Woman Breast Pain | BreastPainBlog.blogspot.com

What is mastalgia (breast pain)?
Mastalgia is breast pain and is generally classified as a cycle (associated with menstrual periods) or noncyclic. Noncyclic pain can come from the breast or may come from somewhere else, like say the muscles or joints nearby and could feel inside. The pain can range from minor discomfort to severe crippling pain in some cases. Many women with mastalgia worry more about the consequences of cancer than the pain itself.

What is cyclical breast pain?It is the most common type of breast pain associated with the menstrual cycle and is nearly always hormonal. Some women begin to have pain around the time of ovulation and continues until the beginning of your menstrual cycle. The pain may be barely noticeable or so severe that the woman can not wear tight clothing or tolerate close contact of any kind. The pain may be felt in only one breast or may be felt as a radiating sensation in the underarm area.

Some physicians have women chart their breast pain to determine if the pain is cyclical or not. After a few months, the relationship between the menstrual cycle and breast pain will come out.

Doctors continue to study the role that hormones play in mastalgia cycle. One study showed that some women with mastalgia cycle reduction ratio of progesterone to estrogen in the second half of the menstrual cycle. Other studies have found that abnormalities in the hormone prolactin may affect breast pain. Hormones can also affect cyclical breast pain as a result of stress - breast pain can increase or change the pattern of the hormonal changes that occur during times of stress.

Hormones may not provide the total answer to cyclical breast pain, because pain tends to be more severe in one breast than the other (hormones would tend to affect both breasts equally). Many physicians believe that a combination of hormonal activity and something in the breast that responds to this activity may continue to answer. However, further research will be required to reach this conclusion.

Treatment for cyclical breast pain:
Specific treatment for cyclical breast pain will be determined by your physician based on:

Your overall health and medical history.
Level conditions.
Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies.
Expectations for the course conditions.
Treatments vary significantly and may include the following:

Avoid caffeine.
Vitamin E.
Evening Primrose Oil [This is a plant native to North America yellow flowers, which are known by the scientific name of Oenothera biennis] - natural triglycerides.
Low-fat diet.
In some cases, various supplemental hormones and hormone blockers are also prescribed. These may include:

Contraceptive pill.
Bromocriptine (which blocks prolactin in the hypothalamus).
Danazol, a male hormone.
Thyroid hormone.
Tamoxifen, estrogen blockers.
Growth hormones and hormone blockers may have side effects. In addition, the risks and benefits of such treatment should be discussed with your doctor.

What is noncyclic breast pain?
Noncyclic breast pain is fairly uncommon, feels different than cyclical mastalgia, and not unlike the menstrual cycle. Generally, the pain is present all the time and only in one specific location.

One cause of noncyclic breast pain is trauma, or a blow to the breast. Other causes can include arthritic pain in the chest cavity and neck, which radiates into the breast.

Treatment for noncyclic breast pain:
Determining the appropriate treatment for noncyclic breast pain is more difficult, not only because it is difficult to determine where the pain is coming, but also because the pain is not hormonal. Specific treatment for noncyclic breast pain will be determined by your physician (s) based on:

Your overall health and medical history.
Level conditions.
Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies.
Expectations for the course conditions.
Generally, the doctor will perform a physical examination and may order a mammogram. In some cases, the biopsy area is also required. If it is determined that the pain is caused by a cyst, it will be sucked. Depending on where the pain comes, treatment may include analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and compresses.