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Breast pain
Definition:
Breast pain involves any discomfort or pain in the breast, such as premenstrual tenderness.
Alternative Names:
Pain - breast; Mastalgia; Mastodynia; Breast tenderness Considerations:
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There are many possible causes for breast pain. For example, hormonal fluctuations related to menstruation or pregnancy are often responsible for breast tenderness. Some degree of swelling and tenderness just before your period is normal. The question is how tolerable (or intolerable) the discomfort is to you. Although many women with pain in one or both breasts understandably fear breast cancer, breast pain is NOT a common symptom of cancer. Boys and men have breast tissue. If a male has breast tissue that is visible, this is called gynecomastia. As a normal part of development, adolescent boys can have some breast swelling and tenderness. Like breast tenderness in women, this is due to hormonal changes. Common Causes:
Some degree of breast tenderness is normal, caused by hormonal fluctuations from: - Menstruation
- Pregnancy -- tends to be more common during the first trimester and pregnancy at a young age
- Puberty -- in both girls and boys
- Breast feeding
- Approach of menopause (once your menstrual periods have stopped completely, breast tenderness often goes away unless you are taking hormone replacement therapy)
Soon after childbirth, your breasts may become engorged with milk. This can be very painful and is usually accompanied by swelling. If you also have an area of redness, call your health care provider. Other common causes of breast pain include:
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