Sharp Pain in Breast

Things about Sharp Pain in Breast that You Should Know

Do you get soreness and sharp pain in breast ? Medical name is as Mastodynia, discomfort may be something that changes a simple bra can resolve. Mastodynia is one of many types of breast pain. It is somewhat of a catch all phrase, but describes a pain that can be dull or sharp and can come and go. Could not get much more stupid than that?

For many women mastodynia is a scary thing because it is always associated with an indication of the dreaded breast cancer. The good news is it usually is not. Breast cancer typically presents as a lump and the lump is rarely painful. If parsed from some cases mastodynia is often more a result of pain in joints surrounding the breasts or an underlying arthritic condition.

Noncyclical Breast Pain
A sharp, burning or stabbing pain in one breast that is constant or intermittent is probably not related to your menstrual cycle. Noncyclical breast pain occurs on one side. This type of breast pain may be inside, beneath, or near the breast. When it occurs, this sharp breast pain feels like it is in one specific area or trigger zone. When noncyclical pain shows up near the breast, it may feel like angina, but may really be in your chest wall muscles, rib cage, joints, or spine. This type of breast pain can show up regardless of your menopausal status.

Cyclic Breast Pain
This type of breast pain varies with your menstrual cycle. Cyclic breast pain increases and decreases in response to your monthly hormone swings. It is feels like a dull, heavy, ache in both breasts. Cyclic breast pain may even extend into your armpit areas. Premenopausal women are most likely to have cyclic breast pain.

Sharp Breast Pain Causes

 

Breasts are not protected by bones or major muscles so if a breast is injured, it may bruise and ache until it has healed. Breasts contain nerves, blood vessels and connective tissues as well as ducts and lobes for producing breast milk. If you've had any type of breast surgery augmentation, reduction, mastectomy or reconstruction he affected tissues will hurt after surgery and as scar tissue develops. Within your breast, cysts and fibroadenomas may grow and press on adjacent tissue, causing regional breast pain. Near your nipple or beneath it, an abscess may develop or milk ducts may become clogged and infected, resulting in mastitis or ductal ectasia. Large breasts may cause noncyclical pain that may affect your breasts as well as neck, shoulders, and back. When your stress levels are high, you may feel sharp pains in your breast, due to tensing nearby muscle groups. Breast cancer very rarely causes sharp breast pain, but it may do so in a few cases.

Sharp Breast Pain Treatment

If you really need sharp pain in breast treatment, your doctor may recommend that you:

- Use a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication. You apply the medication directly to the area where you feel pain.

- Eliminate an underlying cause or aggravating factor. This may involve a simple adjustment, such as wearing a bra with extra support.

- Adjust birth control pills. If you take birth control pills, skipping the pill-free week or switching birth control methods may help breast pain symptoms. But don't try this without your doctor's advice.

- Take a prescription medication. Danazol is the only prescription medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating breast pain and tenderness. However, danazol carries the risk of potentially severe side effects, such as acne, weight gain and voice changes, which limit its use. Tamoxifen, a prescription medication for breast cancer treatment and prevention, may be recommended for some women, but this drug also carries the potential for side effects that may be more bothersome than the breast pain itself. 

- Reduce the dose of menopausal hormone therapy. You might consider lowering the dose of menopausal hormone therapy or stopping it entirely.

There are few things you should do to prevent or reduce sharp pain in breast are as follows:

- Wear a firm support bra, fitted by a professional if possible.

- Use hot or cold compresses on your breasts.

- Wear a sports bra during exercise, especially when your breasts may be more sensitive.

- Experiment with relaxation therapy, which can help control the high levels of anxiety associated with severe breast pain.

- Limit or eliminate caffeine, a dietary change some women find helpful, although medical studies of caffeine's effect on breast pain and other premenstrual symptoms have been inconclusive.

- Keep a journal, noting when you experience breast pain and other symptoms, to determine if your pain is cyclic or noncyclic.

- Consider using an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others)  but ask your doctor how much to take, as long-term use may increase your risk of liver problems and other side effects.

- Follow a low-fat diet and eat more complex carbohydrates, a strategy that's helped some women with sharp pain in breast in observational studies.