Mastalgia (Breast Pain) - Symptoms, causes and treatment – ​​Alodokter

Mastalgia is pain that appears in the breast. Mastalgia is a common complaint experienced by women approaching period and Selama period.

When before menstruation until menstruation, a woman's body undergoes hormonal changes. These changes are thought to cause breast pain before menstruation. In addition to being related to menstruation, breast pain can also be caused by other causes, including causes outside the breast.

The pain that appears varies, can be mild, can also be severe to interfere with daily activities. If the pain gets worse, lasts for several weeks, or interferes with daily activities, see a doctor immediately.

Symptom Mastalgia (Breast Pain)

Painful breasts can be related to the menstrual cycle or not. In addition, the pain in the breast may also not come from the breast. The following is a description of the symptoms of each mastalgia:

Breast pain associated with cycle period

Breast pain associated with menstruation is more common in women aged 20-30 years and in their 40s before menopause. This breast pain has the following characteristics:

  • The breast pain is dull and the pain is made worse when wearing a bra or tight-fitting clothes.
  • Pain occurs during the fertile period or 2 weeks before menstruation, and the symptoms only subside when menstruation is finished.
  • Usually the pain is felt in both breasts, especially the breast on the upper outer side (near the armpit). Pain may also radiate to the armpit.
  • Pain is accompanied by swollen breasts or a lump appears in the breast.

Breast pain unrelated to period

Breast pain is commonly experienced by postmenopausal women. Following are the symptoms:

  • Breast pain feels like burning.
  • Breasts feel tight.
  • Pain persists or comes and goes.
  • Pain is usually only felt in one part of one breast, but can spread throughout the breast.

Symptoms of mastalgia that are not from the breast

When to go to the doctor

Call your doctor immediately if the following symptoms occur:

  • Breast pain is experienced daily for more than two weeks.
  • Pain only occurs in one part of the breast.
  • Breast pain gets worse over time.
  • Breast pain interferes with daily activities.

In addition, you also need to immediately see a doctor if breast pain occurs after taking medicines, such as birth control pills, fertility drugs, antidepressant drugs, or hormone replacement therapy.

Reason Mastalgia (Breast Pain)

Mastalgia associated with menstruation is thought to be caused by a hormonal imbalance exacerbated by stress.

Some other factors that can trigger breast pain other than those related to menstruation are:

  • Big breast size.
  • Breast infection, such as mastitis or breast abscess.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Abnormalities in the breast, such as fibrocysts or fibroadenoma.
  • Hyperprolactinemia or high levels of the hormone prolactin.
  • Side effects of drugs, such as fertility drugs, birth control pills, antidepressants, or antipsychotics.
  • After breast surgery.

Some abnormalities outside the breast can also cause pain to radiate to the breast, for example:

  • Injuries to the neck, shoulders and back.
  • Arthritis on the spine.
  • Costochondritis or inflammation of the joints of the bones and cartilage in the ribs or ribs.

Diagnosis Mastalgia (Breast Pain)

If there is breast pain, the doctor will examine the patient to find the cause, and make sure the cause is not dangerous. The doctor will examine the breast and lymph nodes in the patient's neck or armpit.

If the doctor finds abnormalities on physical examination, the doctor will perform additional examinations in the form of:

  • Mammography

    Mammography is used to check for breast abnormalities, such as lumps or thickening in breast tissue, using X-rays.

  • mammary ultrasound

    A mammary ultrasound (breast ultrasound) is usually done with or after a mammography, to make sure the breast pain isn't caused by a certain condition, such as a fibroadenoma or fibrocystic breast.

  • Biopsy ptits

    The doctor will take a sample of breast tissue for later analysis in the laboratory.

Mastalgia Treatment (Breast Pain)

Breast pain generally goes away on its own without special treatment from a doctor. However, patients still need to be aware of the symptoms of mastalgia caused by dangerous conditions. Handling breast pain independently can be done by:

  • Compress the sore breast with a warm or cold compress.
  • Manage stress well.
  • Reduce consumption of fatty foods. If necessary, consult a nutritionist.
  • Using a comfortable bra, such as sports bra.
  • Taking pain relievers, such as paracetamol.

In addition, make notes to find out whether the pain in the breast is related to the menstrual cycle or not. If breast pain interferes with daily activities, consult a doctor immediately.

The doctor will treat mastalgia based on age, disease history, suspected causes, and the type of treatment that has been done. Some treatments from doctors to treat breast pain are:

  • Pain relief gel containing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as diclofenac.
  • Antibiotics to treat breast infections.
  • Reducing the dose of birth control pills or changing contraceptive methods.
  • Adjusting the dose of hormone replacement therapy for menopause.
  • Taking medications that affect hormones, such as bromocriptine, danazol, or tamoxifen.

If mastalgia is caused by an abscess or breast lump, such as fibroadenoma and fibrocystic disease, the doctor will treat it with surgery.

Prevention of Mastalgia (Breast Pain)

Breast pain before menstruation is a common thing. To prevent this, avoid consuming caffeine, alcohol, and foods high in fat and salt, since 2 weeks before menstruation.

Choose foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as peanuts, spinach, corn, carrots, bananas, avocados, and brown rice. Several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin E and magnesium, can prevent and reduce breast pain. Exercising regularly can also prevent breast pain symptoms.

In addition, discuss again with your doctor before taking drugs that can cause mastalgia, especially hormonal drugs. Ask your doctor about the benefits and risks that may arise from these drugs.