Why Do My Breasts Hurt?
On a physical level, every woman goes through different challenging situations in the course of her life, mainly due to hormonal activity. This is especially true before and after puberty, when hormonal variations bring about great changes in the body that can make the breasts hurt.
Discomfort in the breasts is very common among women and generates the following questions: Why do my breasts hurt? What causes breast pain in women?
Well, these pains can occur for multiple reasons, ranging from menstruation to pregnancy.
Inflammation and sensitivity before or during your menstrual period is very common. It usually doesn’t involve anything serious and the cause is simply a hormonal change or even the incorrect use of bras.
Occasionally, women relate breast pain directly to breast cancer, creating distressing ideas that lead to a very high level of anxiety that is counterproductive to health. For your peace of mind, we’ve decided to present you with some of the reasons why you may feel pain or discomfort in your breasts.
The most common reasons why breasts hurt
1. Hormonal changes
It’s common for young women to feel pain when they go through premenstrual syndrome. Some women, knowing their body well, can even detect their fertile period. During these periods, the breasts may hurt.
This discomfort occurs halfway through the menstrual cycle, which coincides with ovulation and the days before your period.
The two aforementioned phases of the cycle coincide with the most abrupt changes in the levels of female hormones. In addition to this, the use of contraceptive pills and hormone replacement therapy, among others, can influence the appearance of these discomforts.
2. Pregnancy
For many women, one of the first symptoms of pregnancy to appear is breast pain. This is because they tend to get more sensitive when a women gets pregnant at an early age or for the first time.
However, it’s considered normal for this pain to occur during the first trimester of pregnancy. The breasts increase in size and blue veins appear, indicating the increase in blood flow.
3. Breastfeeding
When women have just given birth, they often experience breast pain, whether or not they practice breastfeeding. This is due to an increase in milk. However, pay close attention to whether the pain becomes frequent, intense or doesn’t improve, since it could possibly be mastitis.
4. Mastitis
This problem is presented as inflammation of the sinuses caused by obstruction of the milk ducts. This occurs because there may be an infection in the breast caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi. The symptoms that should be taken into account are redness of the breasts, pain and fever.
5. Incorrect bra size
The proper use of a bra is essential for good breast health. Wearing a bra that is too small can put excessive pressure on the chest, causing pain and difficult blood flow, which generates discomfort in the breasts.
In addition, if the bra has wires, there is a risk that they’ll damage the mammary ligaments. On the contrary, if the bra is too large, it won’t provide breasts with the proper support. One of the consequences of a lack of support is the acceleration of sagging and pain in the shoulders.
6. Excess physical exercise
The breasts are glands composed of soft tissues located in front of the chest muscles. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for women to feel discomfort in this area after a long day of exercise.
If the pain in the breasts is very strong and persists for days, it’s best to make sure there is no muscle tear.
It’s necessary to remember that it’s vital to give breasts proper support during exercise with a bra specifically designed for that purpose.
Women must make sure the bra is the correct size and that the impact of the movements are decreased thanks to the bra. With these provisions, you can avoid hurting your breasts.
7. Breast cancer
Before being diagnosed with this disease, pain in the breasts is one of the symptoms that shows up in patients who suffer from this. If patients receive regular checkups and perform treatments in a timely manner, it’s less likely that they’ll feel discomfort from breast cancer.
It’s advisable to perform a self-examination on your breasts once a month as a precaution. If you don’t find anomalies but continue to feel pain, it’s possible that you’re experiencing a different benign pathology.