Menstruation can get extremely discomforting especially if you experience severe PMS symptoms including breast pain, mood swings, irritability, etc. As per a study, about 8-10% of women experience breast pain before and during menstruation or cyclical mastalgia. Onlymyhealth reached out to Dr. Nanda Rajaneesh, General and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Bangalore to understand why breast pain occurs during menstruation and how this can be effectively managed. Scroll down to read.
Why is breast pain caused before and during menstruation?
Dr. Nanda says, it is due to hormonal imbalance, particularly at the end of the Luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. This is a phase that occurs before your periods when egg is released by ovaries. At this time, your uterus lining thickens. Also, the reason why only some women experience it largely dependent on their poor dietary and lifestyle habits. Healthy and active lifestyle is found to reduce PMS symptoms that include pain, irritability, mood swings, to name but a few.
Pain in only one breast
One of the top queries on the Internet about breast pain during menstruation is why breast pain during periods in one breast?Dr. Nanda says that this could be due to fibrocystic disease in one breast. Fibrocystic disease is nothing but a cyst and abnormal cell formation in the breast due to hormonal imbalance and blockage of ducts. If you go through this problem every month, you must speak to your gynaecologist for diagnosis and treatment.
Also Read: 4 Myths and Facts about Self-Breast Examination for Breast Cancer
Complications
Another common question is about complications linked to breast pain during periods? A part of premenstrual syndrome includes bloating, PMS cramps, fatigue, extreme mood swings, irritability, anxiety, hunger, acne, disturbed sleep, etc. If your breasts feel sore and tender before and during periods, this is absolutely normal. However, if the pain is unbearable every time and you go through the same every month, it should be reported to your doctor. It is better to consult a doctor to find out the exact cause of the problem and then work towards its treatment.
How to relieve breast pain?
Here are some tips that can help in managing breast pain during menstruation.
Also Read: Mood Swings, Bloating, Cramps: What's Behind Those Terrible PMS Symptoms?
- Meet your doctor and find out the reason for breast pain. Recurring breast pain can be concerning and so, get yourself checked by an expert.
- Practice relaxation techniques like Yoga, meditation, or exercise. Stress levels can influence pain and so, you must be relaxed during menstruation to avoid such health issues.
- Get good sleep. Give needful rest to your body as blood loss during periods can make you weak and cause anemia which can also cause breast pain.
- Take antioxidants as a part of your diet to provide the raw materials required for hormonal production. Once hormonal fluctuations become normal, your breast pain is highly likely to subside.
- Vitamin E may have some effect but should not be self-medicated because there is a huge association between breast pain, fibrocystic breast disease, and cancer in the long term.
Conclusion
Breast pain during menstruation is common but if that becomes discomforting, you must consult a gynaecologist to see if there is an underlying problem causing it. Stay calm and follow a healthy routine to ease premenstrual symptoms.
Image credits- freepik
