Almost any woman is faced with such a condition when the mammary gland hurts. In some representatives of the fair sex, this phenomenon is mildly expressed. For others, the malaise is felt so strongly that it prevents them from leading a familiar lifestyle. This article is about why there is discomfort in the mammary glands, and what to do in such a situation.
Natural Causes
Chest pain can occur as a result of mechanisms related to the functioning of the female body. To such factors, experts consider the following:
- The presence of PMS. This condition is associated with the production of certain substances in the body of the fair sex. Hormones designed to prepare for conception are a common explanation of why breast glands hurt before menstruation. After critical days, discomfort in healthy women usually goes away.
- The period of gestation and lactation. Throughout pregnancy, the mammary glands experience the action of certain substances that the body of the expectant mother produces. In this case, the breast is significantly increased in size. In addition, she may be ill. Lactation is also accompanied by a feeling of discomfort. It is associated with the fact that the glands produce milk.
- Changes in the concentration of hormones in the menopause.
- In girls who play a lot of sports, the mammary glands hurt due to overstrain of muscle tissue.
- Taking medications to prevent unwanted conception. The composition of such drugs often includes hormones.
- Lack of fatty acids in the body often causes a strong sensitivity of tissues.
- Mechanical damage (if dropped, squeezed, or bruised).
- Underwear not matched by the rules. A large bra does not support the breast tissue in tone, and too small - compresses it.
However, not always chest pains are caused by natural changes in the body of the fair sex. If the discomfort does not go away after critical days or appears during gestation and lactation, serious health problems can be the cause. In this case, a woman should not postpone a visit to a specialist.
Features and types of discomfort
There are many types of pain in the mammary glands. The most common are:
- Discomfort of an acute nature. It may be associated with PMS and changes in hormone concentrations. Neurological ailments and pathological processes in the tissues are the reason that the mammary gland hurts.
- Burning sensation. This condition is associated with edema and usually disappears during movement. It is explained by the effects of various factors that have both a natural and pathological nature. For example, blood circulation in tissues may be impaired due to swelling or the wearing of clothes that do not fit the size of the glands.
- Stitching pain arising from seizures.
- Discomfort, which is manifested by pulling sensations. Such a malaise is dangerous because it practically does not prevent a woman from leading an ordinary life. As a result of this, she does not notice pathological changes in her body and turns to the doctor at a late stage of the disease.
- Sensation of ripple. It occurs with inflammatory phenomena in the tissues. May give to other areas of the body. Pain combined with swelling and a red tint of the skin is an occasion for urgent medical attention.
Women describe chest discomfort in different ways. It can be shooting, pulling or cutting. In any case, uncharacteristic and unpleasant sensations cannot be ignored. Fortunately, thanks to modern diagnostic procedures, it is possible to establish the cause of the ailment and get rid of it.
Pathological conditions of the mammary glands, having a benign nature
One of the most common breast diseases is mastopathy. The cause of the ailment is an imbalance in hormones. Tissues with a dense structure are found in the tissues. In a patient with a similar pathology, the mammary gland hurts, a sense of compression is observed, and the surface of the organ may become uneven. Other specific signs of mastopathy are sometimes found, such as skin rashes or white fluid from the nipples. The disease develops, as a rule, in young women and needs close monitoring by specialists.
Another common neoplasm of a benign nature is a cyst. This is a vial of fluid that forms in one or both glands. Pathology is characteristic of mature patients. A cyst is one of the possible answers to the question of why the mammary glands hurt in the menopause.
Another factor that provokes discomfort is fibroadenoma. This is a tumor characterized by rapid growth and having the shape of a plate. It is characteristic of young girls. It can develop even in the puberty.
Malignant changes
One of the most formidable conditions of the mammary glands is cancer pathology.
Cancer is dangerous because it makes itself felt by characteristic symptoms only in the later stages. However, if the patient notices early signs (wrinkling of the nipples, outflow of dark colored liquid with an unpleasant odor, solid neoplasms in the tissues) and promptly seeks help, she has a chance for a cure.
The problem of nursing mothers
Another pathology in which chest discomfort is felt is mastitis. It is characteristic of women during lactation and is characterized by pronounced symptoms. The patient feels chills, notices an increase in temperature, lethargy. The disease is dangerous by the development of purulent inflammation. It usually does not occur in those who do not violate hygiene standards during the feeding process.
However, the discomfort is not always explained by the pathologies of this organ. To try to answer the question of why the breast glands hurt, sometimes specialists of different profiles have to.
Pathology of the myocardium and blood vessels
In some cases, unpleasant sensations are caused by malfunctions of the CCC, for example:
- Blockage of arteries and veins with cholesterol. In this case, circulatory disorder occurs. Consequently, the heart muscle suffers from a lack of essential substances. Myocardial pathology is one of the explanations of why the left mammary gland hurts.
- Heart attack. This is an acute attack, which is characterized by severe discomfort and is associated with impaired vascular function.
- Inflammation of the connective membrane of the heart. As a rule, a person with a similar pathology experiences discomfort during physical activity and inspiration.
- Myocardial damage resulting from various causes (infection, poisoning, poor heredity).
- Inflammation of the heart muscle.
- Valve dysfunction is another common explanation for why the breast on the left side hurts.
- Dystonia.
Other factors provoking a symptom
Sometimes neuralgia is taken for discomfort in the mammary gland. This is a common pathology, it often develops in people who play a lot of sports. As another reason, experts call herpes, which has a herpes zoster. A similar infection provokes a virus. The disease can cause severe discomfort. Serious pathologies such as pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis can also be the reason that the mammary gland hurts on one side.
These conditions are characterized by pronounced symptoms in the form of cough, sputum discharge and fever. Another reason for the occurrence of discomfort is considered an ulcer.
If discomfort in the mammary gland does not occur as a result of a disease of this organ, a specialist needs to conduct a series of diagnostic procedures to identify the cause of the pain.
Change in hormone concentration
This phenomenon is quite common. The reasons that provoke him include the following:
- Disorders of various organs and systems.
- The use of protection against unwanted conception, which contain hormones.
- Menopause period.
- Medication for depression.
- Emotional upheaval.
It is no secret that in most women, the mammary glands hurt before critical days due to changes in the concentration of certain substances in the body. Some women do not feel pronounced discomfort. And others are very unpleasant.
Features of various types of pain
It is known that the breast is an organ that undergoes certain changes necessary for the normal bearing and feeding of the baby. Therefore, the processes taking place in the female body affect the condition of the mammary glands. Girls often feel discomfort before critical days. This phenomenon is observed about a week before the discharge begins. The process is associated with the release of a mature reproductive cell. Certain substances that are produced in the body of a woman to prepare for a possible conception provoke tissue edema and their high sensitivity. After the completion of menstruation, the discomfort no longer bothers the girl. However, in some cases, a situation arises when, after menstruation, the mammary glands hurt. What could be causing this? This phenomenon is sometimes explained by conception, which occurred shortly before the critical days. The female body has not yet adapted to the process of gestation, and there were discharge, but the discomfort after them remained.
Unpleasant sensations long after menstruation
There are situations when critical days are long gone, and a girl is worried about pain. A similar circumstance can be both a norm and a pathology. The natural process associated with the fact that the mammary glands hurt in the middle of the menstrual cycle is the maturation of the gamete, which is accompanied by a change in the content of a number of substances in the woman's body. However, discomfort is present in many other cases (infection, hormone imbalance, neoplasms). A girl who is worried about the uncharacteristic sensations in the mammary glands should not refuse to visit a specialist. Examinations and therapy are determined by the doctor based on the state of a particular patient.
Treatment methods
When the reason why a woman has discomfort is accurately established by a physician, measures are taken to eliminate the pathology. Therapies for this condition include:
- Medicinal plants based products.
- Taking vitamin supplements.
- Drugs that relieve nervousness, anxiety and depression.
- Medicines that improve the functioning of the immune system.
- Medicines that restore the balance of the necessary substances in the body (for example, if the mammary glands hurt in the middle of the cycle, and this is due to pathologies that are hormonal in nature).
One important aspect is maintaining the right diet. You should discard products containing coffee and ethyl alcohol, instant food, fatty and salty foods, carbonated drinks.