TCM Dialectics of Breast Hyperplasia

Breast hyperplasia is a common phenomenon among women and is also a problem that troubles many women. When breast hyperplasia occurs, women will feel swelling and pain in their breasts, and when they touch their breasts, they will feel lumps in their breasts. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, there are several types of reasons why women suffer from breast hyperplasia, and treatment should be based on different types.

1. Liver Qi Stagnation Type:

Breast pain, hard lumps in the breast with clear boundaries, not adhered to surrounding tissues, and can be moved by pushing, irritability, early menstruation, excessive and yellow leucorrhea, red tongue, thin yellow tongue coating, and a stringy and thin pulse. The treatment is aimed at soothing the liver and relieving depression, resolving phlegm and dispersing nodules. Prescription: Xiaoyao powder, Xianfang Huoming drink with modifications. Bupleurum, Angelica, White Peony Root, Atractylodes, Poria, Seaweed, Honeysuckle, Forsythia, Kelp, Fritillaria, Pangolin, Gleditsia sinensis, Radix Trichosanthis, Licorice, etc. If the lump ruptures and pus oozes out, add dandelion, Patrinia jasminoides and Viola yedoensis to enhance the anti-inflammatory effect.

2. Weak spleen and stomach type:

The breast is dull and painful, with a soft lump or mass upon touch. Dizziness and insomnia, sallow complexion, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue, abdominal distension and loose stools, scanty menstruation, or delayed and sparse menstruation, excessive leucorrhea, red tongue, thin white fur, and a thready and weak pulse. Treatment method: Invigorate Qi and strengthen the spleen, soften and disperse lumps. Prescription: Guipi Decoction with modifications. Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica sinensis, Kelp, Seaweed, Raw Longmu Ge, Trillium, Curcuma zedoaria, Yuanshen, Fritillaria thunbergii, Gleditsia sinensis, etc.

3. Qi stagnation and blood stasis type:

Breast tenderness, a hard lump that can be felt, emotional discomfort, early and heavy menstruation, blood clots, abdominal pain during menstruation, or a history of uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts. The tongue is red, the tongue coating is thin yellow, and the pulse is tight and stringy. Treatment method: Soothe the liver and relieve depression, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Prescription: Breast Tumor Eliminating Decoction with modifications. Bupleurum, turtle shell, Akebia, processed Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Angelica, Curcuma, Trillium, Curcuma, Patrinia, Cistanche, Leech, etc.

4. Liver and kidney deficiency type:

Breast pain, burning sensation, dry mouth, night sweats, insomnia, dizziness and tinnitus, pale complexion, sore waist and knees, palpitations and shortness of breath, dizziness, accompanied by infrequent menstruation or even amenorrhea, red tongue, less coating, and weak pulse. Treatment principle: Nourish yin and kidney, soothe the liver and remove blood stasis. Prescription: Qiju Dihuang Decoction with modifications. Wolfberry, chrysanthemum, raw rehmannia, yam, cornus fruit, poria, moutan bark, oriental water plantain, trichosanthes, yuanshen, thunbergia thunbergii, oyster, and mulberry bark, etc.

Symptoms of breast hyperplasia:

1. Breast pain:

Common symptoms include unilateral or bilateral breast tenderness or tenderness. The course of the disease varies from 2 months to several years. Most patients have the characteristic of cyclical pain, which occurs or worsens before menstruation and eases or disappears after menstruation. It must be noted that although the periodicity of mastalgia is a typical manifestation of this disease, the absence of this feature does not negate the existence of the disease.

2. Breast lumps:

It is often multiple, unilateral or bilateral, and more common in the upper quadrant; and the size and texture often change cyclically with menstruation. The lumps increase in size and become harder before menstruation, and decrease in size and become tough but not hard after menstruation. During palpation, the mass can be felt to have a nodular structure, of varying sizes, with unclear boundaries from surrounding tissues, often tender, with no adhesion to the skin and deep tissues, and can be pushed. The axillary lymph nodes are not enlarged. In addition, the disease may also last a long time, develop slowly, and sometimes cause nipple discharge. The nodules of varying sizes in the breast are essentially some large and small milk ducts that are cystically dilated. Nipple discharge comes from these cysts and is yellow-green, brown or bloody, and occasionally colorless serous.

3. Menstrual disorders:

Patients with this disease may also experience irregular menstruation, scanty or light-colored menstruation, and may be accompanied by dysmenorrhea.

4. Emotional changes:

Patients often feel depressed or irritable, which worsens when they are angry, stressed or tired.