Breast pain

  Many women have breast tenderness and pain, also called mastalgia. It may come and go with monthly periods (cyclic) or may not follow any pattern (noncyclic).

Cyclic pain is the most common type of breast pain, it usually requires no treatment and disappears during menopause. Caused by the normal monthly changes in hormones, this pain usually occurs in both breasts. It is felt as a heaviness and soreness that radiates to the armpit and arm. The pain is usually most severe before a period and is often gone at the end.

Noncyclic pain is more common in women between 30 and 50 years of age. It often occurs in only one breast and can be felt as a sharp, burning pain that occurs in one part of a breast.

Breast pain can worsen with changes in your hormone levels or changes in any medicines you are taking. Stress can also affect breast pain. You are more likely to experince breast pain before menopause than after menopause. Occasionally, noncyclic pain may be caused by a fibroadenoma or a cyst.