Chest pain before menstruation

For 5 or 10 days before the onset of menstruation, many women (95%) feel chest pain. These are quite common complaints, which doctors consider more normal than abnormal. Why there are pains in the chest before menstruation, what to do about it and whether it is necessary to do something at all?

[1], [2], [3]

Mastalgia or mastodynia

Any form of chest pain can be known under the general term mastalgia or mastodynia. Chest pain can be of various origins and physicians often make a distinction between the two types of pain that may occur. They are called noncyclic and cyclic.

Mastalgia and cancer

The mastalgia of women who suffer from it are often mistaken for a harbinger of cancer. There are several forms of breast cancer that can cause inflammation, but they are extremely rare. Most cases of breast cancer do not create chest pains before menstruation. However, concerns about the potential for cancer should be considered by mammography. On the other hand, if the chest pains continue, and they are serious, routine screening can do nothing to diagnose it.

Other causes of chest pain before menstruation

Sometimes the pain, as if associated with the menstrual cycle, for some women is a symptom of the underlying disease. Or, for example, a normal uncomfortable or tight bra can be a problem. Pain in the chest, as a rule, does not indicate the presence of breast cancer, although it does not stop to listen to the doctor's recommendations to make sure of it.

Men and boys can also suffer from chest pain, and this especially happens during puberty, when the breast develops. Also, in young girls, the pain in the breast before menstruation can be related to the period of its growth. Stress can also affect chest pain.

Cyclic pain

Cyclic forms of chest pain are very familiar to some women, and often occur at certain times during the menstrual cycle. If mastalgia does not appear constantly, sometimes doctors will be able to diagnose it, in need of the woman to tell what exact numbers she is having pain before monthly every month. Pain of a cyclic type usually occurs at about the same time every month, and many women may experience this pain in a week or a few days before menstruation.

Cyclic pain in the chest (cyclic mastalgia) is often associated with fibrocystic breast changes and is thought to be caused by abnormalities in dynamic hormonal changes, mainly involving the prolactin hormone. [1] [2] Some cyclic pains in the chest are normal during the menstrual cycle and a week before and are usually associated with menstrual and / or premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

The degree of pain can vary depending on the health of women who experience cyclic mastalgia. Sometimes breasts swell and even from the touch of the fabric of a shirt or bra a woman can experience too painful sensations. This pain can be in one or both breasts. Similar pain in the chest can be felt due to large hormonal changes associated, for example, with early pregnancy and early lactation. Although these pains usually stop, they are very difficult to endure at first, and sometimes they are painful for some women.

[4]

Non-cyclic pain

Non-cyclic mastalgia, as a rule, has no apparent cause, associated with hormones or the menstrual cycle. This can be as a result of a chest injury, infection, and sometimes because of pain in the muscles or joints that can trigger the process of breast inflammation. Some people with arthritis suffer from this condition.

Other causes of non-cyclic chest pains before menstruation include alcoholism with liver damage (probably due to abnormal steroid metabolism), mastitis and the use of drugs such as diuretics, oxymetholone (anabolic steroids), and chlorpromazine (typical antidepressants). [3]

When women go to the doctor to be prescribed treatment for mastalgia, it is first important to determine the cause. If a hormonal cause is assumed, doctors can treat a woman by increasing the dose of some hormones or reducing others, sometimes using male steroids or drugs such as tamoxifen.

Sometimes, when chest pain appears and then passes, doctors can ask patients to wait a few weeks to see if their condition improves. This can be a particularly true way for early pregnancy or breastfeeding, since chest pain is a normal symptom for these periods of time. On the other hand, during lactation, breast and milk duct infections or mastitis should be considered as a potential cause of mastalgia.

Treatment

Methods of treatment of mastalgia of non-cyclic types also depend on the cause. Breast trauma can be treated as a treatment with pain medication, ice compresses and giving a woman a rest. Treatment of hidden diseases, such as arthritis, can be different and depends on the type of pain. If these diseases are excluded, the treatment may include pain medications and recommendations to wear a comfortable and spacious bra.

In severe cases of cyclic pain, women can be relieved from procedures such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or drugs that affect the level of hormones. Natural preparations, such as evening primrose oil and vitamin B6, are also sometimes recommended for chest pains before menstruation.

Chest pain and menopause

The connection between menopause and chest pain is also there, chest pains before menstruation often are a symptom of impending menopause. The pain in the chest is usually affected by hormonal imbalance during or before menopause and pregnancy, before and during menstruation. Sometimes chest pain can accompany the onset of menopause, and this is not related to hormones, for example, with non-cyclic pains in the chest.

Menopause and chest pain are related, because hormonal imbalances often occur during menopause. Female breasts can respond with pain at any time, when there is an imbalance of hormones. Other common examples of chest pain due to hormonal imbalance may not be during menstruation and pregnancy. Pain in the chest can occur with premenopausal, perimenopause and menopause. Symptoms of these pains are most common for all these periods.

Simple measures, such as selecting the right bra, which comfortably and effectively support the chest, can also reduce the level of pain.

[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Chest Pain and Hormones

Hormones that affect menopause and chest pain are the same hormones that cause similar symptoms during menstruation and pregnancy. These hormones are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The level of these hormones fluctuate during these periods, and can cause chest pain and cramps in the abdominal cavity.

All women suffer from fluctuations of these hormones in different ways. The levels of hormones, physiology and genetics of women are unique, and therefore the symptoms of pain are also unique for every woman. Menopause and chest pain can not affect the quality of life of some women, while in other women they can cause severe discomfort.

[11], [12], [13], [14], [15],

Symptoms of chest pain before menstruation

Chest pain is defined as general discomfort, pain, or soreness in one or both breasts. Medical terms of chest pain are referred to as mastalgia, mammalgia and mastodinia. Up to 70% of women experience chest pain during their lifetime. Fortunately, most of the symptoms are rather mild. Only about 10% of women experience severe symptoms due to chest pain before menstruation.

Character of cyclic pain

During menopause and before monthly chest pains may manifest themselves in different ways. Pain before menstruation can be unchanged or intermittent. Pain can manifest itself in one or both breasts, it can be pain in the entire chest or localized in one part of the breast. Pain in the chest before menstruation can be accompanied by swelling of the breast, sharp, burning or deaf pains, or aching sensations in the chest.

The most common type of pain in the chest before menstruation is cyclical. Women describe them as dull, aching pains, or heavy breasts, as well as swelling of the chest and roughness on their skin. Cyclic pains in the chest, as a rule, affect both breasts. This trend extends to the perimenopause and premenstrual periods in women.

[16], [17], [18]

The nature of non-cyclic pain

Less common type of pain in the chest - non-cyclic, which are not caused by hormonal changes. This type of pain is most common in postmenopausal women and is experienced as tenderness, burning or pressure, usually affecting both breasts. Repeated pain may occur during menopause, but this is not associated with menopause. Pain can occur in the chest, usually due to stretching the muscles. Non-cyclic pain is most common in women 30 to 50 years of age.

Chest pain can be troubling for many women and their families because of suspicions about breast cancer. But this is not so - it is usually a signal that the hormonal changes that occur in the body affect the mammary glands. If a woman has chest pain before the menstrual period or during menopause and this is accompanied by a sensation, as if there are seals in the breast, the doctor should consult as soon as possible.

What tests should women do with chest pain?

Whether you are concerned about the pain in your chest before your monthly period depends on the work of the reproductive system, in particular, the ovaries. Therefore, if you are concerned about chest pain, if they arise, the following tests should be done: breast ultrasound from 6 to 10 days after the onset of the menstrual cycle. Ultrasonic examination of pelvic organs (done on the 7th day of the menstrual cycle). Hormonal analysis for prolactin and hormones shchitovidki Analysis on the indicators of oncomarkers, especially ovaries and mammary glands

What can be done to relieve chest pain before menstruation?

You can relieve chest pain with OTC medicines, including:

1. Acetaminophen.
2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), naproxen (Aleve or Naprosyn), or aspirin (Anacin, Bayer). Be sure to follow all the instructions of the doctor in charge. If you are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant, talk to your doctor before using any medication. Do not take aspirin if you are under the age of 20 because of the risk of developing Rhine syndrome.
3. Danazol and tamoxifen-citrate are prescription drugs used to treat severe cyclic pain in the chest. These drugs are rarely used because they have significant side effects. It is important to first determine whether the benefits outweigh the risks from taking these medicines.
4. Use of contraceptive pills (oral contraceptives). This can help reduce cyclic pain in the chest and swelling of the breast until a certain time. But chest pain is also a known side effect of oral administration for birth control.
5. Reception of magnesium. Magnesium, taken in the second half of the menstrual cycle (usually 2 weeks before the next period) will help to remove cyclical pains in the chest, as well as other symptoms of the premenstrual period.
6. Reducing fats to 15% or less in your diet can result in a reduction in chest pain over time. One of the latest scientific studies has shown that changing the diet significantly reduces premenstrual pain in the chest.

Some women think that the pains in the chest before menstrual decrease when they reduce the amount of caffeine drunk from coffee or eaten with chocolate. You can prevent chest pain, soreness, or discomfort by wearing a sports bra during exercise. This bra allows you to hold your chest almost motionless and move along with the chest, rather than separately.

It is important to replace the sports bra, which stretches and becomes less useful for swollen before the monthly breasts. Young girls with developing breasts may have to buy a new bra every 6 months.