This leaflet is for women who have breast pain and will give you advice and information about your breast pain.
Why do my breast/breasts hurt?
It is normal for women to get some breast pain. It happens to 70% of women at some point in their life. Breast pain can affect both breasts but more often it only affects one breast. Like any other breast problem, pain can be worrying, but on its own it is not usually a sign of breast cancer.
How common is breast pain?
Breast pain is very common, and it affects women of all ages. Two out of three women will have breast pain at some time in their lives.
Types of breast pain
There are two types of breast pain: Pain related to the menstrual cycle (cyclical breast pain) or pain unrelated to your cycle (non-cyclical breast pain).
Cyclical breast pain
Cyclical breast pain is linked to changing hormone levels during the menstrual cycle and so affects women before the menopause. Women may have discomfort or lumpiness in their breast/ breasts up to a week before their period. Pain can be mild to severe, and the breasts can be sore to touch. The pain can affect either one or both breasts and can spread to the armpit, down the arm and to the shoulder blade. This type of pain usually stops when the ovaries are no longer active after the menopause. However, women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after the menopause can also experience breast pain. Cyclical breast pain can also be linked to taking the contraceptive pill, certain antidepressant drugs, stress and some herbal remedies.
What is non- cyclical breast pain?
Non-cyclical breast pain is breast pain that is not linked to the menstrual cycle. It may be related to non-cancerous (Benign) conditions, previous breast surgery or other medical conditions not related to the breast. The breast pain is often only in one breast and can last for weeks/months.
Chest wall pain
For the majority of patients, the pain can feel like it is coming from the breast, but it is actually coming from elsewhere e.g., the chest muscles. The pain can be intermittent (not all the time) or constant. The pain can be an ache, shooting pain, tenderness or burning sensation.
What can I do about breast pain?
Breast pain like any other breast symptom can cause a great deal of anxiety. Not knowing what causes the symptoms often makes the pain worse. Once you have been advised that there is no cause for concern, the symptoms often reduce.
Some lifestyle changes may help your pain. These include reducing your intake of caffeine, chocolate and red wine, increasing the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables you eat and taking regular exercise to help maintain a healthy weight.
Bra fitting
Wearing a correctly fitting bra at night as well as during the day may also help. Up to 70% of women wear a bra that does not fit correctly. Your local department store will be able to measure you correctly. Wearing a supportive sports bra may help. It may take 6 weeks or so to see a benefit. It is also advisable to wear a supportive sports bra if you exercise.
Cup Measurement
The cups should offer comfortable support allowing you to move freely. There should be no gaps between your breast and the cup, and your breast tissue shouldn’t spill over the cup.
Band measurement
The band around your body (under your breasts), should be flat and straight around your back. The band should be comfortable and not too tight or too loose. This should give you firm support without digging in or riding up your back.
Underwires
Underwired bras are a personal choice. It is important that the wires seams sit flat and comfortably against your rib cage and chest bone, not digging in and no gaping.
Contraceptive pill/Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
If your pain started when you began taking the contraceptive pill or HRT, you may be advised to change to a low-dose pill or a different type of pill or contraceptive.
Can breast pain be treated?
If all of the above measures do not help your pain, then it is possible to take medication, which may help. You may wish to consider taking over the counter painkillers at times when your breast pain is particularly bad. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen, can help this type of pain. These are particularly effective if applied directly to the area of your pain, in the form of cream/gel but can also be taken in tablet form. Your GP would be able to advise you on the dose and any reasons why you could not take these.
Your GP may be able to advice you on other medications that may help your symptoms. Some complementary/alternative therapies (non-medical drugs) may help with your symptoms, however there is little evidence to prove the effectiveness of these.
What this means for you
Breast pain can be very distressing, and many women are anxious that they may have breast cancer. In most cases breast pain will be the result of normal changes that occur in the breasts. While you may feel relief at being told that it is normal and you do not have breast cancer, the pain often persists. This can be very upsetting, especially if your specialist is unable to tell you the exact cause of your breast pain.
Women affected by breast pain may feel many different emotions, such as fear, frustration or helplessness, and these are all normal reactions. Understanding more about your breast pain will not cure it, but it may help you alter the way you cope and get back some control over your life.
Having breast pain does not increase your risk of breast cancer, but it is still important to be breast aware and go back to your GP if you notice any other changes.
Be breast aware
You should continue to check your breasts and be breast aware, even though they are sore.
How to check your breasts
There’s no special way to check your breasts and you do not need any training.
Checking your breasts is as easy as TLC:
- Touch your breasts: can you feel anything new or unusual?
- Look for changes: does anything look different to you?
- Check any new or unusual changes with a GP
Everyone will have their own way of touching and looking for changes.
Check your whole breast area, including up to your collarbone (upper chest) and armpits
Get used to checking regularly and be aware of anything that’s new or different for you.
Changes to look out for
- A new lump or swelling in breast, armpit
- A change to the skin such as puckering/dimpling
- A change in colour of the breast – redness
- A nipple change- inverted, unusual discharge, rash or crusting around the nipple
- Most breast changes, including breast lumps, are not cancer. But need checking by your GP