Dull pain above left breast

When a woman feels a dull pain above the left breast, it does not rule out the possibility that it is related to breast pain. She needs to go for a check-up as soon as possible and choose appropriate methods to prevent it. Breast pain before menstruation and during pregnancy are physiological phenomena. Be careful with breast pain at abnormal stages.

Six physiological breast pains

(I) Breast pain: Premenstrual breast pain

About 2/3 of women experience breast pain or discomfort before menstruation. The entire breast becomes swollen, hard, and tender, and the original granular or nodular feeling becomes more obvious. This is a physiological phenomenon. For most women, the swelling and pain are not serious and can be tolerated; however, a few sensitive ones feel unbearable swelling and pain when their breasts are subjected to slight vibrations or collisions. They may even be afraid to walk or dress, and hold their breasts with their hands all day long. This is mainly caused by increased estrogen levels in the body 1 to 2 weeks before menstruation, breast hyperplasia, cell enlargement, and edema of the breast interstitial tissue.

After menstruation, estrogen levels drop, the above changes disappear, the breasts become loose and soft, the swelling and pain suddenly disappear, and the next premenstrual symptoms reappear. Generally, there is no need to deal with this. Just keep a cheerful mood and relax mentally. For severe cases, you can pay attention to eating a light diet or take a small amount of diuretics, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, Lutuo Paste or Xiaoyao Powder before menstruation.

(ii) Breast pain: Breast tenderness during pregnancy

Breasts may feel swollen 40 days after menstruation stops. In severe cases, there may be breast and nipple pain, which may last throughout pregnancy. This is because the placenta and villi secrete large amounts of estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin, which cause breast hyperplasia and breast enlargement. It is also a preparation for breastfeeding and is a physiological phenomenon. As your breasts grow larger, you should promptly change to a wider bra and avoid binding your breasts. If the bloating stops suddenly, it often indicates that the fetus may have died, and you should go to the hospital for examination immediately.

(III) Breast pain: postpartum breast pain

Three days after delivery, the breasts become swollen, painful, and hardened, even extending to the accessory breast glands in the armpits, accompanied by low fever. This is mainly due to breast lymph retention, venous congestion and interstitial edema, and obstructed mammary ducts. Generally, the pain will subside after 7 days of delivery when the milk starts to flow smoothly. Methods to prevent and treat postpartum breast pain include:

1. In late pregnancy, squeeze out a small amount of colostrum in the breast to prevent it from being retained in the duct and forming a thrombus, blocking the mammary duct;

2. Breastfeed as soon as possible after delivery;

3. Apply warm compress to the breasts before breastfeeding and do some gentle massage to promote smooth milk flow;

4. Apply cold compresses to breasts between feedings to reduce congestion;

5. When the infant's sucking power is insufficient, you can squeeze with both hands or use a breast pump to assist in the discharge of milk; ⑥ You can use 6 grams of Bupleurum, 12 grams of Angelica, 9 grams of Vaccaria, 9 grams of Rhizoma Cyperi, and 9 grams of Glehnia littoralis to make a decoction for oral administration, or take Jiyuan Shenbao Lutuo Paste, 10 grams at a time. It is very important to deal with milk stasis correctly, otherwise it may cause mastitis, so you must try your best to do it as mentioned above, especially breastfeeding to suck out the remaining milk.

(IV) Breast pain: Breast pain after abortion

After an artificial abortion, some patients complain of breast pain and can feel a breast lump. If the symptoms appear a long time after the abortion, people tend to forget or ignore that the symptoms are related to the abortion. Artificial abortion is different from natural childbirth. The latter is a natural process of maturity, while artificial abortion is an extraordinary state caused by human interference.

Generally, the breasts begin to swell, become fuller, and enlarge, and the mammary glands gradually develop 4 weeks after menopause. When pregnancy is suddenly interrupted and hormone levels drop sharply, the newly developed mammary glands will suddenly stop growing, the cells will become smaller, and the alveoli will disappear. This aggregation and recovery is often incomplete and uneven, just like newborn leaves are not easy to wither and fall off, thus causing breast lumps and breast pain. It is reported that the incidence of breast hyperplasia also rises sharply with the number of induced abortions. According to foreign reports, the more abortions you have, the greater your risk of breast cancer. Many data have confirmed that the impact of abortion on breasts is not only painful, but can also be long-lasting and potentially harmful. Therefore, abortions should be avoided as little as possible or avoided, and contraception should be effectively implemented.