Breast Cyst Pain

Understanding Breast Cyst Pain

A lots of women will have cysts pain and want to find  information related to breast cysts pain, especially how to treat it. For the effective treatment of this pain, first you need to checked out by doctors about your condition. Although seen from several cases that most breast cysts are not cancerous but they must remain vigilant to always check the latest conditions to the doctor to make sure that this will not happen to them. In some rare cases, cysts can be cancerous need to be removed to stop the cancer from spreading. Furthermore, it is sometimes possible to mistake lumps for cysts, and lumps are more likely to be cancerous and are more dangerous.

A lots of women will experience pain around the time of their menstrual cycles. If this is the case just taking over the counter pain medications or medications made to relieve period pain will often get rid of breast cyst pain. Keeping the area well moisturized and touching the cysts as little as possible is also good advice. Some women also report that using the birth control pill causes some of the pain experienced to lessen or even to go away completely. If this is an option patients would like to try, they should talk to their doctors. It is also important to note that avoiding sleeping on the side or on the stomach or in any way that puts pressure on the breasts is a good idea.

Breast Cyst Pain Symptoms and Causes

The four common symptoms of cysts within the breast include:

- Pain or tenderness in the breast near the cysts or lumps.

- Smooth lumps with definable edges felt beneath the breast's skin, usually round or oval in shape, that are easily movable.

- A decrease in the size of the cysts or lumps and pain relief after the menstrual cycle.

- An increase in the size of the cysts or the amount of tenderness just before the onset of menstruation.

The structure of the breast resembles the petals of a daisy and includes 15 to 20 separate lobes comprised of glandular tissues. Each of those lobes contain even smaller lobules that are responsible for a new mother's milk production and tiny ducts keep that milk stored in a reservoir near the nipple until it's time for breast feeding. All of these important components of the breast are supported by deep layers of stroma or connective tissue.

When the glands and stroma become overgrown, the milk ducts become blocked, dilated, and eventually fill with fluid. Although the exact causes of breast cysts are still largely unknown, some scientific evidence suggests that an excess of estrogen may be responsible for their development.

By making a few simple lifestyle changes you may be able to reduce the occurrence of breast cysts. Wearing a supportive bra that helps to take the pressure off the breast tissue can help to relieve pain and dietary modifications like reducing salt intake and avoiding caffeine may bring about relief from symptoms of breast cysts for some women.

Breast changes are common. From the time a girl begins to develop breasts and begins menstruating and throughout life, women may experience various kinds of breast pain and other breast changes. Some of these changes normally occur during the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, and with aging. Breast lumps, tenderness, and other changes may occur. Most breast lumps and other changes are not cancer. 

Your breast is composed of several glands and ducts that lead to the nipple and the surrounding colored area called the areola. The milk-carrying ducts extend from the nipple into the underlying breast tissue like the spokes of a wheel. Under the areola are lactiferous ducts. These fill with milk during lactation after a woman has a baby. When a girl reaches puberty, changing levels of hormones cause the ducts to grow and cause fat deposits in the breast tissue to increase. The glands that produce milk (mammary glands) that are connected to the surface of the breast by the lactiferous ducts may extend to the armpit area (axilla).

Breast Cyst Pain Treatment

If you have a lump in your breast, your doctor will check for the following:

- Fibrocystic changes: Fibrocystic changes, previously called Fibrocystic Disease, are the most common benign or harmless (does not threaten health or life) condition of the breast. Changes can occur in one or both breasts, most commonly in the upper and outer sections. You may feel a thickening of the fibrous tissue that supports your glands. Common lumps, called fibroadenomas, occur during the reproductive years. They feel rubbery and movable. They often occur with fibrocystic changes. 

- Cysts: Breast cysts are fluid-filled lumps. They can be tender, especially before your period.

- Breast cancer: Some lumps may be cancer. Breast cancer is usually associated with the risk factors of age, genetics, or hormones. About 75% of breast cancers occur in women older than 50 years, 23% occur in women ages 30 to 50 years, and 2% occur in women under 30 years of age.

- Genetics is believed to play a role if your mother or sister (referred to as first-degree relatives) were diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause. You have a two to three times higher risk than the general population of developing breast cancer.

- Hormonal factors may play a role. If you have had the following conditions, you may have an increased incidence of breast cancer (possibly because of longer exposure to a hormone called estrogen). 

# Had your first period at an early age

# Had menopause at a later age

# Have never had a child or your first pregnancy was after age 30

# Cancer may also be explained by one of many theories including exposure to viruses, chemicals, radiation, dietary factors, and genes (for example, BRCA-1). No single theory explains all types of breast cancer.

All women should perform self breast examinations on a regular basis and know that normal, healthy breast tissue does feel lumpy, but any changes in lump size or the presence of new lumps should be reported to your health care professional as soon as possible for an evaluation. A clinical breast examination will be done as well as an assessment of your personal and family medical histories to determine if further testing is needed. An ultrasound may be in order to ensure the lump is just a fluid-filled sac, or aspiration, which involves removing the cyst's fluid with a fine needle. If fluid is present without blood, no further treatment is necessary except for a follow-up exam in a month or so to determine if the cyst has returned and surgery is almost never needed for treating breast cyst pain.