Breast pain: myths and truth

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Constant or recurrent pain in the mammary glands bothers almost every woman at different ages. The incidence rate of mastopathy in Russia, according to different authors, ranges from 29 to 70% among women of reproductive age, and in the presence of gynecological diseases, the frequency increases to 92%. However, few of us consider this a weighty reason for contacting a doctor with this problem. Therefore, ideas and knowledge about the causes of chest pain are shrouded in many myths and misconceptions, and we often do not realize that unpleasant sensations in the mammary glands can not only affect mood and general well-being, but also affect the quality of life.

The main myths about chest pain for "Cleo" were dispelled by experts: Korzhenkova Galina Petrovna, MD, oncologist, radiologist, senior researcher at the Russian Cancer Research Center. Blokhina of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, and Ovsyannikova Tamara Vasilievna, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology FPPOV SBEI HPE First Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, obstetrician-gynecologist, gynecologist-endocrinologist of the highest qualification category.

Myth number 1. Breast pain is normal and does not require treatment

This is what most women think. But this is a deceptive and dangerous delusion.

Any pain is a signal from the body about a malfunction of a particular system. Breast pain is most often caused by hormonal imbalances. Violation of hormone levels is accompanied by swelling of the glandular tissue, which causes a feeling of discomfort, tension, breast tenderness, a sensation of an increase in breast size. Changes in the state of the glandular and connective tissues of the organ can subsequently lead to the development of mastopathy and other diseases. Pain is always a reason to see a doctor who will help determine its cause and advise remedies to eliminate complaints. Wearing the right underwear, a healthy lifestyle, and a balanced diet are the keys to breast health. Local therapy using a special gel with natural progesterone will correct the response of breast tissue to hormonal imbalance and reduce discomfort.

It is important:

Nervous, irritable women are more likely to suffer from chest pain

Constant stress and strong emotional experiences provoke pain in the mammary gland. The fact is that due to chronic overwork, violation of the mode of work and rest in the body of a woman, hormonal levels are disturbed. And stress or a nervous breakdown causes a real "hormonal storm" in the body. In turn, the mammary gland immediately reacts to the slightest changes in the endocrine system, and, as a rule, this is manifested by chest pains.

Myth number 2. Breast pain during puberty or premenopausal women does not require treatment

Lack of action to eliminate the causes of pain can be the cause of the development of mastopathy. In recent years, it has been proven that the duration of pain in benign breast diseases is a risk factor for the occurrence of breast cancer.

Moreover, one of the most common causes of pain in the mammary glands is hormonal. Therefore, it is not surprising that during the period of the most intense hormonal storms, a woman is faced with an imbalance in such a hormone-dependent organ as the mammary gland. The nature and intensity of pain can be very diverse: severity, tingling, burning, burning, pressure, acute pain, discomfort. These processes may, among other things, be accompanied by an increase in body temperature.

The main danger here is that the pain can be prolonged, but not very intense: a woman gets used to it over time and does not attach due importance to it. And as a result, either does not go to the doctor at all, or does it very slowly. However, when pain is a symptom of a disease, a late visit to a doctor always leads to difficulty in treatment.

It is important:

Combined oral contraceptives can cause breast pain

Any contraceptive contains a certain concentration of hormones. At the beginning of taking contraceptives, the body adapts to an additional dose of estrogen from the outside, this can cause soreness in the mammary glands. In modern drugs, the doses of hormones are very small, therefore, with correctly selected means, pain should not continue for a long period of time. If the pain in the chest does not go away 3 months after the start of use, you must consult a doctor who will adjust the course and select the appropriate hormonal drugs after a detailed examination, taking into account the age and general condition of the body. An additional agent of local action that relieves pain can be a gel with progesterone, the mechanism of action of which is based on an increase in the level of progesterone in the tissues of the mammary gland.

Myth number 3. Chest pain is always a sign of serious medical conditions, including breast cancer

Chest pain is not always a sign of serious cancer. However, this is a serious signal that you need to see a doctor and find out the cause. The reasons may be fibrocystic mastopathy, which occurs in every third woman in our country, and pronounced premenstrual syndrome, and improper use of contraceptives, as well as natural hormonal changes associated with puberty, pregnancy, and the onset of menopause. Chronic gynecological diseases, disordered sex life, and insufficient thyroid function also play a significant role. Cancer is extremely rare in a healthy breast.

However, the risk of breast cancer in women with long-term breast pain (mastalgia) without adequate therapy is five times higher than in women without it. Therefore, if you experience regular pain in the mammary glands, you need to consult a doctor and find out the reasons.