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Breast Pain |
Details
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Breast pain (mastalgia) or tenderness is a common symptom in women often occurring as a part of normal changes in the breast during the menstrual cycle. In older women from 40 to menopause in particular frequently develop benign breast lumps or cysts in their breasts before their monthly menstrual periods. Full and diffuse pain is common, with both breasts generally affected. The pain also may occur in women, who are starting to take oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy, but this pain usually disappears in a few months. Women who are pregnant feel tender, pain as early as a week or two weeks after conception. Breast pain in nursing mothers also can cause from the engorgement with milk that sometimes occurs, when the baby’s need for milk is not coordinated with the mother’s production. The symptoms usually occur in the early stages of breast feeding. Nursing may produce sore and cracked nipples, so lanolin (used for rubbing the breasts) may be helpful in order to relieve pain. Another cause of red and tender lumps is blocked milk. Blocked milk may produce a painful cyst named a galactocele, which must be drained by a surgeon. Nursing mothers may also develop mastitis, a breast infection, which can be treated with antibiotics. All women, who have breast pain, have to keep records to see if the pain is cyclin or noncyclic. If the problem that is found is cyclic, a doctor may help you by prescribing hormonal therapy such as oral contraceptives. Some medicine such as Motrin and Tylenol may reduce discomfort. Some women believe that taking Vitamin E may reduce pain as well. Also herbal remedies like evening primprose oil, in a dose of one or two capsules may reduce breast pain in some women. Women who experience pain that is associated with a small lump which doesn’t disappear should be checked for malignancies. Usually a mammogram and a normal clinical examination will reassure women with breast pain that their pain is not abnormal. For the record, only 6% of all women with breast cancer have breast pain.
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| Category |
Women's Health
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| Related Searches |
pain in breast, cause of breast pain, pain under left breast |
| Date Submitted |
27-Jul-2005
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