The appearance of pain in the mammary glands several days before the onset of menstruation is a very common phenomenon. According to some reports, more than 40% of women of childbearing age are affected. Let's see why the chest hurts before menstruation and how normal it is.
The menstrual cycle of a healthy woman is usually 28 to 30 days. In the middle of each such cycle, ovulation occurs, that is, the exit of the egg from the ovary. This process involves the fertilization of a mature egg. By the way, sometimes ovulation may not occur within one or two months. This is not considered a deviation from the norm.
From the foregoing, it follows that the woman’s body prepares for pregnancy every month. The mammary glands are very sensitive to all changes occurring in it. Before ovulation, breast sensitivity rises sharply (even a slight touch on the nipples can cause physical discomfort and pain), it increases in size due to the growth of glandular tissue. In the event that the chest hurts before menstruation very much, you should consult a specialist, since the occurrence of pain can be a sign of a violation of the correct operation of the ovaries, the presence of any diseases of the female reproductive system, hormonal failure of the body.
Many women have chest and lower abdomen pains before menstruation. In this case, you should pay attention to the nature and strength of the pain. The appearance of a feeling of discomfort and pulling pain in the lower abdomen may be associated with the development of a disease such as ovarian cystosis. In some cases, a drawing pain in the lower abdomen is a sign of the attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterine wall. Therefore, when it appears, a test should be done to determine pregnancy.
The appearance of chest pain before the onset of menstruation is called mastodynia. It is most often associated with the growth of glandular tissue of the mammary glands. If this phenomenon does not bother the woman, does not bring her a special feeling of discomfort, there is usually no reason for unrest. Most often, this physiological condition is observed in women, more often than others subjected to stress and nervous strain. In the event that the chest hurts before menstruation, and the pain does not go away even after they start, it is also recommended to visit a doctor.
The appearance of pain in the mammary gland several days before the onset of menstruation is very often associated with a violation of the hormonal balance of the body. Normally, with the right ratio of progesterone and estrogen in a woman's body, especially severe chest pain, as a rule, is not observed.
Which specialists should I contact if my chest hurts before menstruation?
A mammologist is usually involved in the treatment of breast diseases. This specialist should be consulted if any signs of breast disease are found: ball-shaped seals in the area of the mammary glands, especially under the armpits, bloody or purulent discharge from the nipples, cracked nipples, etc. If such symptoms are not observed, it is best to consult a gynecologist who will promptly establish the cause of the ailment or refer him to a mammologist for examination. Usually, to determine the exact cause of chest pain, blood tests for hormones and an ultrasound examination of the mammary gland and pelvic organs are necessary. In some cases, it is necessary to donate blood for analysis on a tumor marker, the indicators of which can determine the risk of cancer of the female reproductive system in each case.
So, we learned that the appearance of pain in the mammary gland can be both a normal physiological state of the body and a deviation in its work. In any case, do not panic. The exact cause of the origin of this symptom can only be determined by a doctor. Therefore, even if all the girlfriends complain that they have chest pains before menstruation, and consider this symptom to be the norm, it is still recommended to visit a specialist. So, just in case ...