Pain in the female breast. The nature of pain. breast tumor

One of the most common complaints among women of reproductive age is chest pain. This phenomenon is much less common among the fair sex, who survived menopause. If you experience discomfort, you should definitely consult a doctor, but you should not consider them as something terrible. In most cases, pain is caused by conditions that are not dangerous to health. Let's talk about them in more detail so that you know why the chest hurts, what are the reasons for this, and we will also discuss methods of dealing with such unpleasant sensations.

Why do breasts hurt in women?

Hormones

As you know, the mammary glands are organs, the full growth and development of which is regulated by the production of sex hormones. That is why the appearance of pain in the fair sex is often explained by changes in the normal ratio of the production of hormones that affect the tissues or cells of the breast. The causes of hormonal imbalances can be very different.

Shortly before the onset of menstruation, the amount of hormones in our body increases, helping to consolidate and develop a possible fetus, if it takes place. At this stage, the breast may enlarge slightly and hurt, which is explained by the stretching of the capsule. Itching may also occur due to irritation of the superficial nerve endings on the stretched skin. At this time, pressing on the nipples may cause a small amount of colorless or yellowish liquid to be released. All unpleasant phenomena disappear with the onset of menstruation.

In the middle of the cycle, short chest pain can occur in parallel with pain in the lower abdomen, they develop as a result of the action of hormones that ensure ovulation.

With prolonged hormonal imbalance, namely with the predominance of estrogen synthesis, there may be constant swelling of the breast tissues, as well as the formation of mastopathy. The mammary glands at the same time are poured and hurt. In this case, a woman may be faced with the inability to wear bras and tight clothing. Inside the breast tissues, heaviness or small nodules can be felt.

This disease requires close attention and proper therapy.

Pregnancy

In the first three months of bearing a baby, the mammary glands can hurt due to the influence of progesterone on them, which is responsible for preserving the fetus. As a result of the production of this substance, the alveolar tissue grows, the glands can increase in size, preparing for breastfeeding.

In the second trimester, discomfort subsides, but may again begin to disturb the expectant mother closer to the onset of childbirth. In this case, congestion and soreness develops due to the production of prolactin, which ensures the formation of lactation.

Lactation

Pain can disturb a newly-made mother immediately after childbirth, when there is an active secretion of milk. To eliminate discomfort, it is worth breastfeeding on demand.

When breastfeeding, stagnation of milk may occur, as well as infection. This causes mastitis, while the nursing mother feels severe pain in the chest, the tissues on the sides of the glands turn red, and a swollen focus of compaction is observed. The temperature may rise and the general condition of the woman worsens.

Abortion

After an artificial termination of pregnancy, the breast may hurt for one week. With more prolonged unpleasant phenomena, it is worth contacting a doctor.

Non-hormonal causes

The chest can hurt due to ordinary bruises, sometimes the cause of this phenomenon is the development of infectious lesions (shingles). Unpleasant sensations can be triggered by intense weight training. Unilateral pain can be attributed to trauma and sprains.
If discomfort is localized on the left, problems with the cardiovascular system should be excluded. The main difference between dangerous pains is intensity and burning.

However, such phenomena can be explained by other factors:

Cervical or thoracic osteochondrosis;
- scoliosis;
- stress, depression, neurosis, bloating;
- disease of costal cartilages;
- problems with the stomach or pancreas and other pathological conditions.

What to do if the chest hurts (treatment)?

Therapy is carried out depending on the causes that caused the problem. To correct premenstrual syndrome or ovulatory pain, the doctor may prescribe vitamins and herbal preparations with mild hormonal activity to the patient.

With purulent inflammation of the mammary gland, it is often recommended to take a course of consumption of antibacterial medicines, sometimes surgery may be needed to open and drain the focus.

To eliminate diffuse forms of mastopathy, it may be necessary to take hormonal drugs, and nodular formations or cysts are usually treated with surgical methods.

A painful symptom caused by muscle strain or inflammation can be alleviated with anti-inflammatory tablet formulations, as well as ointments or warm compresses.

Conclusion

We talked about why the chest hurts, what symptoms were told, and also talked about treatment. It is worth considering that the appearance of pain in the chest area rarely indicates the development of oncological lesions, but such a possibility exists. In any case, when unpleasant sensations appear, it is advisable to quickly seek medical help.

Pain and its causes in alphabetical order:

pain in the breast

Pain in the mammary gland or mastalgia is a fairly common condition that worries about 70% of women at least once in their lives. Most often, pain in the mammary gland occurs in women at a young age, in the premenopausal period. However, postmenopausal women can also experience this condition. Almost every tenth woman experiences pain in the mammary glands of varying severity for more than 5 days during the month. In some cases, pain in the mammary gland in a woman can last throughout the entire period of menstruation. These pains affect daily activities such as work, family relationships, and sexuality.

By itself, mastalgia alone is rarely a sign of cancer. However, if you are worried about unexpected pain in the mammary gland and thoughts about cancer do not leave you, then in order to find out the cause of these pains, consult a doctor.

Mastalgia can be cyclic, non-cyclic, and non-breast related. In this case, cyclic pain is usually associated with the menstrual cycle. Acyclic pain is usually constant and not related to the menstrual cycle. Pain that is not associated with the breast can be a sign of muscle pain, but sometimes it may seem to a woman that the cause is the breast.

With cyclic pain, the process usually captures both mammary glands and usually the pain spreads throughout the gland, especially affecting its upper and outer parts. With cyclic pain, irritability, swelling and swelling of the mammary glands are common. Women often describe this pain as a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the chest. This pain is most pronounced during the week before the onset of menstruation and subsequently gradually subsides. Cyclic breast pain is the most common type of pain that occurs in 2/3 of women.

Non-cyclic pain often affects only one mammary gland and is localized in any one place. Less commonly, non-cyclic pain can be diffuse and affect the entire mammary gland, including the armpit. Often such pain is described by women as burning, irritated. Cyclic breast pain typically occurs in women in their 30s and 40s, while non-cyclic breast pain occurs in women over 40.

What diseases cause pain in the mammary gland:

Causes of breast pain

1. With the cyclic nature of pain, disorders of the hormonal status are usually observed. The hormonal theory of cyclic pain in the mammary gland is explained, for example, by the fact that during pregnancy or in the postmenopausal period, this pain stops. This is due to the fact that in these conditions there are no constant cyclic hormonal changes in the body of a woman.
The occurrence of pain in the premenstrual period and the weakening or disappearance with the onset of menstruation. Sometimes there is no clear connection with the onset of menstruation. Usually bilateral localization, mainly in the upper, outer areas of the mammary glands. Different intensity of painful sensations - from dull, aching (more often) to pronounced, making it difficult to move the hands. The pain may radiate to the armpits or arm. The examination may reveal slight tuberosity of the breast tissue. The severity of clinical manifestations usually increases with age and sharply weakens or disappears after menopause. The occurrence of cyclic mastalgia is associated with a change in hormonal levels. More than 2/3 of women, usually of young reproductive age, suffer from this type of disorder, although similar complaints are known in postmenopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy.

2. The causes of non-cyclic pain in the mammary gland are more likely to be associated with anatomical changes in the breast, rather than hormonal ones. It can be a cyst, blunt trauma, breast surgery. Non-cyclic pain can also be due to causes not related to the mammary gland (chest wall, muscles, joints and nerves).
Characteristics: the pain is often unilateral. Localization - mainly in the middle part of the mammary gland, around the nipple. Sharp, burning, cutting pain. It can be both periodic and constant.
Localized, long-lasting pain in the breast may be associated with the presence of a fibroadenoma (benign tumor) or cyst in it. However, in order to exclude more serious causes of acyclic mastalgia (for example, breast cancer), it is recommended to contact a specialist as soon as possible.

3. The cause of pain in the mammary glands may lie in the imbalance of fatty acids in the tissues of the mammary glands. This imbalance, in turn, increases the sensitivity of gland cells to hormones. This explains the effectiveness in some cases of pain using primrose oil. This oil contains gamma-linolenic acid. It is believed that this acid is able to restore the imbalance of fatty acids in the body and reduce the sensitivity of breast tissue to hormones.

4. In addition, cyclic pain may be associated with certain medications, such as hormonal fertility drugs or contraceptives. Cyclical breast pain may be a side effect of estrogen and progesterone supplementation, which may explain why some women continue to have breast pain even after menopause, when they are forced to take hormonal drugs. In addition, it is reported that sometimes this pain can be observed when taking antidepressants.

5. Mastitis and other infectious diseases. In addition to local symptoms (pain, redness, swelling of the mammary gland), they are accompanied by intoxication (fever, sometimes with chills, headache, loss of appetite, general weakness, etc.). Often mastitis occurs in the postpartum period due to the penetration of pathogens through the microcracks of the nipple and stagnation in the milk gland.

6. Breast cancer. In addition to varying degrees of pain (but they may be absent!) It is characterized by the presence of a tumor-like formation with fuzzy contours, more often in the upper outer areas of the mammary gland, it is possible to change the skin over the tumor in the form of wrinkling or “orange peel”, retraction of the nipple or discharge from it . The risk of developing breast cancer is higher in nulliparous women or women who gave birth to their first child late, in women with a hereditary predisposition, with overweight, the presence of mastopathy.

Diagnosis of pain in the breast

So, if you are concerned about pain in the mammary gland, you need to find out the cause of this pain. First of all, the doctor finds out your history, that is, he conducts a survey of what exactly worries you, the nature of the pain, their connection with menstruation, with other factors, the localization of pain, and past diseases. The doctor will definitely ask:
How long have you been experiencing these pains?
- What is the intensity of these pains?
- Is the pain localized in one or both mammary glands?
- When was the last time you had a mammogram?
- Are there any other manifestations along with the pain, for example, discharge from the nipple?
- What medications do you take?

Next, a manual examination of the mammary glands is carried out, as well as the condition of the axillary lymph nodes. A mammogram is also usually recommended. In case of detection of a tumor-like formation, an ultrasound is prescribed.

Which doctor should I contact if there is pain in the mammary gland:

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Do you have breast pain? You need to be very careful about your overall health. People don't pay enough attention disease symptoms and do not realize that these diseases can be life-threatening. There are many diseases that at first do not manifest themselves in our body, but in the end it turns out that, unfortunately, it is too late to treat them. Each disease has its own specific signs, characteristic external manifestations - the so-called disease symptoms. Identifying symptoms is the first step in diagnosing diseases in general. To do this, you just need to several times a year be examined by a doctor not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in the body and the body as a whole.

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Let's figure out why there is aching pain in the chest, and what diseases it may indicate. The chest is an extremely sensitive organ. The mammary glands sensitively respond to all hormonal changes that occur in the body. Therefore, when any unpleasant symptoms appear, it is imperative to find out the cause of the ailment and eliminate it.

The mammary gland is a paired organ belonging to the glands of external secretion. The main purpose of the breast is to secrete milk during lactation. The breast tissue itself is located from the 3rd rib to the 7th rib. The chest is supported by the pectoralis major muscle, which is responsible for the tone and location of the mammary glands.

The protruding part of the mammary gland is called the body by physicians. It is on it that the nipple and areola are located - the complex responsible for the excretion of the lactiferous duct into the environment. Areola is a hyperpigmented area with thin skin. The nipple is an outgrowth that consists mainly of epithelial tissue. In addition to the lactiferous duct, lactiferous pores can be seen on the nipple - these are the outlet areas of the lactiferous canals, which are smaller than the main duct.

Inside the mammary gland consists of lobules. They, in turn, are formed by microscopic alveoli, which are located throughout the breast tissue. Each alveolus is connected to others, together they form lobules. Individual lobules are combined into larger segments. These segments perform the main function of the breast - during lactation they form and excrete milk. And between the segments there are layers of connective and adipose tissue.

The size and shape of the breasts are individual parameters. They can change slightly with the course of the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy, as well as with some diseases, and not only breasts.

It is clear that there can be many reasons for pain, based on the complex anatomical structure. Therefore, if discomfort and pain appear, it is better not to engage in self-diagnosis and consult a doctor. And this article will help you understand what can happen to the chest, and how dangerous the observed symptoms are.

Classification of breast pain

According to the periods of occurrence, two main types of pain in the mammary glands are distinguished:

Cyclic. Associated with the monthly cycle. Usually appears before menstruation, may increase over time.
Non-cyclic. It occurs suddenly, is not associated with natural hormonal changes. Usually it is evidence of injuries, bruises, intercostal neuralgia.

It is important to determine not only the frequency of occurrence of painful sensations, but also the nature of the pain. By the nature of the pain is usually divided into the following groups:

Shooting. Characteristic for inflammatory and purulent processes.
Dull.
Acute.
Stab.
Cutting.
Pulsating. Occurs with inflammation or prolonged irritation of tissues.
Aching.
Pulling. Often combined with aching.
Burning.

It is clear that it can be difficult for patients to name the specific nature of the pain, but when visiting a doctor it is important to describe the painful sensations as accurately as possible - this will help in diagnosing the disease.

Symptoms and manifestations

Allocate symptoms of cyclic pain and non-cyclic. A separate group includes the so-called dangerous symptoms - they indicate serious inflammatory or oncological processes.

Cyclic pain is either a natural discomfort associated with a change in hormonal levels during menstruation, or evidence of mastopathy - a diffuse form of the disease is often manifested by periodic pain.
Non-cyclic pains indicate a sudden injury or the development of a disease. Dangerous symptoms are a series of signs by which the most insidious diseases can be recognized.

Symptoms of cyclic pain syndrome:

Soreness is closely related to menstruation. The pain appears before menstruation and disappears at the 2nd week of the cycle.
The pain is aching and dull.
There are signs of an inflammatory process in the tissues of the mammary gland - swelling, engorgement and swelling of the breast are observed.
Nodules and seals are felt in the chest - they are easiest to detect in the last days of the cycle.
The pain is symmetrical, that is, it is observed in both mammary glands.
Pain in the armpits.
Age from 20 to 40 years. Doctors have noticed that it is at this age that patients most often suffer from cyclic pain syndrome.

Signs of non-cyclic soreness:

The pain has nothing to do with the menstrual cycle.
There is not only pain, but also burning, squeezing the chest.
The pain is clearly localized - only one mammary gland hurts.
Quite often, diseases that manifest as a non-cyclic pain symptom occur in women in the menopausal stage and affect women of reproductive age much less frequently.

The most dangerous symptoms:

Soreness appears daily and does not go away within 10 days.
The pain does not subside, it intensifies every day.
The pain is clearly localized.
Soreness reduces the quality of life and interferes with daily activities.
To get rid of pain, you have to take analgesics daily.
Chest pain is accompanied by other persistent skin, kidney, or liver symptoms.

If dangerous symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. Most breast diseases do not require urgent diagnosis - you can contact a specialist and in a week, nothing bad will happen. But when these symptoms appear, it is better not to postpone the consultation.

Causes of soreness

The causes of pain can be very different. It is more reasonable to talk not only about the causes of the pain itself, but also about the factors that can contribute to the development of diseases of the mammary glands.

These factors include:

Individual anatomical features. They are provocateurs of non-cyclic soreness. Injuries, operations and diseases act as a trigger, they start the pathological process. Even a large breast size can act as an individual feature of the anatomy.
Taking various drugs that affect (even indirectly) the hormonal status.
Acid imbalance - affects the perception of hormones by breast tissues. The imbalance occurs due to a deficiency of fatty acids in the diet.
Long-term or uncontrolled use of oral contraceptives.
Various diseases of the mammary gland, gynecological and endocrine, diseases of the liver and kidneys.

To begin the treatment of pain syndrome, it is necessary to establish its cause. If the pain is really bothering, then it is caused by a disease.

Possible diseases

Consider the most common diseases that cause pain in the mammary gland.

Intercostal neuralgia

It develops due to pathologies in individual nerve fibers. The disease itself is not dangerous, but its symptoms can reduce the quality of life. There is not only pain in the mammary gland, soreness spreads over all the ribs, it can radiate to the back and lower back.

The pain comes in bursts. On palpation, the mammary gland is painless. Soreness is aggravated by walking, inhalations and sharp exhalations. If symptoms are observed on the left side, then the patient may suspect a heart problem. When pain occurs on the right side, breast disease is usually suspected.

Mastopathy

This is a benign disease, which, nevertheless, is considered one of the most dangerous. With mastopathy, the mammary gland aches, discomfort is usually observed from both sides at once and intensifies towards the end of the cycle. There are discharges from the nipples, and on palpation, seals can be detected. The pain is aching and dull. In rare cases, there may be no pain at all.

Fibroadenoma

A special case of mastopathy. This is a tumor that is in the capsule. Due to this, its treatment and diagnosis are difficult. The main symptoms: breast engorgement, the appearance of seals, discharge from the nipples, soreness.

Mastitis

Mastitis is an inflammatory disease that is caused by infection in the breast tissue. With mastitis, the pain is strong, aching, does not depend on external factors, increases with pressure on the chest.

Redness occurs, local temperature or general body temperature rises. As treatment, antibiotics are prescribed, selected taking into account the pathogen. Most often, mastitis occurs during lactation, when the breast often receives microtrauma and is open to infection.

Other diseases

There are some diseases that have nothing to do with the physiology of the mammary glands, but can cause chest pain:

Shingles.
Tietze syndrome.

Shingles is a viral disease that causes itching, burning, and soreness of the skin. If the rash appeared in the area of the mammary glands, then the pain will be observed in the chest. The main symptom is the appearance of rashes in the form of small bubbles filled with liquid. For treatment, you must definitely contact a dermatologist and pick up an antiviral drug.

Tietze's syndrome is a fairly rare disease characterized by benign changes in the ribs. If swelling occurs around the affected rib and nerves are compressed, this can be subjectively perceived as chest pain.

Competent diagnostics is carried out using modern instrumental methods:

Ultrasound diagnostics.
Palpation and examination.
Biopsy - in the presence of cysts or tumors.
Mammography.
Ductography - in the presence of pathological changes in the ducts of the mammary gland.
Thermography is the most modern analogue of mammography.
Sonography - in addition to the results of ultrasound.
Pneumocystography - performed to study the contents of the cyst.

Thanks to modern diagnostic methods, it is possible to accurately differentiate all diseases of the mammary gland, even those that have been hidden for a long time. Timely and accurate diagnosis is the key to successful treatment.

At-risk groups

Separately, it is worth talking about risk groups - these are girls and women who need to be as attentive to their health as possible. It is they who should immediately consult a doctor if any unpleasant symptoms appear.

The risk group (according to WHO) includes:

Non-parous women over the age of 35.
Women who refuse breastfeeding.
Patients with unfavorable heredity.
Girls and women with obesity or diabetes.
Girls and women who repeatedly resorted to artificial termination of pregnancy.
Girls who are in a state of prolonged stress or depression.
Patients with diseases of the liver, kidneys, genital organs, thyroid gland, pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
After injuries and operations on the mammary gland.
Anyone who does not adhere to a healthy lifestyle and abuses smoking and alcohol.

It is necessary to know about risk groups in order to consult a doctor in time with an increased likelihood of illness.

Treatment of breast diseases

If the pain syndrome is not associated with functional disorders of the mammary gland, then symptomatic treatment is prescribed. It can be both analgesics, and anti-inflammatory or sedatives - it depends on the symptoms.

If a relationship with an increased level of prolactin is noted, then the appropriate hormonal therapy is selected - antiprolactin drugs normalize the hormonal background by suppressing the secretion of the hormone. The main disadvantage of hormone therapy is the disruption of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, with early diagnosis, they try to use more gentle methods of treatment.

Typical appointments for breast diseases associated with hormonal levels:

Phytotherapy.
Dietary supplements to combat the main symptoms.
Vitamin complexes.
Regular observation.
Compliance with a diet with the exception of alcohol, chocolate, coffee.

Conservative treatment consists in relief of symptoms with appropriate groups of drugs: from painkillers to enzymatic ones. If conservative treatment does not help, then resort to surgery. Operations are prescribed to remove tumors and cysts.

There is no specific prevention of breast diseases. The easiest way is to follow the WHO recommendations: follow a healthy lifestyle and regularly attend preventive examinations.

Breast pain is a fairly common problem in women with normal menstrual cycles of the childbearing period.

They can occur for various reasons, writes "Health Country".

1. Due to hormonal changes

One of the reasons may be hormonal changes. They can cause discomfort or sensitivity. Chest pain can occur a few days before your period is a fairly common symptom of PMS. Unpleasant sensations can also be due to the use of hormonal birth control pills.

Due to hormonal changes, there may be cyst, it leads to an increase in the mammary glands.

2. During pregnancy

During pregnancy the body begins to rebuild, so at this time there is an increased sensitivity. The chest may increase, blue veins can be seen on it - this indicates an increased blood flow.

A woman may have chest pain during breastfeeding. Unpleasant sensations arise due to the influx of milk and the activity of hormones. If the skin on the chest is cracked, then the woman's risk of infection (and abscess) is increased.

Chest pain: causes

3. Due to inflammation

Due to blockage of the milk inflow during breastfeeding, a woman may experience an inflammatory disease - mastitis. It is caused by viruses, fungi or bacteria. With mastitis, the chest becomes red, the body temperature rises, fatigue and malaise occur.

Pus can accumulate in the chest - abscess. It is easy to notice on palpation of the mammary glands; when touched, pain may occur.

4. With cancer

Pain may occur when breast cancer. Chest pain is felt at an advanced stage of the disease.

Pain in women may be due to fibrocystic disease, it is characterized by changes in the tissue of the mammary glands, in which the epithelial and connective tissue components are disturbed.

Other news related to the treatment of various diseases, medicine in Ukraine, healthy lifestyle and nutrition, pregnancy and childbirth, discoveries in the field of medicine and much more - read in the section.

If you had to face such an unpleasant problem when your chest began to hurt very much, do not waste time, contact a specialist as soon as possible. In some cases, this symptom may not pose any danger to your health and life, but it often happens that intense pain in the chest area indicates the course or exacerbation of the pathological process, which can lead to extremely negative complications.

Painful sensations can be of a different nature. In women, the chest begins to hurt before menstruation, during pregnancy, as well as pain and discomfort accompanies diseases of the mammary glands. Sometimes severe pain is caused by fresh or old injuries, pathologies of the heart, respiratory organs, or even the digestive system.

In order to accurately determine the cause of why the chest hurts a lot, the nature of these sensations should be established. It is he who is the primary sign for an accurate diagnosis.

It should be understood that the breast is not only the mammary glands, but also the chest. It can also hurt when there are problems in the work of internal organs.

The main causes of very severe chest pain include the following:

diseases of the cardiovascular system (myocardial infarction);
pathologies that develop against the background of a hormonal imbalance (mastopathy, gynecomastia);
problems with the state of the mammary glands (breast cancer, hyperplasia);
disruption of the nervous system;
diseases of the digestive system;
injuries, fractures and bruises.

A woman can have a very strong chest pain before and during menstruation. Similar signs also occur during pregnancy, when the mammary glands increase in size, swell, and milk production begins in them. Another cause of severe chest pain in women is an abortion or miscarriage. In these cases, discomfort is associated not only with a violation of the hormonal background, but also with severe stress that the body had to endure.

Violation of the heart

The myocardium is a muscle that continuously functions throughout our life without interruption, transporting blood from the heart and throughout the body. In order for this muscle to contract in a timely and correct manner, it must be supplied not only with blood, but also with nutrients. The coronary arteries are the pathways that carry blood. Their compression can cause the death of myocardial cells, which always leads to very complex consequences.

If the coronary arteries are compressed, the person feels that it hurts very badly in the chest, and the pain can be given to other parts of the body. This condition is called angina pectoris. In most cases, it worries if a person is in a state of increased stress. Attacks of angina pectoris are accompanied by fear for their lives and panic. To relieve spasm, take a nitroglycerin tablet. It just needs to be put under the tongue. If there is no effect, you should immediately call an ambulance.

An attack of angina pectoris can suddenly turn into a myocardial infarction. You can immediately recognize a dangerous condition by such signs: the pain grows, becomes unbearable, the pills do not help, blood pressure drops, the patient may faint.

Pathologies of the central nervous system

A disorder of the nervous system can also be the reason that the chest hurts very much. This condition is known as cardioneurosis. Sometimes painful sensations are permanent, they are aching, pulling.

Pain is accompanied by the following symptoms:

increased blood pressure;
redness of the face;
sense of anxiety;
irritability;
sleep disturbance.

Often, cardioneurosis is confused with coronary artery disease (CHD), since the signs are almost identical. In women during menopause, against the background of hormonal changes, the chest can also be very sore. It can be pain in the mammary glands or in the chest in the region of the heart (climacteric myocardiopathy). To help the patient, hormone replacement therapy and sedatives are prescribed.

With mastopathy, the chest also hurts. This disease occurs against the background of a hormonal imbalance in the body. Mastopathy is also called fibrocystic disease of the mammary glands, when small nodules and neoplasms of a benign nature form from the connective tissue.

Gradually, they grow, progress, can become malignant, but can remain unchanged throughout life.

The main reasons for the development of the disease include the following:

prolonged depression;
inflammatory process in the uterine appendages;
problems in the functioning of the liver;
thyroid pathology;
heredity;
severe obesity;
diabetes.

At risk are women who have not yet given birth to a child under 30, as well as those who do not have an established intimate life or have not had a sexual partner for a long time. The risk of developing the disease is very low in women who have given birth and nursed a baby up to 25 years of age.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Many patients complain that it hurts a lot in the chest area, then they are diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, for example. How can malfunctions in the functioning of the digestive tract cause pain in the chest? Very simply, they are caused by contraction of the muscles in the walls of the esophagus. Patients not only have chest pains, but also worry about symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and abdominal pain. This is a clear sign of an ulcer. Pain can be relieved with antispasmodic drugs.

Severe pain is accompanied by a diaphragmatic hernia, diseases of the bile ducts, gallbladder and even the liver (it hurts under the left breast). Acute pancreatitis causes the same severe pain as angina pectoris.

Lung problems

Our lungs occupy part of the space in the chest area. If pathological changes occur in the respiratory organs, severe pain can also occur and not only.

There are quite a few diseases that are accompanied by acute painful sensations:

oncological disease;
diseases of the pleural cavity;
pathology of the trachea and bronchi;
pneumonia.

The human lungs are covered with a serous sac called the pleura. It consists of two parts, between which there is a cavity. If the pleura becomes inflamed, severe chest pains occur, and the temperature also rises. It hurts a lot when somehow fluid or air enters the pleural cavity. Painful sensations occur against the background of shortness of breath, low blood pressure.

Among other reasons that can cause severe pain in the chest area, one can list: osteochondrosis, diseases of the spine, fracture of the ribs. As you can see, there are a lot of reasons, it is very difficult to determine the provoking factors on your own, you should not even try, especially if you have a very indirect relation to medicine or do not have it at all. Some conditions are not life-threatening, the pain disappears quickly on its own or after taking medication. In other cases, very unpleasant consequences can occur, for example, with myocardial infarction.

Diagnosis and treatment

If you have begun to notice that you are worried about severe, sharp chest pains that appear suddenly and then disappear, do not hesitate, consult a doctor. The state of neglect can lead to death. Do not expect everything to pass by itself, it is stupid and naive. Only timely, accurate diagnosis and the choice of adequate treatment will help get rid of unpleasant symptoms, cure the disease in time and prevent complications.

To determine the exact cause of the pain, the patient will have to pass a bunch of tests, be examined by such specialists:

therapist;
cardiologist;
endocrinologist;
traumatologist;
neuropathologist;
gynecologist;
mammologist;
andrologist.

In some cases, even by primary signs, an accurate diagnosis can be made, but not everyone will decide on this, because there are diseases with exactly the same course, but completely different reasons. Some pathologies are treated only in a hospital, the treatment of others does not require being under the constant supervision of medical personnel. Doctors usually prescribe medications to normalize the patient's condition.

Severe chest pain can be prevented, as can the diseases that cause it. To do this is quite simple. You just need to monitor your health: regularly undergo periodic examinations, take tests, lead a normal life, give up bad habits, set yourself up for positive emotions, avoid stressful and conflict situations.