Caffeine (coffee, teas and chocolate) causes increased swelling of breast tissue, as does a diet high in salt. There is evidence that fatty foods and diary products can contribute to breast pain.
Breast Pain Cause by Caffeine
Non-cyclic breast pain may be due to dietary triggers including caffeine, which is found in a variety of beverages and foods (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate) and may produce severe breast pain in some women with others experiencing no effect at all.
“There are a variety of factors that could play a role in breast pain,” Klimberg said. These include dietary factors such as caffeine use, consuming high-fat meals, or eating chocolate, cheese, or drinking wine. Stress can also exacerbate the pain, she said.
Dietary Changes
Estrogen is linked to breast pain and eating a low-fat diet, especially low in saturated fats, can decrease estrogen levels and improve breast pain and lumpiness. Avoid meat and dairy products and eat more fish, tofu, and non- fat dairy.
Salt is often mistaken as the culprit in bloating and breast tenderness, but sugar is actually implicated in puffy, sore breasts. Minimizing sweets helps manage breast soreness, and may improve other PMS symptoms.
Breast pain can be due to many possible causes. Most likely breast pain is from hormonal fluctuations from menstruation, pregnancy, puberty, menopause, and breastfeeding. Breast pain can also be associated with fibrocystic breast disease, but it is a very unusual symptom of breast cancer.
Most times, breast pain signals a noncancerous (benign) breast condition and rarely indicates breast cancer. Unexplained breast pain that doesn't go away after one or two menstrual cycles, or that persists after menopause, or breast pain that doesn't seem to be related to hormone changes needs to be evaluated.
Breast pain can be caused by various conditions such as fibrocystic breast changes, fibroadenoma, breast infection (mastitis), breast cyst, and breast cancer. Therefore, it is recommended to follow-up on breast pain symptoms with a primary care physician to confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment options.
Share on Pinterest Heartburn may cause a pain under the left breast. When stomach acid travels back up the food pipe, it causes a burning sensation in the mid-chest and throat, and sometimes pain under the left breast. Heartburn can be a symptom of indigestion and stomach acid issues.
Typical breast cancer, when it is found, also doesn't cause pain. “If a tumor grows big enough that you can feel it, it will feel like a rock in your breast tissue.
There are two basic types of breast pain – cyclic and non-cyclic.
Stress and anxiety can also be linked to breast pain. Non-cyclical breast pain may be continuous or it may come and go. It can affect women before and after the menopause. The pain can be in one or both breasts and can affect the whole breast or a specific area.
Yes! You can enjoy some chocolate while breastfeeding. Just be aware that chocolate contains a substance called Theobromine, which is a stimulant (similar to caffeine). Theobromine is found in cocoa solids in chocolate and will pass through your breast milk to your baby.
– Chocolate has many benefits but it can contribute to hormonal balance via its potent magnesium and iron, and ability to lower cortisol and boost mood-impacting hormones, serotonin and dopamine.
Breast pain, including sharp shooting pain, is common and often goes away alone. However, if the pain is severe, persistent, or pressing, a person should seek medical attention. Shooting pain in the breast is also not typically a sign of cancer, unless other symptoms accompany it.
Increase vitamin B6 and vitamin E.
Both vitamins have been shown to help reduce breast pain. Vitamin E also protects your breasts from free radical damage that can destroy cells.
Use hot or cold compresses on your breasts. Wear a firm support bra, fitted by a professional if possible. Wear a sports bra during exercise, especially when your breasts may be more sensitive. Experiment with relaxation therapy, which can help control the high levels of anxiety associated with severe breast pain.
Applying heat to the most painful area on your breast, being sure to protect your skin. Taking magnesium supplements. If you take these during your menstrual cycle, roughly two weeks before your period, it can help relieve some of your symptoms.
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.
There are multiple possible causes of breast pain, or mastalgia. This symptom may be cyclic or noncyclic. If the pain is cyclic, it is related to the fluctuating hormones of the menstrual cycle. Noncyclic breast pain can be due to PMS, fibrocystic breast changes, injuries and sprains, or inflammation around the ribs.
PMS occurs in the second half of a woman's cycle and can include physical, behavioral and emotional symptoms. “Typically, women may have mild symptoms prior to the onset of their period each month, such as breast soreness (known as cyclical mastalgia), fatigue, bloating and decreased mood,” Giles said.