With the accelerated pace of life and increased pressure, breast clinics often encounter many women who have experienced or are experiencing breast pain and are full of worries and doubts, thinking is breast pain a disease? Will it become breast cancer? Could it be breast cancer? From time to time, we hear the news that someone has got breast cancer, which makes us even more disturbed. As a breast specialist, I would like to explain breast pain from a medical professional perspective.
I. Types of breast pain
There are many types of breast pain, and they are roughly divided into several types.
(a) Adolescent breast pain: The earliest breast pain in women usually occurs between the ages of 9 and 13, which is a sign that a girl’s breasts are beginning to develop, starting with a slight swelling sensation as the nipples begin to bulge. After the first menstruation, it will gradually disappear with the maturation of the breasts during puberty.
(b), premenstrual breast swelling and pain: many women have breast swelling and hardness before the onset of menstruation, heavy breasts near the clothes are painful, the original granular or nodular feeling more significant. This is the pre-menstrual body estrogen levels increase, breast hyperplasia, inter-mammary tissue edema triggered. After the onset of menstruation, the above changes disappear.
(c), breast swelling and pain during pregnancy: some women in about 40 days after pregnancy, due to the placenta, chorion secretion of a large number of estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, so that the mammary gland hyperplasia, breast enlargement, and breast swelling and pain, the heavier the whole pregnancy continued pain, without treatment.
(d), postpartum breast swelling and pain: 3 to 7 days after childbirth often appear both breasts swollen, hard and painful. This is mainly due to lymphatic retention in the breast, venous filling, interstitial edema and poorly functioning breast ducts. The prevention and treatment method is to breastfeed the mother as soon as possible. In the case of hard knots, hot compresses can be applied to the breasts before breastfeeding; appropriate draining techniques can also be used to promote the smooth flow of the milk ducts.
(E), breast pain after sex: this is related to the physiological changes in the breast during sex. Sexual indifference or sexual incompatibility does not achieve sexual satisfaction caused by breast engorgement, swelling does not easily subside, or subside incomplete, persistent engorgement will cause breast swelling and pain.
(6), breast pain after abortion: after abortion, some women have breast pain and lumps can be palpable. This is due to the sudden interruption of pregnancy, the body’s hormone levels drop sharply, so that the newly developed mammary glands suddenly stop growing, resulting in breast lumps and breast pain.
(vii) Excessive breast volume: Excessive breast volume is sometimes a cause of pain. Breasts are fixed to the front chest by connective tissue. When breasts are too large or too heavy, especially the inside of the breast, pain will be produced as a result of gravity pulling downward for a long time. This can be improved by using an appropriate bra to lift the breasts and reduce the effect of gravity. Sometimes, breast pain can be caused by inappropriate bras, especially in patients with significant pain in the lower rib cage part of the breast, often caused by the use of new bras.
(H) Breast cancer, sclerosing adenopathy and post-surgical scars: In the early stage of breast cancer, there are almost no symptoms and most women do not notice any changes in their breasts. The patient is in great pain, fearful and helpless. Sclerosing adenopathy and post-surgical scars are rare but important causes of breast pain, while their involvement pain is often manifested as breast pain.
Second, the treatment of breast pain
In the face of breast pain, you need to put your mind at ease and use medical knowledge to solve the problem.
(a), the treatment of breast pain: often some of us over-treatment, over-medication, perennial hospital visits, in fact, is nothing more than a simple physiological hyperplasia, through changes in lifestyle and diet can be completely alleviated or self-healing. Another group of people, painful and happy, fearless, ignore the annual examination of women of childbearing age, and finally, cause irreparable pain.
(b) Treatment of painful mastitis during lactation: Mastitis during lactation is usually acute in onset, developing rapidly, with severe pain, high fever and chills, and breast lumps. On the one hand, we start with the cause of the disease and drain the stagnant milk in time. On the other hand, we start with bacterial infection and give anti-inflammatory treatment. Apply local ice packs, or seek medical help.
Third, how to reduce or prevent breast pain?
1. Change your diet.
Adopt a low-fat, high-fiber diet and consume more cereals, vegetables and legumes.
2.Massage your breasts often.
Gently massage the breasts can make the excess body fluid back to the lymphatic system again. When massaging, first apply soap solution to the breasts, rotate your fingers along the surface of the breasts and draw a circle about the size of a coin. Then use your hands to press the breasts in and then pop them up, which is good for preventing breast discomfort.
3. Wear a firm bra.
Bras can prevent breast sagging in addition to, and more importantly, prevent further compression of the already compressed breast nerves and eliminate discomfort.
4, do not eat high-salt food.
High-salt foods tend to make the breasts swell, 7 to 10 days before the menstrual period should especially avoid such foods.
5, hot compresses.
Hot compress is a traditional Chinese medical method, available hot compress bags or hot baths to relieve breast pain. If you use the alternating method of cold and hot compresses to eliminate breast discomfort will be better.
6, to prevent obesity.
For women who are overly obese, reducing weight will help relieve breast swelling and pain.
7, using castor oil on the chest.
Castor oil contains a substance that can enhance the function of lymphocytes, which can accelerate the recovery of various infections and remove pain. The method is: put castor oil drops on a cotton cloth folded into four layers, so that it is covered with castor oil, but do not be too wet, so as not to drip around. Apply this cloth to the breast, cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and place a hot pack on it. Adjust the hot compress bag to the heat you can tolerate, and apply for an hour.
8, do not abuse drugs:.
Some people haphazardly eat some anti-inflammatory drugs or pharmacological drugs to stop breast pain, which is wrong and dangerous practice, because breast pain can not use local steroidal anti-inflammatory agents.
Fourth, understand the breast, reduce the fear of breast pain
Only when you really know your breasts can you face the discomfort and pain in your life honestly, that breast examination is especially important. Women should learn how to perform breast examinations.
Every month, on the 7th-11th day of menstruation, when the breasts are in a resting state, self-examination can be performed. Menopausal women can follow the same day of the month for self-examination.
Women under 40 years old can have an annual ultrasound examination; women over 40 years old can have an annual ultrasound examination or a mammogram every one or two years; women with benign lesions should have an ultrasound examination every six months; those with a family history of genetic disease and benign breast lesions should be examined more closely and actively.