What causes breast tenderness?

The problem of breast pain is not uncommon for women, and there are many reasons for breast pain, such as physiological pain related to menstruation, especially one week before menstruation, which may cause breast pain. It may also be a problem of breast pain during pregnancy, so it is important to understand the difference.

1. Physiological pain:

Physiological breast pain is often related to menstruation, and breast tenderness about a week before menstruation is considered normal.

2. Breast pain during menstruation:

It is the most common type of breast pain, accounting for about 65% of all breast pain, with an average age of onset of 35 years. The pain usually occurs or worsens 3 to 7 days before menstruation and gradually disappears or eases after menstruation. The severity of the pain varies from month to month, and is often felt as a heaviness, distension, dull pain, or occasional brief tingling sensation. There are also tender breast nodules, which are aggravated by pressure, movement or lifting objects.

3. Breast pain after sexual intercourse:

People with low libido or disharmonious sex life cannot achieve sexual satisfaction, so breast congestion and swelling are not easy to subside. Continuous congestion will cause breast pain.

4. Breast pain during pregnancy:

Some expectant mothers experience breast pain around 40 days after pregnancy due to the placenta and villi secreting large amounts of estrogen and progesterone, which causes breast enlargement. In severe cases, the pain may last throughout the pregnancy and usually does not require treatment.

5. Breast pain after artificial abortion:

Some women experience breast tenderness and a lump after a miscarriage. This is because the pregnancy is suddenly interrupted, which causes the hormone levels in the body to drop sharply, causing the newly developed mammary glands to suddenly stop growing, resulting in breast lumps and breast pain.

6. Postpartum breast pain:

Breast fullness, hardness and pain often occur 3 to 7 days after delivery. This is mainly due to the effects of prolactin, venous filling, interstitial edema and milk filling. Therefore, mothers should breastfeed as early as possible. If there is a lump, you can apply hot compress and massage the lump before breastfeeding, or you can use a breast pump to extract milk to promote the patency of the mammary ducts.

Treatments for breast pain