About Breast Pain

Breast pain is a common symptom that can develop in connection to a woman's hormone cycle. During menopause, when a woman's hormonal levels become imbalanced, the likelihood of breast discomfort increases. While postmenopausal women can experience breast pain, it is most common in premenopausal and perimenopausal women.

Breast pain is a common complaint among females, affecting as many as 70% of women at some point in their lives. Only a small portion of these women-about 10 percent-will experience severe breast pain, which can have a significant impact on relationships, work, and daily life.

It is important to know that breast pain rarely signals breast cancer. Most cases of breast symptoms in menopausal women are caused by normal hormonal changes in the body. Becoming more educated about breast pain in menopause is one of the best steps towards understanding and managing this condition. Please read on to learn more about breast pain.

Breast Pain	Breast Pain definition Breast pain-known medically as mastalgia, mastodynia, and mammalgia-is the general term used to mean discomfort, tenderness, and/or pain in one or both of the breasts. Many women experience breast pain around the time of menstruation or during pregnancy, when the hormones estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone are in flux. As with menstruation and pregnancy, menopause is also a time of hormonal fluctuations, and; thus, can also cause breast tenderness and pain. Breast pain can be experienced differently at different times in the lifecycle and can also vary based on a woman's own unique physiology and genetics. Nevertheless, some symptoms are common to breast pain. Please read on to learn more about the common symptoms of breast discomfort during menopause.
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Symptoms of Breast Pain

Breast symptoms can be persistent or intermittent during menopause. Some women will experience symptoms in both breasts, while others will have breast pain that affects only one side of the body. In some women, the symptoms of breast pain are localized to only one region of breast, while, in others, the pain is more generalized.

Common Symptoms of Breast Pain: • Breast swelling • Breast soreness • Sharp breast pain • Burning breast pain • Dull, heavy or aching feelings • Tightness • Fullness • Aches • Breast tenderness Please read on to learn more about the different types of breast pain that can occur during a woman's life.

Types of Breast Pain

There are three main types of breast pain. Most cases of breast pain are classified as either cyclic or non-cyclic. However, in some cases, breast discomfort can be classified as extramammary, because the origin of the pain resides outside of the breast itself.

Common Type of Breast Pain in Menopause Cyclic Cyclic breast pain is most closely related to the menstrual cycle and changing levels of hormones. This is the type of breast pain most commonly experienced by premenstrual women and perimenopausal women in their 40s. • Often described as dull, heavy, or   aching. • Breast swelling or lumpiness. • Usually affects both breasts.

Less Common Types of Breast Pain Non-Cyclic Non-cyclic breast pain is unrelated to the hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle. This type is more common in post-menopausal women. • Experienced as tight, burning or sore. • Intermittent or constant. • Usually localized or affecting one   breast. Extramammary Extramammary pain is discomfort that originates from an area other than the breast. For example, a pulled muscle in the chest can cause breast pain.

Breast Tenderness

While some women describe their symptoms as breast pain, many others report feeling breast tenderness during menopause. While the distinction between tenderness and pain is subjective, breast tenderness is often described as mild to moderate discomfort and sensitivity to touch while pain is more intense or localized. Click here to learn more about breast tenderness during menopause.

Now that the symptoms and types of breast pain are better understood, the next step is to learn more about the causes of Breast Pain during menopause.

Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.