Breast Tenderness and Hypothyroid

It is not uncommon for many women to experience breast tenderness and hypothyroid problems as a result of menopause. Because of the discomforting and often worrying nature of breast tenderness and hypothyroid problems, symptoms should be diagnosed early as possible. The following page provides practical information on handling the symptoms of breast tenderness and hypothyroid difficulties.

What is breast tenderness exactly? How is it related to hypothyroid?

Breast tenderness can be defined broadly as any pain, soreness or discomfort in the breasts. Symptoms of breast tenderness are often accompanied with swelling. A light sensation of breast tenderness is typically experienced during menstrual periods, pregnancy and breast-feeding. In addition to this, women will also suffer symptoms when approaching menopause, and in many cases this will continue through and after menopause.

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone – often the result of hormone imbalance. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to direct the body's metabolism people with this condition have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism, one of which can be breast tenderness.

What causes breast tenderness and hypothyroid problems?

Breast tenderness can be caused by a wide variety of factors, often not entirely verifiable. What is largely accepted, however, is that in a majority of cases, unbalanced levels of estrogen hormones during menopause are the principal cause.

Hormonal imbalance during the menstrual cycle affects the amount of estrogen and progesterone in the body in different ways. When estrogen levels are down and progesterone levels are up (which is what happens during menstruation), the breasts increase in size. In menopause, hormonal imbalance can disrupt estrogen to progesterone levels even further and increase the breasts to even larger size than is normally experienced, making the breasts even more susceptible to pain for even longer periods.

In order to deal with this, it is absolutely critical to maintain healthy hormonal levels.

How should I handle breast tenderness and hypothyroid problems?

Because hormonal imbalance is the most probably the cause for breast tenderness and hypothyroidism, the first and foremost treatment objective should be on stabilizing hormonal levels. This should be addressed primarily with a healthy diet and exercise regime, and supplemented with natural medicines.

For tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and to learn more about alternative treatments for breast tenderness and hypothyroidism, click on the following link.

To learn more about Breast Pain