discharge.
If menstruation has not occurred, but the chest hurts, it is better to take a pregnancy test. If the result is negative, you will have to take a clarifying blood test for hCG level. If its result is negative, you should definitely consult a doctor to determine further examination tactics.
Breast changes during pregnancy
Did the test show two stripes? So, we are talking about changes in the mammary glands that occur in expectant mothers. From the moment of conception, the woman’s body begins active preparation for the bearing of the fetus, childbirth and lactation, so the breast increases significantly in size, swells, the areola around the nipple acquires a darker shade.
Changes in the mammary gland are also caused by hormonal changes and are directly related to an increase in the production of prolactin - a substance that provides lactation processes. Under the influence of this hormone, gland tissues grow much faster than nerve endings, and sensitivity increases. In pregnant women, even a light touch on the nipples can provoke unpleasant and painful sensations. In addition to chest pains that pass to the second trimester, the expectant mother can observe yellowish oily discharge from the nipples. You don’t need to worry - it forms colostrum, which will be the first food of the born baby.
During menstruation
If chest pain also appears during critical days, but is not accompanied by other symptoms, an individual peculiarity of the course of premenstrual syndrome cannot be ruled out. In rare cases, discomfort in the mammary glands and nipples in women persists for a few more days.
After menstruation
It is also necessary to consult a doctor for those patients who have unpleasant sensations in the chest and nipples appear after critical days. Normally, on the 5-7th day of the cycle, tenderness in the mammary glands should be absent. Their appearance can be caused by endocrine disorders in the body, as a result of which the production of estrogen increases, or the development of a tumor. If the nipples are very sore before menstruation, and after critical days the symptom persists or intensifies, it is important to undergo a diagnosis to rule out or confirm a malignant tumor. Also a rather dangerous disease is the fibrocystic form of mastopathy.
Why did the nipples stop hurting before menstruation?
Many gynecologists believe that the absence of a PMS symptom indicates a hormonal malfunction in the body. If the breast does not undergo any changes before menstruation, it is likely that estrogen production in a woman has decreased. The cause of the imbalance of female hormones can be:
- irregular sex life;
- intake of improperly selected oral contraceptives that suppress estrogen production;
- unhealthy lifestyle (frequent drinking, smoking, lack of full physical activity, unbalanced diet);
- lack of vitamins and minerals;
- approaching menopause;
- stress and anxiety.
The hormonal background changes after childbirth. If before a baby’s birth, a woman always had nipples before menstruation, and after the restoration of stable menstruation this syndrome is not observed, we are talking about postpartum hormonal changes. In order for the female body to work in the same way as before childbirth, at least 2-3 years must pass.
How dangerous are nipple pains?
Since pain is a sign of a hormonal disorder in the female body, the likelihood of developing functional disorders in the work of the urogenital and reproductive spheres, inflammatory, infectious or oncological pathologies is not ruled out. The sooner the cause of discomfort in the mammary glands is determined, the higher the chances of overcoming a serious disease, if any. Do not be afraid or postpone a visit to the doctor. A timely diagnosis increases the patient's chances, even with breast cancer. Serious, and sometimes irreversible, complications can be prevented only at an early stage.
Nipple discharge
It was previously noted that with pain in the nipples in women, discharge may appear. Depending on their color and consistency, an assumption is made about the cause of the symptom. Most often, the fluid from the nipples in non-pregnant women is secreted due to the high levels of estrogen and prolactin, which, as already mentioned, prepare a woman for labor and affect the appearance of fluid in the milk ducts.
In addition to premenstrual syndrome, the cause of discharge from the chest can be excessive physical exertion, increased irritability, stressful situations. If the discharge is constantly observed, accompanied by pain in the gland and nipples, it is important to visit a mammologist soon.
The way to eliminate pain
If pain in the nipples is part of the symptom complex of premenstrual syndrome, they do not need treatment. Unpleasant sensations in the chest are due to the physiological characteristics of the female body and normally pass without any kind of intervention.
To deal with severe chest discomfort, you can use the following recommendations:
- Take a bath. Heat has a beneficial effect on the state of glandular tissue, especially if you add a few drops of essential oil, herbal tea or sea salt to the water. Warming up in warm water is not allowed in the presence of inflammation in the chest or with an unclear diagnosis.
- Healthy lifestyle. In order for PMS to cause less problems, including not being accompanied by severe pain in the mammary glands, it is important to eat right, give up bad habits, just relax, take sedatives in stressful situations, drink magnesium-containing vitamin-mineral complexes.
- Avoid hypothermia. In the cold season, you need to dress according to the weather, as freezing causes chest pains, colds, inflammations.
If the cause of pain in the nipples is due to external factors, a woman should be more careful in choosing underwear.
When buying a bra, you should pay attention to the quality of fabrics - it is advisable to abandon synthetics in favor of natural materials (cotton, linen). Caution should also be exercised when choosing detergents, detergents, fabric softeners after washing. Medicines in the form of creams and lotions for the breast and nipples can be used only on the recommendation of a specialist.
If the nipples hurt very much, you do not need to endure the pain. Today there is a wide range of painkillers that can help relieve PMS (“Tamipul”, “Nurofen”, “Spazmalgon”, “No-Shpa”, “Analgin”). It is important to note that taking painkillers and antispasmodics is necessary only if it is not possible to reduce the pain syndrome by other methods.