, the opinion and the visit of the doctor are, to say the least, fundamental to surprise in the bud a "possible disease in the initial stage.
Breast pain is often described as chronic tenderness, sharp burning or unpleasant tension in the breast tissue. Furthermore, breast pain does not necessarily recur continuously: many women, in fact, accuse the problem from time to time, without being able to give it a precise explanation.
There are several types of mastodynia:
- Breast pain related to the menstrual cycle, undoubtedly the most widespread form of mastodynia: the discomfort recurs with a certain cyclical nature, usually 5-10 days before the arrival of menstruation. Mastodynia normally affects both breasts and the pain disappears man as the menstrual flow fades.
- Pain coming from the chest wall that radiates under the breast: in this case, the explanation of the disorder may lie in rheumatic, muscular or bone diseases.
- Breast pain due to Herpes zoster infections: the very particular tenderness in the breast that appears in these circumstances is always accompanied by a particularly evident "local bullous rash.
- Pathological breast pain dependent on tumors: this is a very rare form of mastodynia since breast neoplasms do not usually manifest with this symptom. Approximately, it is estimated that only 1 in 200 cases of breast pain originate from a form of cancer.
- Through breast self-examination, a practice that is not easy to learn, it is possible to recognize any suspicious nodules and abnormal changes in the shape and size of the breasts. It is important that self-examination is performed regularly by the woman, not just when breast pain occurs.
- Observation of the breasts is also essential for a first self-diagnosis of breast pain. When the breast is not altered in its shape and the nipples are naturally protruding, the perceived breast pain generally reflects a benign condition. nipples have indentations, emit a milky / yellowish secretion after a light squeezing and the skin of the breast takes on an abnormal appearance, a doctor's consultation is strongly recommended, as the pain could conceal a pathological disorder.
When breast pain follows a certain cyclical nature, is not accompanied by the formation of permanent mammary / axillary lumps, and there are no changes in the shape, size or texture of the breasts, the most obvious interpretation is fortunately the least worrying: the cause of the mastodynia should be sought precisely in the hormonal variation typical of the menstrual period (breast pain from periods).
On the other hand, when thickening occurs in any area of the breast (which does not disappear after the onset of menstruation), the nipple is retracted, the pain does not recur with a certain regularity and the breast undergoes any change in shape or size, the medical examination is essential Only through breast palpation performed by a competent figure, possibly supported by mammograms and other specific breast investigations, it is possible to trace the precise triggering cause, therefore act accordingly.
Even in the absence of suspicious signs and breast pain, regular checkups and mammograms are still recommended, especially after the age of 40: some mammographic anomalies can in fact be asymptomatic, therefore not causing breast pain or other symptoms.
Other articles on "Breast Pain"
- Breast Pain from Cycle
- Cycle-independent breast pain (non-cyclic mastodynia)
