Dealing with breast pain
Breast pain is not worrying generally. Almost all women experience breast pain at some stage of their womanhood. Most commonly it is associated with periods. The pain is often mild but in some women, it may be severe enough to affect the quality of life. With simple measures and identifying the proper cause, women can manage such common pain quite effectively. Breast pain, most commonly is cyclical — that means it comes 1-2 weeks before period. It can first occur at any age after periods start, but most commonly first develops between the ages of 30 and 50 years. The 3-5 days prior to a period are usually the worst. The pain usually eases soon after a period starts. Typically, the pain affects both breasts. After proper diagnosis by a doctor, women should be reassured that cyclical breast pain is not a symptom of serious breast disease like cancer. The problem may settle by itself within 3-6 months or may come and go over the years. Treatment is not usually necessary in mild cases. If the pain is severe, or for the times when it may flare up worse than usual, treatment options include support the breasts with a well fitted bra, painkillers, topical pain medication and some other drugs depending on the condition. Breast pain can also be non-cyclical — that means it does not follow any regular pattern. It may radiate to back, arms and under rib-cage. Women sometimes describe it as a burning pain, which is not constant. This type of breast pain is not related to periods and is most common in women aged over 40. The pain may be in just one breast, and may be localised to one area in a breast. The pain may be caused by infections such as tuberculosis, syphilis, and histoplasmosis as well as a foreign-body granuloma, sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, giant cell arteritis and polyarteritis nodosa. The incidence of tuberculosis, in general, is still quite high in South East Asia and often overlooked and misdiagnosed as carcinoma or pyogenic abscess. Pain also may radiate from the chest wall. Breast cancer is a very uncommon cause of breast pain. The first symptom of breast cancer is usually a painless lump. Pain is not usually an early symptom. However, even though breast pain is not likely to be caused by cancer, you should see a doctor if you have any concerns about breast pain or any other breast symptoms.
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