Breast pain can be described as any pain, tenderness, discomfort or tightness in one or both of breasts. Breast pain is very common for both women and men. In most cases, breast pain is not linked to breast cancer, but it is important to know common causes and what to do about breast pain.
There are several possible causes of breast pain:
- Hormonal changes related to
- Menstruation
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Medications
- Birth Control
- Hormone therapy
- Infection
- Injury
- Breast cysts
- Weight changes
- Poor-fitting bra
- Lifestyle activities
- Smoking
- Caffeine consumption
In boys and men, the most common cause is gynecomastia, an increase in the amount of breast tissue. It can occur during the teen years as a normal part of the hormonal changes of puberty, or over age 50 as the body starts to make less testosterone.
What should a person do if they experience breast pain?
“Pay attention to any pain that's different from what's normal for you,” says Elizabeth Le Blanc, NH+C’s lead mammography technologist. “Think about what you might be doing differently,” Elizabeth advises. “Did you start lifting weights? Start taking a new medication? Start wearing a new type of bra?”
See a primary care or women’s health provider if you have breast pain that lasts longer than two weeks, or if you have pain associated with a lump, nipple discharge, redness or changes to the texture of the skin on your breast. After the exam, your provider may recommend diagnostic imaging including mammogram and/or ultrasound.
Most often, breast pain does not require treatment and will resolve on its own.
To manage breast pain at home:
- Apply heat or cold to the sore area
- Take an over the counter pain reliever
- Cut down on caffeine
- Eat a low-fat diet
- Avoid tobacco
- Wear a well-fitting, supportive bra