Drawing pains in the mammary glands causes. Pain in the mammary gland - causes, possible diseases, methods for their diagnosis and treatment. Breast pain during ovulation

Let's figure out what to do if it shoots in the breast? The mammary glands are an extremely sensitive organ to the slightest changes in a woman's body. Stress, overload, hormonal disruptions - all this affects the condition of the breast. Pain in the mammary gland is a common symptom that accompanies both serious diseases and non-dangerous functional disorders.

It is worth worrying if the pain occurs systematically or lasts for a long time. It is also necessary to see a doctor if the discomfort is accompanied by increased sensitivity of the nipples, breast swelling and a feeling of heaviness.

It is important to understand that a large number of different diseases can cause such symptoms. Only a specialist can determine the exact cause based on the results of a full diagnosis. You can independently clarify the symptoms, find out how dangerous they are. But self-diagnosis will not replace a doctor's consultation.

There are several classifications of chest pain. First of all, you need to find out how and where exactly it hurts. This will help narrow the spectrum of possible diseases.

According to the frequency, they are distinguished:

Cyclic. Occur with a certain frequency, most often before the start of the menstrual cycle.
Non-cyclic. Occur suddenly and for no apparent reason, not related to the hormonal background. First of all, intercostal neuralgia or the consequences of injuries and bruises can be suspected.

Cyclic

How to identify cyclic pain:

Closely related to menstruation, they appear in a certain phase of the cycle.
The pain is aching and dull, may radiate to the armpits.
Nodules may be felt in the chest.
There are other signs of inflammation - the temperature rises slightly, the chest swells.
The pain is symmetrical and manifests itself in both mammary glands.
Age from 20 to 40 years.

All of these symptoms indicate the so-called cyclic pain syndrome. It can be manifested by half of these symptoms.

Non-cyclic

How to identify non-cyclic pain:

It can be burning, sharp, shooting.
It is localized more often in one breast.
May not be accompanied by discomfort or other symptoms.
There is no connection with the menstrual cycle.
Most often occurs in women during menopause.

The nature may be:

Shooting pain
Dull
Acute
stabbing
cutting
Aching
Pulsating
Pulling
burning

If the pain in the chest is shooting, you can suspect almost anything: from injuries to tumors. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to other signs of the disease, and when going to the doctor, describe the picture of the disease as accurately as possible.

It is important to remember especially dangerous symptoms that indicate serious diseases if the pain:

occurs daily for 10 days or more
intensifies over time
observed in exactly the same place
interferes with daily activities and does not go away without painkillers

When these symptoms appear, it is important to consult a doctor immediately. Severe pain in the mammary gland requires diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of pain

The reasons can be very different:

Individual features of anatomy. Pain can be provoked by injuries, cysts, and surgical interventions.
Taking certain groups of drugs, usually a hormonal profile. This also includes oral contraceptives.
Breast size. In some girls with a large size, the chest often shoots through, as the increased load on the muscles and ligaments affects.
Acid imbalance. The lack of fatty acids leads to increased sensitivity of the breast.

And of course, if the chest shoots, some diseases of the mammary glands can be suspected.

Probable diseases

First you need to eliminate the factor of injury. The chest may hurt for a long time after the bruise. If there is no apparent reason for the symptoms that occur, the pain is caused by one of the breast diseases.

Shooting pain is typical for such diseases:

Intercostal neuralgia is most often manifested by shooting in the chest. This is a disease that develops due to damage to nerve fibers. Pain is observed not only in the chest, but also in the back and lower back. The main signs of the disease: pain occurs in attacks, increases with sharp inhalations and exhalations, when walking and pressing on the chest.
Mastopathy is a benign neoplasm of the mammary gland. Symptoms: seals and proliferation of breast tissues, fluid from the nipple. Symptoms are observed immediately in both mammary glands. The pain is often aching, but can shoot, especially at the very beginning of the development of the disease. Treatment is predominantly conservative. Mastopathy can lead to the development of a cancerous tumor, so it is important to start treatment on time.
Fibroadenoma of the breast is a tumor surrounded by a capsule. Treatment is complicated, since it is difficult to get to the tumor, the capsule protects it from the effects of drugs. Symptoms: compaction with clear contours, sometimes pain. Shooting pain occurs with fibroadenoma in cases where the tumor compresses the nerve endings.
Mastitis is an inflammatory disease. It is characterized by shooting and throbbing pain, which can be replaced by dull and aching. This is an infectious disease, treatment depends on the pathogen. The disease often occurs during lactation.

Diagnosis and examination

The doctor will listen to all complaints, conduct an initial examination and send for examination. The diagnostic method is chosen in such a way as to obtain confirmation or refutation of the primary diagnosis. It is important to get a complete picture of the state of the mammary glands.

Currently, the following diagnostic methods are used:

Ultrasound examination - is appointed most often, along with mammography.
Mammography is an X-ray examination.
Ductography is an X-ray contrast study.
Thermography is a study of the breast using a thermal imager.
Pneumocystography - puncture of the cyst.
A biopsy is the removal of abnormal tissue for examination in a laboratory.

According to the results of the examination, appropriate treatment is prescribed. Often, diagnostics show that there is no specific somatic disease and the symptoms are caused by functional disorders. Then symptomatic treatment is selected.

Treatment depends on the diagnosed disease and can be both surgical and conservative. Operations are performed if the neoplasm does not go away with conventional therapy or has a high risk of degeneration into cancer. Conservative treatment is prescribed in all other cases.

Who is at risk

The risk group is women and girls who are much more likely to develop dangerous diseases. They need to monitor the condition of the mammary glands especially carefully.

The risk group includes:

Nulliparous women, as well as those who refused breastfeeding.
Girls and women who have undergone artificial termination of pregnancy.
Patients with a hereditary predisposition to cancer (patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer among close relatives).
Girls with diabetes and obesity.
Girls with an unstable psychological state, prone to stress and depression.
Patients with diseases of the genitourinary and endocrine systems.
Those who have undergone breast trauma or breast surgery.
Girls with bad habits.

The best prevention is regular examinations, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Absolutely all breast diseases can be successfully cured if therapy is started at the very beginning of the disease.

Tips from mammologists:

Avoid stress, maintain a good psychological state.
Wear the right underwear - you need to choose a bra that will not squeeze the chest.
Get rid of bad habits - addiction to alcohol and smoking negatively affects women's health.
If you experience any unpleasant symptoms, contact your doctor.

The chest is an extremely sensitive organ that reacts to the slightest changes in the body. Therefore, every girl should take care of the health of the mammary glands.

Update: October 2018

Pain in the area of the mammary glands, to one degree or another, worries more than half of all women. It ranges from mild discomfort to excruciating burning and heaviness that reduces quality of life. Therefore, it is very important to find the cause of pain, and then choose an effective treatment.

How are the mammary glands arranged?

The female breast consists of a gland divided by ducts into lobules, connective tissue and fat. The predominance of glandular or fibrous (connective) tissue depends on age, hormonal levels, weight and body characteristics. But the mammary gland of any woman is an organ in which changes constantly occur in parallel with the menstrual cycle (see). Hormonal transformations are as follows:

The first 14 days (with a 28-day cycle) follicles actively mature in the ovaries. By the middle of the cycle, the follicle ruptures and releases the egg. This is combined with an ejection peak. After the release of the egg, a corpus luteum forms in place of the follicle. This phase is characterized by the production of progesterone. If conception does not occur, then the corpus luteum gradually fades away, and the level of both hormones decreases towards the end of the cycle. Menstruation occurs.

The female hormone estrogen has a great influence on the mammary glands. It causes an increase in the number of glandular cells, connective tissue elements. These cells line all the ducts in the breast. Excess estrogen can turn groups of glands into cysts. They are generally safe and do not require treatment.

Mammary cancer

The most formidable of all causes of chest pain is breast cancer. This is a tumor that occupies the first place among oncological processes in women. In addition to the high prevalence of this cancer, it is also dangerous with high mortality, as many women delay the visit to the doctor until the last.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

Early periods, late menopause, no childbirth or pregnancy
Obesity
Age over 60 years
Previous breast, ovarian, or bowel cancer
Oncological processes of the above organs and closest relatives (mother, sister, grandmother)

Among all these factors, one dominates: the effect of estrogens on the mammary gland. It must be remembered that the usual diffuse mastopathy, cyclic chest pain before menstruation are not risk factors and causes of cancer.

Heredity, burdened by cases of oncology, requires careful attention to health. Up to 10% of breast cancers are thought to be the result of genetic damage. The presence of special BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increases the risk of getting cancer dozens of times. Therefore, chest pain in a woman whose relatives had breast cancer requires special attention and special studies.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Small tumors without metastases most often do not cause any discomfort. Pain occurs only with an "unfortunate" location next to the nerve endings. Therefore, an important stage in early diagnosis is.

Paget's cancer is considered a special form of cancer. It is localized in the nipple area, causing its deformation and retraction, as well as pain to the left or right of it.

Breast Cancer Treatment

In the initial stages of the disease, when the cancer has not gone beyond the breast or nearby lymph nodes, complex treatment is usually used. It includes surgery to remove the cancer, chemotherapy and radiation. Depending on the type of tumor, hormonal drugs may be used. Sometimes a tumor that is too large is reduced with chemotherapy and then removed. The volume of surgical intervention in our country is usually large: the mammary gland, lymph nodes and underlying muscles are removed. In European countries, women detect the disease in themselves much earlier, so they use a partial resection of the mammary gland with cosmetic sutures.

Breast Examination Methods

With the appearance of pain in the mammary glands, you need to undergo a series of studies. They will help to establish the cause of discomfort, exclude life-threatening conditions and choose an adequate treatment.

Breast self-examination

Lying down - to examine the right mammary gland, a small pillow is placed under the right shoulder blade, and the right hand is placed behind the head. Fingertips examine the entire breast in a circle, from the periphery to the nipple.
Standing - examinations are carried out in two positions: with the arms lowered and raised up.

What to look for when examining:

Seal of any shape and size. Especially: with uneven contours, motionless, large sizes.
Nipple retraction
Discharge from the nipple of any color (excluding milk during pregnancy and lactation)
Change in breast size (asymmetry)
Changes in the skin of the chest according to the type of "lemon peel"
Changes in skin color (redness, blue) and its temperature
Pain on touch
The presence of ulcers on the skin of the chest

All of the above signs are a reason to contact a specialist. Such a doctor can be a mammologist, gynecologist or therapist. If the doctor has concerns about the health of a woman, he will send her for additional examination and consultation with an oncologist. Examination and probing of the breast by a woman helps to detect breast cancer in the early stages. But in fairness, it should be noted that most of the neoplasms found by a woman on their own. They are benign and do not even require treatment.

Breast examination for pain

Mammography is an X-ray examination of the mammary glands. The method is the standard for diagnosing breast pathology in women over 40 years of age. It allows you to assess the state of breast tissue, the prevalence of pathology, the nature of the growth of the tumor process. But if the glandular dense component predominates in the breast, mammography becomes uninformative. Therefore, young women are recommended to have an ultrasound scan instead of an x-ray.

Ultrasound of the mammary glands- Ultrasound examination of the breast is indicated in the following cases:

in pregnant and lactating women
in young women to prevent
in all women with complaints of pain (as an addition to mammography)
for differential diagnosis of cysts

CT and MRI of the mammary glands- computer and magnetic resonance imaging - additional methods of examination. At the first visit to the doctor or in general for prevention, there is no need to use them. Usually they are resorted to with an unclear diagnosis, when mammography and ultrasound give a fuzzy picture. In addition, MRI and CT help to assess the condition of neighboring organs, to detect even distant metastases in malignant tumors.

Aspiration biopsy- with a painful (or painless) formation in the mammary gland, especially in women in menopause and with aggravated heredity, one x-ray is not enough. To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to examine the cells of the formation for malignancy. For this, aspiration biopsy is often used. In some cases, this stage is skipped, resorting immediately to the removal of the tumor and subsequent examination of the material obtained.

If necessary, the doctor prescribes additional methods of examination in order to make a diagnosis.

Treatment of pain in the mammary glands

The treatment of pain syndrome directly depends on the cause that caused it. Therefore, first of all, you need to contact a specialist for a thorough examination.

Treatment of cyclic pain

The so-called diffuse mastopathy with premenstrual pain is a safe and benign phenomenon. At its core, this is a normal reaction to a normal ovulatory cycle. But if a woman is worried about pain, several methods are used.

Conversation with a doctor

Oddly enough, often a simple conversation with a specialist is enough to completely relieve symptoms. After an explanation about the safety of mastopathy, the absence of cancer or the risk of its occurrence, the woman's condition improves dramatically, and the pain subsides.

Choosing the right underwear

A tight bra of the correct shape and size helps reduce discomfort from cyclic pain

Aromatherapy, proper rest and dosed physical activity for PMS
Restriction of fatty foods and weight loss
Oral contraceptives

Taking combined oral contraceptives is a temporary “turn off” of ovulation. No ovulation means no hormone surges. Therefore, discomfort and pain while taking COCs usually decrease or even disappear altogether.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (, and others)
Tamoxifen is a drug used for severe mastopathy with very severe pain. It has a number of side effects, so it is prescribed strictly according to indications.

It is important to remember that homeopathic remedies (mastodinon and others), supposedly relieving mastopathy, are quackery. The effect is usually based on self-hypnosis. Therefore, it makes no sense to use drugs with unproven efficacy and safety, when you can limit yourself to proper rest, taking a bath or one conversation with a doctor.

Treatment of non-cyclic pain

If cysts, tumors, inflammatory processes are detected, a doctor's consultation, a thorough diagnosis and, in some cases, surgery is necessary. After removal of a benign formation, PMS treatment can be used. After treatment of malignant neoplasms, many drugs are contraindicated. Pain in breast cancer with distant metastases is usually very strong, painful, and is not relieved by NSAIDs. Sometimes narcotic analgesics have to be used to relieve cancer pain.

Treatment of non-breast related pain

A competent doctor will determine the source and cause of the pain by prescribing additional examinations. Treatment is selected according to the pathology.

Questions your doctor may ask

Before visiting a doctor, you need to think about some questions that a specialist will probably ask.

In which part of the chest is the pain felt?
What is the nature of the sensations? (aching, bursting, stabbing pains?)
How long do the pains bother?
Rate the severity of pain on a 10-point scale
Does one or both mammary glands hurt?
Is there a pattern in the occurrence of pain (menstruation, exercise, breastfeeding, etc.)
When did you have your last mammogram?
Are there other symptoms? (seals in the breast, discharge from the nipple, etc.)
You are pregnant? Are you breastfeeding? Has there been a recent miscarriage or miscarriage?
Have you had breast trauma or breast surgery in the past?
Has any of your immediate family members suffered from breast, ovarian, or colon cancer?

The female breast is the most delicate part of the body. It reacts to any changes in the work of the body and the negative influence of the environment. Chest pain is a fairly common pathology in women of all ages. Discomfort and pain and tingling have a different etiology and are not always a sign of pathological disorders and disease in the chest.

Causes of chest pain

Often a pain symptom appears with changes in the hormonal system of the body, increased production or increased sensitivity to hormonal surges, before menstruation and postmenopause, there is a tingling in the chest during temporary changes in the body.

A more rare cause of breast pain is sclerotic seals in the vessels or inflammatory processes, surgeries and injuries, neoplasms.

Types of chest pain

To find out the reason why the chest hurts, you need a mandatory consultation with a specialist. Pain in the mammary glands is divided into several types.

According to the localization of the focus:

on one or two sides;
in the lower segments of the gland;
in the upper lobes;
girdle, pulling total.

According to the nature of the pain:

dull;
pulsating;
aching;
stabbing;
baking;
cutting;
shooting (starts to shoot).

By saturation:

discomfort in the breast;
medium brightness;
strongly sharp.

From the period of appearance:

cyclic pain syndrome - depends on monthly bleeding or hormonal failure;
acyclic mastalgia - soreness occurs from the appearance of pathological changes in the breast or nearby organs and appears regardless of the woman's menstrual cycle.

Causes of cyclic pain

Chest pain occurs 7 or 10 days before the onset of monthly discharge, more often in the second half of the monthly cycle, after ovulation. The main causes of cyclic pain:

The pain of a dull and aching character appears in the upper segments of the chest or around the mammary gland (total girdle), aches in the armpits. Always appears in both female breasts. The glands increase in size and swell, sometimes small nodules are felt, which disappear after menstruation.

Pain in the chest is accompanied by migraines, pulling sensations in the lower abdomen, irritability and emotional outbursts.

Cyclic pain occurs in young girls, women of childbearing age and before menopause.

Constant pain sensations

Pains of a permanent nature have no connection with the monthly cycle of a woman, and then you need to pay special attention to them. The reasons are related:

Hereditary anomalies in the structure of the lactiferous segments are possible, from which vessels and nerves are pinched, inflamed foci appear, adhesions and cysts form.

In addition to painful manifestations, other symptoms appear, such as:

deformation of the nipple and breast shape;
red spots on the skin indicate a focus of inflammation;
change in the structure of the dermis;
abnormal discharge from the nipple;
inflammation of the lymph nodes;
general malaise, fever, lethargy, nausea, loss of appetite;
pain haunts women from the age of 30 and after menopause.

Inflammatory process

Mastitis is a common disease with inflammation of the mammary glands. Often appears during breastfeeding of the baby and is caused (in 10% of women the problem is not associated with lactation).

From mastitis, the glandular tissue of the breast grows, tearing pains appear, edema is added, fever begins. If the problem is not dealt with, then it will develop into purulent mastitis, an abscess will appear, and a surgical operation will be required.

Chest pain can appear not only from pathology, but also from inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity (left side - pancreas, spleen, small intestine) or in the lungs. Then the pain is stabbing in nature and the symptoms are similar to intestinal upset or a cold. Pain in the right chest appears with problems with the liver.

Neurological pathology

Neurological diseases include disorders of the sensitivity of nerve endings. The pain syndrome is paroxysmal and rather strong, aggravated by coughing, walking, bending the body. It is felt not only in the sternum, but also in the lower back, back and shoulder blade. Painful symptoms recede after treatment with warming ointments, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and multivitamins.

The symptoms of neuralgia are similar to a heart attack, coronary heart disease and other heart diseases, and there is pain in the mammary gland on the left in women.

Hormonal surges

80% of women are familiar with the situation when they begin to whine, ache, pull in the mammary glands 10 days before monthly bleeding. In addition to unpleasant discomfort, the chest swells, the woman becomes irritable and drowsy. These fluctuations are caused by hormonal fluctuations. They occur in a woman's body regularly in various phases of menstruation (the balance of progesterone and estrogen is disturbed due to excessive release of progesterone), this is not a deviation, the norm for adolescence and before menopause, does not need medical attention.

Changes during pregnancy

Pain in the mammary glands will signal the beginning of pregnancy. Such symptoms also depend on hormonal changes, on an excess of progesterone. This hormone activates the growth of the alveolar lobes and breast enlargement, all of which cause pain.

From the second trimester of pregnancy, the body produces prolactin, the woman's breasts are preparing to feed the baby. The milk ducts are stretched, which causes pain and a feeling of heaviness.

Breastfeeding mother's problems

The most well-known cause of pathology in lactating women is milk stasis. Pathology manifests itself in the first month of feeding and is associated with an irregular rhythm and improper feeding technique, large glands. Most often, pain in the mammary glands in nursing mothers appears with problems such as:

lactostasis;
lactational mastitis;
lactation abscess;
lactocele.

These factors cause stagnation of women's milk in the milky segments and channels, their excessive filling and stretching. In this case, it will hurt both in two and in one gland.

In this case, lactostasis is accompanied by:

If you ignore the treatment of the causes of the pathology, this will lead to lactational mastitis or breast abscess.

Lactational mastitis is an inflammation of the milky segment caused by the stagnation of breast milk and the ingress of pathogenic microflora.

Mastitis is manifested by acute pain at one point, spreading throughout the chest and into the armpit, with swelling and a sharp increase in temperature, reddening of the skin, and headaches. Massage and pumping milk do not make things easier.

With one of these symptoms, it is urgent to consult a surgeon or gynecologist. An untreated problem will become more complicated and develop into an abscess (purulent inflammation).

Signs of the transformation of mastitis into an abscess are: acute point pain, cyanotic skin color, fever up to 40 degrees, severe migraine, weakness in the limbs, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue.

The only way to treat an abscess is surgery. The purulent focus is opened, drainage is inserted, antibacterial and disinfectant solutions are injected into the chest cavity.

Lactocele is traumatic after a bruise or from a congenital anomaly of the milky segments and canals, scars after surgery. These signs interfere with normal lactation and a cyst filled with milk appears in a separate segment of the breast, which grows as milk arrives, brings a feeling of discomfort and tearing.

During self-examination, when pressed, a soft mobile formation is felt that does not disappear after pumping. If you find similar symptoms and the presence of exciting factors, you should consult a doctor. The diagnosis is established after the puncture of the cyst and its removal is prescribed.

Mastopathy includes everything in which there are:

pain in all segments of the gland;
compaction and volumetric neoplasm;
any discharge from the nipples.

The most common mastopathy is diffuse fibrocystic. In gynecology, it is considered not a disease, but a condition of the mammary gland against the background of dishormonal changes (temporary and permanent) in a woman's body. The pain appears in the form of aching discomfort in the upper chest on the right or left and depends on the menstrual cycle.

Occurs with increased secretion of milk, rare application of the baby, sluggish sucking.

Neoplasm in the breast

Cysts and tumors are the most dangerous cause of breast tenderness. The danger is that benign formations can degenerate into malignant ones. In addition to pain, the following are added:

When palpated, seals and nodules are felt, painful and painless. If, during a self-examination, a woman finds such symptoms, an urgent need to consult a mammologist or oncologist. The effectiveness of treatment brings early diagnosis of neoplasms.

With tumors and cysts in the glands, sharp piercing pains appear that are not associated with the monthly cycle. The pain can last up to 2 weeks and does not go away after menstruation, it appears pointwise in one area.

Help with painful discomfort

Having found unpleasant symptoms, it is strictly forbidden to self-medicate. You need to see a specialist for a diagnosis.

Often the pain goes away after the cause is removed. If examinations have shown that discomfort is not associated with serious disorders and pathologies, the patient is prescribed symptomatic treatment. Therapy consists in taking medications:

medications to normalize the production of sex hormones;
with severe premenstrual pain - sedative and anti-stress drugs;
multivitamins to normalize the metabolism in the body.

Pain prevention

To prevent pathology of the mammary glands, a woman should adhere to the following recommendations:

promptly apply for treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases;
avoid injury to the chest and mammary glands;
have a regular sex life;
use contraception against unwanted pregnancy (drugs are prescribed only by a doctor);
wear natural comfortable underwear;
give up alcohol and smoking;
during breastfeeding, feed the baby for at least 6 months and follow the rules of personal hygiene.

Women with intact reproductive function need to visit a mammologist and gynecologist every six months for preventive examination and diagnosis of diseases in the early stages.

Content

Pain in the sternum can occur completely unexpectedly and cause serious discomfort to a person. The causes are quite ordinary life processes, but sometimes these symptoms are a signal of the presence of dangerous diseases. Breast pain in women often occurs in the area of the mammary glands, which is a sign of mastopathy or indicates a possible pregnancy. In men, pain in the chest area can be signals of diseases of the esophagus, heart rhythm disturbances, and other diseases.

What is chest pain

Pain attacks inside the sternum differ in nature, duration, etiology. Pain in the sternum is aching, sharp, stabbing, cutting. It can be permanent or come on in fits and starts. Most cases of painful manifestations are associated with diseases such as:

diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
violations of the heart;
problems with the spine;
respiratory diseases;
hormonal changes in the body;
breast diseases.

Why does a woman's chest hurt?

Pain in a woman in the area of \u200b\u200bthe mammary glands can be associated with normal life situations. For example, breast tenderness often manifests itself during menstruation, feeding a child. With prolonged pain that disturbs periodically, it is necessary to undergo an examination of the mammary glands to determine the causes of discomfort. The diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a laboratory examination. Unpleasant sensations in the chest can be a sign of such serious diseases as breast cancer, mastopathy, etc.

Pain in one breast

Unpleasant sensations can be the result of blunt trauma to the breast tissue (for example, when falling). At the same time, the chest that has undergone a bruise aches. Damage to the mammary gland is accompanied by pain on palpation, redness, puffy parts. Other causes are diseases of the internal organs. With their exacerbation, sharp, stabbing, aching pains can be observed on either side of the sternum.

If the chest hurts on the right, the following diseases are possible:

hepatitis;
inflammation of the gallbladder;
diseases of the esophagus;
diaphragm damage;
spinal injury with disc displacement to the right.

When the breast gland hurts on the left side, this may be due to:

violations of the spleen;
gastritis, diseases of the pancreas;
pancreatitis;
intercostal neuralgia;
heart disease (acute pericarditis, angina pectoris).

It's a dull pain

If the pain is pulling, prolonged, this may signal mastodynia. This condition occurs as a result of hormonal failure. The woman feels cyclical pains that tend to get worse. The cause may be gynecological diseases, stress, menopause. Mastodynia also occurs against the background of prolonged hormonal therapy. Additional signs of the disease are manifested by swelling, an increase in glands in size. After the onset of menstruation, the pain disappears.

Pain in the mammary gland with pressure

A woman may experience discomfort when touching her breasts. Often, pain in both mammary glands occurs when feeding a child. This happens with lactostasis (stagnation of milk). It occurs due to an excess of milk fluid or when the baby does not suckle well. Pressing on the chest can create pain during mastopathy. This is a pathology of the mammary glands, which occurs against the background of frequent experiences, hormonal changes in the body. Mastopathy is accompanied by discharge from the nipple, swelling, aching in the breast tissues.

stabbing pain

Painful attacks of an acute nature can occur with intercostal neuralgia. A person feels stabbing, piercing pains that can radiate to the chest, shoulder blade, lower back. The same sensations appear during attacks of angina pectoris, pericarditis, and other acute heart diseases. Sometimes tingling occurs due to mental disorders. Acute pain can occur with pleurisy, pneumonia. They are accompanied by shortness of breath, cough.

The mammary gland hurts, there are no seals

Pulling sensations in the chest area may appear due to muscle spasms. This effect can occur when playing sports, physical exercises. Sometimes breast pain is caused by hormonal therapy or a woman taking oral contraceptives. Breast tenderness may indicate pregnancy. This means that the body began to rebuild at the hormonal level. The intensity of pain sensations can be different: from weak to strong.

When tilted

If, when performing some movements, the chest begins to hurt, the cause may be a previous injury. By pressing on the sternum, you can find a painful place. In case of damage, it will be painful to touch the injured area. Pain when lowering, turning the body can be observed due to diseases of the esophagus (hernia). The cause of the pain syndrome that appears after the tilt of the body may be intercostal neuralgia.

Swollen breast and pain

Some diseases cause tumors or breast enlargement. These include:

fibroadenoma;
mastopathy;
mammary cancer;
cyst formation;
lactational mastitis.

A cyst can form in healthy women. This is a cavity inside the breast that is filled with fluid. In most cases, these formations resolve themselves. Fibroadenoma is a benign tumor. The cells of the formation grow and put pressure on the milk ducts, which causes pain. Mastopathy is characterized by an increase in the fibrous tissue of the gland. It is accompanied by swelling, coarsening of the skin. Swelling and pain in the breast can be signs of breast cancer.

Pain under the nipple

During the feeding procedure, a woman may develop microcracks, which causes inflammation of the nipple. When this occurs, damage to the nerve endings, which causes a feeling of pain. The cause of these discomforts may be long-term use of hormonal drugs. Also, pain under the nipple can cause such diseases:

acute mastitis;
herpes virus;
nipple cancer;
mammalgia;
some types of lactostasis.

In the middle of a cycle

Slight pain in the chest in women 8-10 days before the onset of menstruation is considered a normal physiological phenomenon that does not require treatment. Sometimes it can be a sign of pregnancy. Discomfort can contribute to factors such as stress, fatigue. The woman feels fatigue, lethargy, headaches appear. In this case, swelling of the mammary glands is often observed. If the symptoms do not go away after menstruation, and the pain intensifies, you should consult a doctor for treatment.

chest pain in men

In the stronger sex, pain in the sternum may appear after a chest injury. Pain is felt when pressing on the damaged area. In diseases of the spine, pain occurs in the sternum, shoulder blades, on the side of the displaced vertebrae. In men, pain in the chest may appear due to the following diseases:

disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, disorders of the internal organs;
inflammation of the heart muscle;
lesions of the musculoskeletal system;
inflammation of the pleura of the respiratory tract, tracheitis;
neuroses, mental disorders.

With pulmonary diseases, inflammation occurs in the pleural cavity. This process is accompanied by a sharp strong cough, shortness of breath. Lesions of the pleura of the lungs often occur in smokers. This is a serious disease that is difficult to get rid of. With a lung infarction, burning, stabbing pains appear that radiate to the back, abdomen, and shoulder blades. Similar sensations can cause esophageal ulcers. The causative agents of inflammation are viruses or infections. The disease is characterized by muscle spasms that cause severe pain in the sternum.

With myocardial infarction, necrosis of the muscle tissue of the heart organ occurs. The pain is localized in the upper or central part of the body. The consequences of this disease are very severe. The inflammatory process in the area of the myocardium causes the death of the heart muscle. Characteristic signs are nausea, severe shortness of breath, cold sweat. Heart attacks are accompanied by a feeling of fear, dizziness. Pain does not go away after taking nitroglycerin.

Diagnostics

Women are advised to periodically examine the breasts on their own in order to notice the presence of seals in the mammary glands in time. This increases the chances of detecting cancer and other dangerous diseases in the early stages. In case of severe pain, changes in the shape of the mammary glands, or other negative signs, you should immediately consult a doctor for an examination. Diagnostics in medical institutions includes such actions as:

collection of information, palpation of the chest;
Ultrasound of the sternum;
mammography;
x-ray;
tissue biopsy.

You can contact a therapist at the place of residence, and he will then schedule a consultation with a specialist, depending on the results of the examination. With severe pain in the mammary glands, women can immediately visit a mammologist. What will be assigned:

If a heart attack is suspected, a CT scan may be ordered.
If the cause of sternum pain is a disorder of the esophagus, a FEGDS procedure is performed, in which the stomach is examined inside using a special apparatus. Tissue sampling is done to detect inflammation, infections.
Blood, urine can be taken for analysis in order to detect viral microorganisms.

Treatment

To get rid of soreness in the chest, you need to cure the underlying disease, the symptoms of which are pain. Therapy can be prescribed only by a specialist, based on the studies. During the course of treatment, it is necessary to comply with the motor regimen prescribed by the doctor (rest, walks, etc.). Depending on the disease present, treatment may include:

drug therapy;
herbal medicine;
physiotherapy;
taking vitamin complexes, drugs that strengthen the immune system;
Spa treatment.

Danazol is an effective drug for the treatment of mammary glands. This is a synthetic hormone that reduces the activity of the ovaries. In addition, the drug produces an analgesic effect. It is prescribed for mastopathy, breast hypertrophy, the presence of benign formations. The tool successfully eliminates tumors, seals, removes pain.

The disadvantage of the drug can be considered that it is not prescribed during pregnancy, diabetes, epilepsy. It has a long list of side effects, including: liver dysfunction, allergic reactions, weight gain, etc. The advantage is the high effectiveness of the drug in the treatment of breast pathologies. Danazol can be prescribed to children with the onset of puberty.

Tamoxifen is a potent anticancer drug. The active substance of the drug inhibits the action of sex hormones, thereby slowing down the growth of malignant tumors. Tamoxifen has been successfully used in the treatment of breast, uterus, and ovarian cancer. When taking this remedy, the inflammatory process stops in patients, cancer formations decrease.

The disadvantage of this medicine is a large number of contraindications. It can not be taken in diseases of the blood, liver, eye pathology. The list of unwanted manifestations is also large. Side effects can be manifested by nausea, heaviness in the stomach, weight gain, itching of the genitals. The downside of the drug is the possibility of the appearance of benign tumors after long-term treatment. Among the advantages, doctors indicate a strong anti-cancer effect.

Mastodinone is a drug based on natural raw materials. It has a mild effect on the body. It is used to treat mastopathy, menstrual disorders. The active substance - an extract of vitex, a tree-like shrub - restores the natural hormonal balance in women. Additionally, Mastodinon exhibits an analgesic effect.

The advantage of the drug is the absence of hormones. Mastodinone is made using herbal ingredients, so it is harmless. Thanks to this, the medicine gently affects the female body. For a stable result, the complex should be taken for 2-3 months. The disadvantages of a homeopathic remedy include a ban on its use by pregnant and lactating women.

Video

Attention! The information provided in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment, based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Did you find an error in the text? Select it, press Ctrl + Enter and we'll fix it!

Discuss

Causes of pain in the mammary gland - possible diseases, diagnosis and treatment

The female breast is a very important organ. Its main purpose is to feed a newborn child, provide him with all the necessary microelements and nutrients. At the same time, the mammary glands are an integral part of the endocrine system, which reacts sensitively to various changes in the body.

One of the first manifestations of problems is chest pain. The pain on the left should be especially alert. It is on this side that the vital organs are located, which can give a pain syndrome to the chest. Before eliminating pain, you need to find out its etiology. It is possible that discomfort is provoked not only by diseases of the mammary gland, but also by other organs.

Causes of pain

The chest should not hurt if it is healthy. If the pain syndrome has appeared, it may be evidence of pathological changes in the tissues of the organ.

Causes associated with breast diseases:

tumor formations;
inflammatory process;
hormonal disorders.

Causes that are not related to breast problems include:

stress;
myocardial infarction;
aortic aneurysm;
acute and obstructive bronchitis;
pneumonia;
diseases of the spleen;
neuralgia;
spine problems.

Pain in the left chest can also be associated exclusively with physiological factors:

puberty;
menstrual cycle;
pregnancy;
menopause.

Aching, unexpressed pain in the left chest may appear while taking certain medications, for example, oral contraceptives, thyroid hormones, antidepressants. But such a syndrome does not occur in everyone, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body.

Diseases of the mammary glands

In most cases, pain in the left breast is associated with diseases of the organ. Consider the most common.

Mastopathy

Growth of glandular and connective tissue with subsequent formation. Mastopathy develops gradually, as a rule, due to hormonal disorders. The progression of the disease leads to the appearance of foci of tissue structures of the epithelium, which block the milk ducts and prevent the secret of the gland from being excreted.

On a note! Mastopathy, in addition to dull, aching pain, may be accompanied by discharge from the nipples, fever, deterioration in general well-being.

Fibroadenoma

Aching

It often occurs with sluggish inflammatory processes in the digestive tract, spleen, pancreas, and lungs. With the appearance of nausea and vomiting, a stomach ulcer can be suspected. Aching pain due to stressful situations, excessive physical exertion, can be a symptom of myocarditis and other heart problems.

stabbing

As a rule, stabbing pain is caused by spasm and inflammation of muscle tissue, neuralgia, and rarely angina pectoris. Often, stabbing pain is confused with acute and cutting, which occurs with chest injuries, damage to the walls of the stomach.

Diagnostics

The appearance of pain in the left mammary gland of any nature is a reason to consult a doctor (therapist, gynecologist). He will examine the chest, find out the nature of the pain syndrome, its cyclicity, duration, intensity. In the presence of seals, discharge from the nipple, it is necessary that the woman be additionally examined by a mammologist.

If there is a suspicion that the pain is radiating in nature and its cause lies outside the mammary gland, it may be necessary to consult a neurologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist.

To identify the cause of pain, the following diagnostic studies can be prescribed:

Treatment Methods

The tactics of pain management can be completely different. It all depends on what caused it. With mastopathy, the main method of treatment is the use of hormonal drugs. Mastitis is treated with antibacterial agents. In the presence of cysts, fibroadenomas, surgical removal of the formations is recommended. Malignant tumors additionally require a course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

With muscle spasm, neuralgia, NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, warming, analgesic ointments can be prescribed. Infectious processes of the respiratory organs (pleurisy, pneumonia) are best treated in a hospital with antibiotics, intravenous administration of medicinal solutions that relieve the symptoms of the disease.

Pain in the breast on the left can occur for a number of reasons. In no case should you spontaneously take painkillers that lubricate the clinical picture of the underlying disease. For any nature of pain, you should immediately contact a therapist who, based on complaints and an external examination, will determine a plan for further action: prescribe the necessary diagnostics, refer you for a consultation with other specialists.

Video about the possible causes of pain in the breast in women on the left and ways to alleviate the pain syndrome: