The mastalgia symptoms that occur in women both young and aged, are a common case scenario. Learn about why this happens, what are the signs, and what can be done to treat this…
The term mastalgia is a medical label for breast tenderness / pain. There are many instances when breast pain occurs, especially when women are close to their menstrual dates, or when they’re pregnant or are breastfeeding mothers. There are other times this happens out-of-the-blue, catching women unaware when the pain hits. Mastalgia is bearable in most cases, where it can sometimes feel like a sharp pain felt on one side of the breast. There are two kinds of mastalgia that occur in different women, the first being cyclic, and the second being non-cyclic.
Cyclic breast pain is commonly experienced among the two types, where women feel pain when the body is going through certain hormonal changes. Pain in most cases happens in both the breasts, where it is described by women as being a sore sensation, or a kind of heaviness that spreads to the arm and armpit area. These pains will come and go, especially during one’s menstrual cycle, where women cease to feel this sensation when they hit menopause. There is no need to panic, since this usually happens during that time of the month.
Non-cyclic breast pain, on the other hand, happens to women who fall between the age bracket of 30 to 50 years. When this happens, an evaluated diagnosis finds that the cause could be a cyst or fibroadenoma, present in the breast. The pain in this case is sharp and takes on a burning sensation, usually occurring in one breast only. There are ways to help relieve the pain, where women should go in for an examination to find out the root cause that leads to it, and subsequently have it treated.
Mastalgia Causes
Women who experience the symptoms of this condition, should have it checked out immediately, especially if you are going through the non-cyclic kind of pain.
- Duct ectasia of the breast
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Breast cancer
- Periductal mastitis
- Fibrocystic breast
- Mondor disease of the breast
- Pregnancy
- Spironolactone usage
- Breast fat necrosis
- Plasma cell mastitis
- Breastfeeding mothers
Mastalgia Symptoms
The list of symptoms will give you a clearer idea as to what kind of physical discomfort you are going through.
- Before a rash develops in the case of one suffering from shingles, pain is seen as an evident sensation in the breast area.
- Tenderness around both areas of the breast.
- Bone / muscular problems could cause pain to occur in the chest area, and not the breast itself.
- A dull or sharp pain residing either in one breast or both.
- Slight swelling of the breast, leading to pain.
- Heavy weighing down sensation, with aches that could spread to the entire breast, if not in one isolated spot.
Mastalgia Treatment
► Medication
To help relieve the pain, there are medicines available like Bayer, Aleve, NSAIDS, Motrin, Anacin, Advil, and Naprosyn. It isn’t advisable for those below the age of 20 to take Aspirin, since this can lead to what is known as the Reye’s syndrome. Be sure to consult a doctor, especially if pregnant or trying to conceive. Tylenol can also help with the pain, along with prescription drugs meant for escalated pain episodes – Bromocriptine, Danazol or Tamoxifen. Consultation with a doctor before taking any of these medicines is important, because they are known to showcase certain side effects upon ingestion.
► Self Help Measures
Women are advised to cut down on their consumption of caffeine, since it has been noted to show significant changes when it comes to mastalgia. Taking magnesium supplements during one’s menstrual cycle will help cut down on pain, which should be taken two weeks before one’s scheduled date. Diet changes are important, where women need to eat foods that qualify as lean cuts of meat, and not those ridden with fat. Sugar has to be reduced greatly from the diet, with only a teaspoon of it in any eatable / drink, that is allowed per day. Birth control pills taken orally have been known to reduce breast pain, although taking these before any pain ever took place, could be the cause of mastalgia.
Mastalgia can be helped if women take care of their diet and go by measures to help ease the pain. Ask your doctor about what can be done in your specific case to help deal with these in the future, and go in for regular examinations if you experience non-cyclic pain. Have a healthy tomorrow.
