Breasts can feel heavy and sore for many reasons. Menstruation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding are common reasons, but infections and cysts may also cause discomfort. Less commonly, pain may stem from cancer. Many different conditions can cause breast pain.
Hormonal fluctuations are the number one reason women have breast pain. Breasts become sore three to five days prior to the beginning of a menstrual period and stop hurting after it starts. This is due to a rise in estrogen and progesterone right before your period.
Your breasts contain a complicated network of nerves that provide sensitivity. But heavy breasts may compress those nerves and deaden the sensation. They may even cause nerve damage that affects your arms, hands, and fingers, producing symptoms of tingling or numbness.
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.
Breast engorgement is swelling, tightness, and an increase in size of the breasts. It usually occurs in the early days of breastfeeding, between day 3 and 5, but may occur as late as day 9-10. Moderately severe breast engorgement results in hard, full, tense, warm and tender breasts with throbbing and aching pain.
Mastitis
If your breasts are feeling heavy, tender to the touch and swollen, you may have mastitis, which is common for breastfeeding moms. Mastitis is inflammation of the breast tissue and can lead to pain and a burning sensation when pumping which can affect the amount of milk you express.
Weight affects the amount of fatty tissue within the breasts. Gaining weight increases the fatty tissue within the breast and results in breasts enlargement. The added weight results in increased tension on the ligaments and connective tissues.
People with large breasts often report feeling pain in their chest, neck, shoulders and back while exercising. This pain is largely caused by the increased weight and pressure of the breasts as they move during exercise, especially high-impact sports like running.
There are two basic types of breast pain – cyclic and non-cyclic.
Hormones can also affect cyclical breast pain due to stress. Breast pain can increase or change its pattern with the hormone changes that happen during times of stress. Hormones may not provide the total answer to cyclical breast pain. That's because the pain is often more severe in one breast than in the other.
Most breast pain is nothing to be worried about. But you should still get checked out by your doctor or another health professional if you have breast pain. We don't want you to ignore potential signs of breast cancer or another serious problem.
The post mastectomy pain of Iron bra syndrome is a feeling of extreme tightness across the across the ribs and chest. It is often described as feeling like an incredibly tight underwire bra pushing in on the ribs - thus the colloquial Iron Bra name.
Mild dehydration can cause fluid retention, which may worsen breast pain. Drink more water or eat fruits that can help keep you hydrated.
Hormone changes during the menstrual cycle may lead to breast swelling. More estrogen is made early in the cycle and it peaks just before mid-cycle. This causes the breast ducts to grow in size.
As you reach the age of 40 years and approach perimenopause, hormonal changes will cause changes to your breasts. Besides noting changes in your breasts' size, shape, and elasticity, you might also notice more bumps and lumps. Aging comes with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Although breast cancer is often painless, it is important not to ignore any signs or symptoms that could be due to breast cancer. Some people may describe the pain as a burning and tender sensation.
Sore breasts can be one of the most obvious physical symptoms of low estrogen in women of reproductive and menopausal age. It happens when estrogen levels naturally fall during the week before menstruation, as well as during menopause.
It can happen during puberty, pregnancy or from taking medication. In some cases, it occurs spontaneously and for no reason. Gigantomastia is also referred to as macromastia. However, macromastia is usually defined as excess breast tissue that weighs less than 5 pounds.
It's normal that hormone changes make your breast tissue less glandular and more fatty as you get older. This will make them feel less firm and full from perimenopause onwards.