Soreness in Breasts: Let's find the culprit

Breast Tenderness may result from various factors, from hormonal imbalance to more serious conditions. Let's dive deep into each of these reasons

Hormonal Swings

Hormonal fluctuations stand out as a major cause of breast soreness. These occur mostly during a menstrual cycle since a woman's estrogen and progesterone hormones rise and fall sharply. Most women also report soreness in their breasts approximately several days before the commencement of a period, known as cyclic mastalgia and this symptom is known to disappear as soon as the menstrual period begins. 

Pregnancy

Advertisment

Breast soreness is one of the major early pregnancy symptoms. During the first trimester, your body experiences increased hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which will lead to the rapid growth of breast tissue and milk ducts. This may make your breasts feel swollen, tender, and heavy. An increased blood supply, combined with the ongoing changes in breast tissue, means that the discomfort may hang around for as long as nine months.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding involves the potential for sore breasts owing to several problems including improper latching, engorgement, and mastitis. With poor latch-on by your baby, nipple soreness is practically guaranteed. Engorgement, that is, breasts that have become too full, may also lead to tenderness or pain. In more dire situations, mastitis from an infection of breast tissue may cause sharp pains, swelling, and redness and may need medical attention. More information about mastitis is discussed later in the article itself. 

Fibrocystic Changes in the Breasts

Fibrocystic changes in the breasts refer to non-cancerous breasts that may develop over time to become lumpy and quite rubbery. This may cause pain and often swelling and tenderness, especially in the upper and outer parts of the breast. This is a particular process and mostly occurs in women of childbearing age. It normally increases in severity towards the period. While fibrocystic changes are not dangerous, they can be very uncomfortable, indeed.

Medications

Advertisment

Some medications might result in breast soreness. Hormonal drug medications, in the form of birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy, can lead to breast tenderness. Other medications, like some types of antidepressants and heart medications, may also cause breast pain. If at all you feel that your medication is causing breast tenderness, you should consult your doctor before you change your medication. Consult Gytree healthcare experts for medical advice.

Injury or Trauma

Direct injury or trauma to the breasts can lead to soreness or pain. This can be from accidents, sports, or surgeries. Most of the time there will be pain felt centered in the area where the injury happened, with swelling and bruising. Normally, this sort of pain goes away as the injury gets better.

Infections

Infections of the breasts, either mastitis or abscesses, may lead to very painful breasts. Mastitis occurs more frequently during the first few months of breastfeeding but can also occur in women who are not breastfeeding. The symptoms include redness, swelling, warmth, and pain. Most breast infections require medical intervention, usually including antibiotics. "I think it's really hard for some people to understand to what degree Mastitis can interfere," says, Gail Peterson, Lactation specialist at United Health Group. 

Breast Cysts

Advertisment

These are fluid-filled sacs that can occur in the breast tissue. They are quite common and benign, but they can be uncomfortable if they are large or located in a sensitive part of the breast. A cyst may feel like a small, moveable lump and may hurt or cause tenderness, particularly before your period.

Breast Cancer

Though, normally, breast pain is not a common symptom of breast cancer, in a few cases, it is. Sometimes, breast cancer shows up as a lump, thickening, or any other unusual changes in the shape or texture of your breast. However, if you have persistent pain in your breast or a lump or any other change in your breast, you should see a doctor immediately.

The reasons behind breast tenderness are nearly a dozen, but having a close look at your body and listening to it, will help you filter out the cause. 

We are an information-gathering blog. For all medical interventions, please consult a registered medical practitioner.