Why does breasts hurt

Page last reviewed: 22 June Next review due: 22 June Breast pain. Breast pain is usually linked to periods Symptoms of breast pain caused by periods: dull, heavy or aching pain — from mild to very bad pain that begins up to 2 weeks before a period, gets worse and then goes away when the period ends usually but not always affects both breasts and sometimes pain spreads to the armpit How to ease the pain yourself Do take paracetamol or ibuprofen , or rub painkilling gel on your breasts wear a properly fitted bra during the day and a soft bra to sleep in.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP about breast pain if:. It can also affect the armpit area. For many women, the soreness is barely noticeable. For others, the pain is so great that it affects their everyday lives. Usually the condition goes away in time. This is also referred to as cyclical mastalgia. This happens when the tissue in their breasts responds to hormones. The most common hormonal breast soreness comes from an increase in the level of oestrogen before a period.

This causes milk ducts and glands to swell, trapping fluid in the breasts. Many women have tenderness or pain in the lead-up to a period, and sometimes right through it. The hormones that cause breast soreness might also cause cyclical swelling or lumpiness. They can also affect the size, shape or sensitivity of cysts and fibroadenomas. Hormonal breast soreness is normal, but it is not usually very severe.

Pain that lasts more than a week around the time of a period, or pain that stops a woman from everyday activities is not considered to be normal. For many women, the biggest concern about breast soreness is that it is a sign of cancer; however, breast soreness is not often associated with cancer and it does not put you at any increased risk of breast cancer.

You should follow the recommendations for screening for breast cancer for women of your age and family history. Sometimes, even with all this information, it will still not be possible to tell you what is causing your pain. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Breast pain mastalgia can be described as tenderness, throbbing, sharp, stabbing, burning pain or tightness in the breast tissue. Breast pain can range from mild to severe.

It may occur:. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Golshan M, et al. Breast pain. Accessed Jan.

Mastalgia Breast pain. Merck Manual Professional Version. Accessed Dec. Sivarajah R, et al. A review of breast pain: Causes, imaging recommendations, and treatment. Journal of Breast Imaging. Bland KI, et al. Etiology and management of benign breast disease. Elsevier;