Almost all women throughout their lives claim to have suffered from pain in your breasts. Others even suffer from it practically every month and it even appears before or after menopause. Is the call mastodynia and it is very common for it to appear during the years in which the woman is fertile.
This type of breast pain does not report severity, the pain usually appears in both breasts or only in one. There is no need to be alarmed, but there are women who cannot bear the pain and about 15% of them need medical treatment.
What is mastodynia?
The mastodynia is that breast tenderness that radiates in pain and it is usually cyclical. It usually appears when menstruation is approaching, during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or menopause. It occurs because there are hormonal changes that affect the breasts and is usually more present when the woman matches with ovulation or the days before menstruation.
The breasts take on volume and there is more breast tenderness, especially towards the armpit area, where there are women who will experience a greater or lesser degree of intensity. Some women believe that this sudden pain is a symptom of a type of cancer, so they go to their doctor for an evaluation.
The process that coincides during ovarian activity, the body secretes more hormones such as estrogens and progesterone. This is when breast development begins when both factors coincide and this pain occurs. Usually appear usually in adolescence and much more between 18 and 20 years. As the years go by, women no longer usually suffer from mastodynia since their breasts are made up of adipose or fatty tissue.
It should not be confused with mastalgia. Mastodynia is a cyclical pain that usually coincides with the days before the rule, but the mastalgia is not cyclical, it is a pain that can last longer. It usually appears due to benign breast disorders: breast cysts, mastitis, traumatic, neurological processes, etc.
Cases in which mastodynia appears
Chest pain is usually caused by hormonal changes. In general, it usually appears the days before menstruation or during premenstrual syndrome. Other women experience it during the first trimester of your pregnancy, especially when they are young. During the childbirth and breastfeeding, with the rise in milk it is also felt.
Teenagers, both men and women They also feel this pain from the hormonal rise and it is characteristic during puberty. During menopause You also have mastodynia, especially one year before its appearance and where there are women who have to be treated hormonally to avoid these annoying symptoms.
There are cases where mastodynia is present and it is not due to hormonal changes. It is usually due to some type of trauma, the herpes zoster virus or when you are in an advanced state of alcoholism.
Factors that favor mastodynia
The factors of its appearance will depend on the kind of life habit that has the person and his type of feeding. A diet rich in saturated or animal fats, the consumption of caffeinated beverages, alcohol and tobacco, will be factors that favor this pain.
However, if you are very worried about pain, the best thing is see a specialist for an exploration. You can make yourself a palpation of the breasts, as long as it is done the days after menstruation. It will have to be explored well so that there are no possible cysts or any other problem.
Pain relievers like paracetamol and ibuprofen they are allies to help fight pain. There is a type of proesterone-based gel that can be applied to alleviate the discomfort, there are even more natural treatments such as taking vitamin E or evening primrose oil or evening primrose. There are women who are treated by their doctor with hormonal contraceptives. These types of pills help greatly to control hormones and to carry your menstrual period much better.