What to do if the chest hurts.  Why do breasts hurt?

What to do if the chest hurts. Why do breasts hurt?

Many women have experienced chest pain at some point in their lives. The appearance of these symptoms should not cause panic or fears, but they should not be taken lightly either. In order for every woman to be calm about her health, and if necessary, to be able to undergo the necessary course of treatment in a timely manner, she needs to get acquainted with the symptoms and causes of pain in the mammary glands.

An arterial aneurysm consists of severe stretching of the blood vessels, which can cause them to break. In children, chest pain as a result of an aortic aneurysm is extremely rare, especially in uncommon conditions such as Marfan's syndrome.

Other causes of chest pain among other causes of pain include accumulation of air or fluid in the chest, inflammation, lung infections, asthma. The appearance of chest pain should be compared with other symptoms to know if an adequate medical evaluation is required.

Common questions about chest pain. What if my child blames chest pain? Do not panic! Remember that such pain is usually caused by a benign and treatable disease. Heart disease is a rare cause of chest pain in children. However, if the pain is severe or if it is associated with difficulty breathing, fever, sweating, or a heart rate over 200, you should consult your doctor immediately. In the absence of these symptoms, most chest pains can wait until they are properly evaluated.

Cyclic and non-cyclic chest pain

Pain localized in the mammary glands has a name in medicine - mastalgia. Mastalgias are divided into two groups - cyclic and non-cyclic.

Cyclic mastalgia or mammalgia- pain in the mammary glands of a woman, which occurs on certain days of the menstrual cycle, namely two to seven days before the start of the next menstruation. For most women, this pain does not cause discomfort - it is not very strong, more like a feeling of fullness of the mammary glands, a burning sensation inside them. In a couple of days, these sensations pass without a trace.

In any case, call your doctor if you are concerned. Read more: 10 reasons to call the pediatrician. It is advisable to first contact your family doctor or pediatrician, and not a specialist. Most of the causes of these pains are not associated with a serious illness and do not require the intervention of a specialist.

If you need to see a specialist, your family doctor will decide which one. The exam usually includes a history of the problem and a physical assessment. Subsequently, the score differs according to the original data. Most children do not need a thorough investigation.

Women's breasts change throughout life. In one menstrual cycle, the influence of various hormones that are produced in the female body stimulate the tone or relaxation of the walls of the excretory ducts in the mammary glands, and affect the tissue of the lobules. Approximately a week before the onset of menstrual bleeding in the ducts of the mammary glands accumulates a large number of epithelial cells, secretion of lobules. The mammary glands swell, more blood flows to them, they become larger in volume and dense, painful to the touch. Cyclic chest pain in women always manifests simultaneously in both mammary glands.

In some cases, an x-ray or electrocardiogram associated with breathing is required. For most children, the area chest is identified with the heart, so the sentence hurts my heart! It is used regardless of which area of ​​the chest pain occurs. The good part is that kids usually can't consciously differentiate between chest and non-cardiac heartburn, so they often blame the heart. The bad part is that once parents hear this phrase, it's hard to convince them that the heart isn't at fault.

In some women, cyclic mastodynia manifests pathologically strongly. The pain sometimes becomes simply unbearable, and a woman cannot lead a normal life, do her usual things, she feels very bad on such days. As a rule, increased pain in the mammary glands is a sign that some pathological process is starting in the body, and a woman needs to see a doctor for examination and subsequent treatment, if necessary.

Children who complain of chest pain should be assessed in the same way as other children with chest pain, and parental attention should be directed to the severity of the pain and any other symptoms. For medical questions and to talk to other parents who have had similar experiences with their children, we look forward to visiting the forum where you will find medical advice, parenting advice and many subjects of long-term medical interest.

Read more about heart problems. For support, friendship and relationships we recommend the support forum. Parents ask, parents answer! In this discussion list, you can ask questions about other parents. Chest pain appears in several forms: stabbing, like a dull ache, or burning or tightness. There are several causes that cause chest pain - here's why each type of pain occurs and how you can treat it!

Non-cyclic pain in the mammary glands are not associated with the woman's menstrual cycle, they are always provoked by some other factors, in some cases pathological.

When a woman's body undergoes changes associated with the restructuring of the hormonal background - the level of female sex hormones increases. Under the influence of estrogen and chorionic gonadotropin, the lobules of the mammary glands begin to swell, a secret is formed in the ducts, and at the end of pregnancy, colostrum. From the first days of pregnancy, a woman's breasts acquire increased sensitivity, even soreness. As you know, soreness and engorgement of the mammary glands of a woman are. This soreness of the chest in the first weeks of pregnancy can also be different - from a slight burning sensation, pinching of the nipples, to severe tension in the mammary glands and dull pains radiating to the shoulder blades, lower back, and arms. Such phenomena usually completely disappear by the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, that is, by the 10th - 12th weeks.

Chest pain can betray a heart problem, a digestive problem, a muscle or bone nature problem, a lung problem, or a trivial, but scary, panic attack. The most dangerous is the pain that betrays heart problems, and in such a situation, it is necessary to call the emergency number "112" ambulance in order to receive medical assistance in time. These are the symptoms that should prompt you to seek emergency medical attention.

Depressing chest pain, felt as intense pressure pain lasting more than 15 minutes Pain radiates to other parts of the body: arms, back or jaw pain is associated with symptoms such as breathing problems, vomiting, profuse sweating or bloody sputum. The most common causes of cardiac chest pain are as follows.

From the breast of a woman, she is intensively preparing for the upcoming feeding of the child and lactation. Women note a significant increase in the mammary glands, various tingling sensations in them, feelings of tension, engorgement. But these phenomena are not painful, normally they should not be accompanied by severe pain. If a woman notices pains that do not go away, and even more so if the pains are localized in only one mammary gland, she should seek advice from her gynecologist in order to exclude various diseases and pathological processes not related to pregnancy in time.

A stroke that occurs when blood flow is interrupted in a specific part of the heart is angina pectoris, which occurs after a narrowing or blockage of blood flow in the coronary arteries. Although chest pain caused by heart disease is the most serious, the most common causes of such pain are often different.

A condition that occurs when acid passes from the stomach into the esophagus and causes heartburn to rise, chest pain and bad taste in the mouth. Ulcer - A stomach ulcer can cause severe burning as well as pain in the upper stomach and chest. Stressed muscles - tension in a muscle in the chest or upper abdomen can cause severe chest pain. It usually disappears after a period of rapace.

Under what signs should a woman urgently see a doctor?

  • Breast pain occurs regardless of the menstrual cycle.
  • The nature of the pain can be described as an unbearable burning sensation, a strong squeezing in the glands.
  • The pain is localized in one breast, not spilled over the entire mammary gland, but expressed only in its specific area.
  • Pain in the mammary glands does not go away, but increases with time.
  • In parallel with pain or discomfort in the chest, a woman notices an increase in body temperature, deformation of the mammary glands, nodes and any formations in the chest, the most painful areas, redness of the glands, discharge of fluid or blood from the nipples (not associated with the last months of pregnancy) .
  • A woman notes pain every day, for a long time, more than two weeks.
  • Pain in the mammary glands prevents a woman from doing her daily activities, causes neurasthenia, insomnia, does not allow her to wear ordinary clothes due to pressure on her chest.

What diseases are accompanied by pain in the mammary glands?

Mastopathy- these are fibrocystic growths in the mammary glands of a woman, an imbalance between the connective and epithelial tissues. Mastopathy causes non-cyclic pain in the mammary glands. Mastopathy appears in women in case of hormonal instability, under the influence of various adverse factors that change the normal hormonal background of the female body. These factors include abortion, neurosis, chronic inflammatory and infectious diseases of the female genital area, thyroid disease, pathological conditions of the pituitary gland, liver disease, cessation of breastfeeding with increased lactation, irregular sex life.

Anxiety or panic attack - these two mental disorders are often to blame for chest pain. They come with symptoms such as palpitations, abnormal sweating, breathing problems, and dizziness. As a rule, the pain disappears after 20 minutes.

Lung problems - pneumonia, but other lung conditions can cause chest pain. Usually these pains are accompanied by coughing, pain during breathing or exhalation, and a feeling of lack of air. This is another condition that can have symptoms such as chest pain.

Destroyed or broken ribs - and rib injuries can cause severe pain in the chest. When you have chest pain, it's important to monitor your body closely to determine if there are any other associated symptoms. You will also try to analyze your condition and find the cause of the pain. Seek emergency professional help if needed, but if the pain is mild and disappears in less than 15 minutes, make an appointment with your healthcare provider and describe your symptoms and plan in detail.

Mastopathy in women does not appear suddenly. It is formed over several years, while in the mammary glands of a woman, in violation of normal physiological processes, foci of epithelial tissues grow, which compress the ducts, the roots of nerve endings, interfere with the normal outflow of secretion in the ducts, and deform the lobules of the mammary glands. To date, mastopathy is the most common benign disease of the mammary glands, it is observed in women mainly 30-50 years old. With mastopathy, a woman notes a burning sensation, fullness, pressure in the mammary glands. She may also have other symptoms - nausea, lack of appetite, dizziness, abdominal pain. Mastopathy is a pathological condition that requires medical supervision and, in many cases, systematic treatment.

Remedies for chest pain

Once you have identified the cause of the pain, you can treat it using a natural remedy. For example, the pain caused by gastroesophageal reflux can be fixed with one glass of water in which 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar is dissolved.

On the other hand, if the pain is caused by muscle tension and occurs after a strenuous workout, you can use ice compresses applied to the chest. He sat down on the bed to rest, but after a few hours he began to hurt his left shoulder. At the age of 47, Claudiu, a salesman at a firm in Bucharest, didn't think for a moment that he might be having a heart attack. He knew that a heart attack was manifested by severe chest pains. Recently this old colleague cleared up and had no such symptoms.

Infectious and inflammatory processes in the mammary glands - diseases that can cause both chest pains and an increase in overall body temperature, a deterioration in a woman's well-being. Pain in infectious and inflammatory diseases of the mammary glands are of a different nature, but most often - shooting, aching, radiating to the shoulder blades, armpits, stomach. Most often, mastitis occurs in women who have recently given birth, during the period breastfeeding baby. These diseases require urgent medical treatment.

Pain and fatigue did not leave him. By evening, his wife, worried, wanted to call an ambulance. But Claudio refused, promising to go to the doctor's office the next day. In the morning, feeling so tired, Claudu went to a private clinic where he had an electrocardiogram. He was taken to the Baghdasar-Arseni Emergency Hospital, where he was given a coronary angiograph, after which he was implanted with a stent on a blocked artery, which caused a heart attack. Claudio was among the lucky ones.

Once, since the end of March of this year, Alexander, who was only 37, was in pain. He squeezed his chest hard and moistened left hand. The ambulance took him to the hospital. We've all heard of severe chest pain as an unmistakable symptom of a heart attack. This, however, is the main symptom. New research shows that some people, especially women, experience heart attacks without chest pain but with other signs that they misinterpret or even ignore.

breast cancer- a malignant neoplasm in the mammary gland, which is characterized by the formation of large accumulations of atypical cells in it, which eventually form a tumor. In some cases, breast cancer develops asymptomatically up to a certain stage, so a woman should be especially attentive to any changes in her body. The most common changes in the mammary gland in cancer are “orange peel” in a certain area of ​​the skin, severe peeling of the mammary gland and nipple, deformity of the nipple and the shape of the mammary gland, thickening, retraction on the mammary gland, bloody discharge from the nipple, retraction of the nipple. If there is pain in the mammary glands, especially in one of the glands, and this pain is in no way connected with the menstrual cycle or pregnancy, you should consult a doctor for advice in order to exclude the development of cancer.

A classic heart attack occurs when at least one of the coronary arteries is gradually subtracted from the buildup of cholesterol and fat. A blood clot forms in a thin space and completely or partially closes the blood circulation. Without food, some heart muscles suffer injury and begin to die. Like any damaged muscle, it signals to the brain about the situation it is in. The brain responds through a nerve fiber that causes pain, which usually results in a feeling of tightness in the chest.

Sometimes these painful signals get mixed up. They may stimulate neighboring nerves instead of or in addition to those characteristic of the heart. The same nerve that controls pain in the heart, for example, can send painful sensations to the stomach, neck, or left arm. Thus, instead of a strong heart rate, a mixture of painful signals may appear elsewhere.

What conditions and diseases of a woman also cause pain in the mammary glands?

  • Treatment with hormonal drugs for infertility or hormonal imbalance of the menstrual cycle, menopause.
  • Very large breast size; tight underwear that does not fit the size of the chest.
  • Other diseases in which pain occurs with irradiation to the mammary glands are herpes zoster, thoracic osteochondrosis, heart disease, intercostal neuralgia, diseases of the lymph nodes of the axillary regions, cysts in the fatty tissue of the breast, furunculosis.
  • Taking certain oral contraceptives.

With unpleasant symptoms and pain in the mammary glands that last a long time and are accompanied by additional pathological symptoms, a woman should definitely contact her attending gynecologist, who, if necessary, will refer her for consultations and examination to a mammologist and endocrinologist.

The consequences of these deceptive symptoms are no less serious. “Any unusual condition should alert the patient and send him to the doctor,” says Dr. Dumitru. There are people who can have a heart attack without experiencing any pain. This is especially true for patients with diabetes and the elderly. They also have to worry about being very tired or feeling short of breath.

Psychologist Lidia Danienescu, 59, was in her office with a patient when she had a severe nosebleed. Being in a private medical clinic, colleagues offered him first aid. Here's what happened last spring. But the months passed, and Lydia did not find time for her. Going out at 10 or 11 at night was somewhat normal in my program. But sometimes he caught me at night.

Examinations that a woman undergoes for pain in the mammary glands not related to pregnancy:

  • Ultrasound of the pelvic organs, which is performed a week after the onset of menstruation.
  • Examination of the hormonal background (thyroid hormones, prolactin).
  • Oncological markers (a set of diagnostic procedures to identify the degree of risk of developing cancerous tumors in the mammary gland).
  • Ultrasound of the breast, which is performed in the second half of the menstrual cycle.

Why can the chest hurt? Real reviews:

Maria:

Five months after this nosebleed, when she entered the house, after a consultation that ended at 00, Lydia felt a strong pressure in her sternum. I could no longer control my breathing. I was only able to make phone calls and dial my daughter's number, who lives very close by. She realized that something was wrong with me, and she immediately arrived with her husband.

They called 112, says Lydia. Finally, at the urging of my daughter, they took me to the Floreasca ER. Lydia suffered a heart attack, so she was rushed to the Institute of Cardiology. Iliescu, where he immediately entered coronary angiography.

A few years ago I was diagnosed with fibrous mastopathy. Then I went to the doctor with complaints of very severe pain, and this pain was localized not in the mammary glands themselves, but in the armpits and shoulder blades. At the initial examination, the gynecologist felt nodes in the glands, sent for mammography. In the course of treatment, I underwent ultrasound of the mammary glands, puncture of nodes in the mammary gland. The treatment took place in several stages, at the gynecologist. At the very beginning, I underwent a course of anti-inflammatory treatment, as I also suffered from salpingitis and oophoritis. I was then put on hormone therapy with oral contraceptives. As the doctor said, the development of mastopathy could be affected by the use of oral contraceptives of the old generation, with a high content of hormones.

She was discharged two weeks later and is now doing well again. Of course, not all indigestion, fatigue, dizziness, or shoulder pain indicate that a heart attack is imminent. Many people have these or some other milder symptoms that create discomfort at varying intervals. But they should be concerned when these symptoms last longer than five minutes and don't respond to antacids or other medications they have around the house that have worked in the past. Unusual symptoms should be a wake-up call for patients, especially when they haven't felt it before and when the problem persists, the doctor says.

Hope:

I was diagnosed with mastopathy at the age of 33, and since then I have been under the constant supervision of my gynecologist. Every year I did an ultrasound of the mammary glands, a year ago the doctor suggested that I do a mammogram. All these years, I was worried about very severe chest pains, which were most pronounced before menstruation. After the mammogram, I was prescribed a complex treatment, which immediately alleviated my condition - I forgot what chest pain is. At present, nothing worries me, the doctor prescribed me a control appointment only after six months.

Elena:

Throughout my life, I have not been bothered by pain in the mammary gland, although sometimes I felt discomfort and tingling before menstruation. But last year, at first I felt a slight, and then increasing pain in my left chest, which at first I mistook for pain in the heart. Turning to the therapist, I underwent an examination, received a consultation from a cardiologist - they did not reveal anything, they sent me to a gynecologist, a mammologist. After passing the tests for oncological markers, ultrasound of the mammary glands, I was sent to the regional oncological clinic in the city of Chelyabinsk. After a biopsy, additional studies, I was diagnosed with breast cancer (a tumor 3 cm in diameter, with indistinct boundaries). As a result, six months ago, one mammary gland, which was affected by oncology, was taken away from me, I underwent courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. I am currently undergoing treatment, but the last examination did not reveal any new cancer cells, which is already a victory.

Natalia:

I have been married for two years, there have been no abortions, no children yet. About a year ago I had a gynecological disease - salpingitis with pyosalpinx. The treatment was taken in a hospital, conservative. A month after the treatment, I began to feel pain symptoms in my left breast. The pain was dull, aching, radiating to the armpit. The gynecologist found nothing, but sent me to a mammologist. I underwent an ultrasound scan, no pathology in the mammary gland was revealed, and the pains periodically arose. I was diagnosed with intercostal neuralgia. She took treatment: Mastodinon, Milgama, Nimesil, Gordius. The pain has become much weaker - sometimes I feel tightness in my chest a week before my period, but this quickly passes. The doctor advised me to go swimming, do exercises, exercise therapy.

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Chest pain is a fairly common complaint for pre-menopausal women, but is much less common in older women. If the chest hurts, there may be several reasons, and some of them pose a serious threat to life and health.

Types of pain

Basically, doctors distinguish between two types of chest pain:

Such pains are not a pathological condition and on the eve of the onset of menstruation disturb many women. Worrying about them and going to the doctor every month does not make sense.

  1. Non-cyclic. If the chest hurts without any system, then the pain is called non-cyclic. Most often, it does not hurt in both glands at once, but only in one. There are several reasons that provoke the development of this unpleasant syndrome.

It hurts non-cyclically breast usually aching, but the pain may increase in response to movement and touch to the chest, and sometimes it hurts in the armpit, thus limiting the movement in the arm.

Common Causes

The reasons why one mammary gland is affected by pain are very diverse.

  • Mastitis. Mastitis is an inflammatory process that affects the breast tissue. If this disease develops in the postpartum period, then the first signs of it can be seen already 3-4 days after birth. The breast becomes a place of stagnation of milk - this is why mastitis develops in parturient women.

This pathology occurs not only in women who have recently given birth and are breastfeeding, but also in completely healthy women. If a woman's immunity is weakened, and chronic processes are going on in the body, for example, sinusitis, then pathogenic microorganisms can enter the mammary gland.

  • Mastopathy. Mastopathy is another reason why one breast can hurt. This disease is characterized by the formation of benign neoplasms, which are represented by the growth of ducts inside the lobules, vesicles of the gland and the connective tissue itself.

As a result, some of the structures in the chest are over-compressed and others are over-expanded, resulting in a feeling of soreness that can radiate to the armpit and restrict arm movement.

Mastopathy is usually formed against the background of strong hormonal disorders and is dangerous because benign neoplasms, with an inattentive approach to treatment, degenerate into malignant ones.



Fibroadenoma is closely related to the work of the hormonal glands, since if you conduct an examination on the eve of or during the menstrual cycle, a decrease in the size of the tumor can be noted.

  • Cancer. This pathology is especially dangerous and does not provoke pain if it is at an early stage - this is its main insidiousness.

As the tumor grows and spreads, it begins to affect the endings of the nerves, which leads to the development of pain in the gland affected by the tumor. Complaints describing pain, however, may differ in different patients depending on the location of the neoplasm.

Untreated mastopathy, as well as late childbirth, contribute to the development of cancerous tumors in the mammary glands.

More rare causes

  • Fat necrosis. Why does fat necrosis develop in the mammary gland? The most common cause of this pathology is trauma in the area of ​​​​the mammary glands. Due to the similarity of symptoms, this pathology is often confused with a cancerous neoplasm.
  • Cyst. If there is pain in this breast, then the development of a cyst may explain why this symptom appeared. A cyst is a cavity of connective tissue that is filled with fluid.

The reason why cystic formations form is still not fully known, although there are many assumptions. The most dangerous cyst in the mammary gland is that with the slightest injury there is a risk of damage to the walls, due to which the contents of the cyst are poured into the surrounding tissues.

Pain in women with cysts is usually severe, it is impossible to ignore them.

  • Wrong underwear. A bra that is incorrectly sized or made of synthetics is why the mammary gland often hurts.

This happens due to the fact that due to too dark tissue in the gland, stagnant processes occur and proper blood circulation is blocked. If the harmful effects are not stopped in time, the mammary gland can become a site for the formation of malignant neoplasms.

Do I need to go to the doctors


If you are concerned about non-cyclic pain in one gland, then this is undoubtedly a reason to contact a doctor. In what cases is it immediately clear why it is necessary not to postpone a visit to a specialist?

  • The mammary gland has noticeably changed in size and shape, you can see the asymmetry of the bust.
  • The nipple has been changed: it can be drawn into the gland, or it can respond with the release of fluid to pressure.
  • When probing, it is possible to detect a seal in or around the gland.
  • There is pain when pressed.
  • The skin of the breast or around it has undergone any noticeable changes: coarsened, redness, peeling appeared.

It is necessary to carefully assess the condition of the bust and, if suspicious symptoms appear, do not postpone the visit to a specialist so that the situation does not worsen.

Diagnostics

Pain in one gland is not a symptom of any specific disease, which is why it is necessary to consult a specialist to understand what is the cause of the disease. The doctor, after listening to complaints, evaluates:

  • The duration of the pain.
  • Dependence of sensations on the menstrual cycle.
  • Localization of pain.
  • Are there seals and where are they located relative to the place of pain.
  • Are there any changes in the nipple.
  • Whether change of glands with reception of hormonal preparations can be connected.

After assessing the general condition of the patient and examining the breast, the doctor will have a rough idea of ​​what tests and diagnostic methods are best prescribed to confirm the proposed diagnosis. Also, after receiving the results of the examination, it will be possible to choose the tactics of treatment.


Most often, women complaining of pain in one breast are prescribed:

  • General blood analysis.
  • Blood chemistry.
  • Chest X-ray.
  • mammography.

In some cases, when the diagnosis is difficult, they resort to repeating studies using contrast agents.

Treatment

The choice of treatment for pain that occurs in one breast depends on what kind of disease caused them.

Unsystematic treatment, based on a single symptom and not taking into account the diagnosis as a whole, can not only not relieve a woman of pain, but also aggravate the situation.

You can start treatment only when an accurate diagnosis is established and the doctor has chosen a therapy regimen. In some cases, therapy includes only taking medications to achieve a particular result, and sometimes you have to resort to surgery to eliminate the pathology.

If a woman notices chest pain, any changes in her shape and structure, then this is a reason to consult a mammologist, and not self-medicate at home. Examination and proper therapy will help get rid of pain and avoid more serious consequences.