Generally the discomfort and tenderness affects both breasts, but might be worse in one than the other and is often more severe in the upper outer part of the breasts. But it can start up to two weeks before and tends to improve after the period starts. Those who suffer usually say the pain is worse in the few days leading up to their period. And this seems to cause discomfort in many women, although it's not clear why some are affected and some aren't. Oestrogen stimulates the growth of milk ducts in the first half of the menstrual cycle and changing levels of progesterone in the second half stimulate the formation of milk glands and breast lobules. If the answer is yes, it's likely to be cyclical mastalgia – pain related to the menstrual cycle, and natural fluctuation in hormone levels.Įach month, whether or not you are trying to conceive, these hormones prepare the breasts for pregnancy and eventually breastfeeding. Putting that aside, I usually try to find out if the pain fluctuates during the month, and if it affects both breasts. Lumps and skin or nipple changes are much more common signs. Patients who come to me with this problem (and many other breast issues) often ask: 'Could it be cancer?' The answer is, it's quite unusual for pain to be a symptom of breast cancer, although it's still worth getting it checked. But in some cases it can be miserable – women who suffer might avoid exercise, have trouble sleeping, avoid sex or even a cuddle. For the majority, it's mild and manageable. Pain shouldn't be seen as normal or brushed off, and if it's new or unexpected, it should always be investigated.Įven if it's something that's being going on for a while, there might be something your GP can do to help, so book an appointment.īreast pain, or mastalgia, is incredibly common, affecting seven in ten women at some point in their lives. I'm sure that many women reading this will be nodding in agreement. Women, for myriad reasons, often put up with pain – be it lingering discomfort from giving birth to backache from running around after and lifting toddlers, period pain and so on. Week in, week out, women of a wide variety of ages come to see me complaining of the same thing: their breasts hurt. While breast cancer affects one in seven British women, it's actually not, by a long stretch, the most common reason for problems.Īnd so here I'll try to cover everything that can (and does on a regular basis) go wrong with the breasts, and explain what we can do about it. Often their primary fear is cancer, and of course I always tell them they've done the right thing in booking an appointment.īut I also try to reassure my patients. Often women come to me as they're worried about pain, a lump, bump, rash or change. Breasts: An Owner's Guide, is a one-stop shop to understanding this most mythologised and objectified body part.Īnd it's based largely on the sorts of things I'm asked and see as a GP. Dr Kaye has written a book about taking care of your breasts - 'Breasts: An Owner's Guide'Īnd so, with this in mind, I have written a book about them.
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