Breast pain treatment Pune (Mastalgia)

Mastalgia is characterized by pain along with tenderness, throbbing, stabbing, burning, or tightening sensations in the breast tissues. It is most common in women but can occur in other genders as well. 

Everyone is born with some amount of breast tissue. While women naturally have more of it, men may also develop excess breast tissues due to gynecomastia. This condition can cause breast pain in men. It may also occur in transgender women undergoing hormone therapy.

In women, however, breast pain can occur due to various reasons and in various ways. 

Woman having breast pain
Treatment
These factors for breast pain are often categorized as :
Cyclic Breast Pain

Cyclic means something that occurs periodically in a pattern. Cyclic breast pain is similar and mostly related to menstruation and hormonal changes. It is a dull or heavy pain that occurs with swelling, fullness, or lumpiness around both breasts.

Such pain often occurs in the upper, outer portions of the breasts and can radiate towards the underarms. It tends to start at least 2 weeks before the period and worsens until after menstruation. And women experience these cycles until they reach menopause or they seek appropriate breast pain treatment in Pune.

Noncyclic Breast Pain

If the pain starts randomly with tightening, burning, stabbing, or aching sensations in one of the breasts, it is considered noncyclic breast pain. Such pain is constant and typically occurs in a specific part of a breast and has no relation to menstruation

It may indicate another underlying breast condition. The symptoms may radiate from the point of origin to other parts as the condition worsen. However, one should know that in most cases, the causes of breast pain are noncancerous.

Extramammary Breast Pain

‘Extramammary’ literally means ‘outside the breasts,’ meaning the pain that starts in adjacent areas but appears to occur in the breast parts. Pulling of chest muscles can cause such pain behind the breasts. Another cause can be costochondritis, which is the arthritis of the cartilages in the chest. 

Since the pain radiates into the breasts, it is difficult to tell the difference. Only a breast surgeon in Pune can help you differentiate these symptoms after a thorough diagnosis.

Extramammary Breast Pain

Other causes or factors that increase the chances of breast pain include:

  • Excessively heavy breasts that may also cause neck, shoulder, or back pain due to their weight
  • Breast cysts or lumps caused by hormonal changes 
  • An imbalance of fatty acids that increase the breast tissue sensitivity to specific hormones 
  • Some hormonal treatments, contraceptives, or infertility medications
  • Traumatic injury to the breasts
  • Recent breast surgery in the healing phase
When To See A Breast Surgeon?

You don’t have to seek any breast pain treatment in Pune if it is cyclic and occurs for a short period during your period. However, you must get yourself checked by a specialist breast surgeon if your breast pain:

  • Remains for a couple of weeks without any sign of reducing
  • Starts in a specific spot in one of your breast
  • Keeps getting worse every day 
  • Disturbs your sleep and prevents you from performing routine activities
Diagnosis For Breast Pain

If the pain is severe or the doctor suspects other causes, they may suggest a thorough diagnosis in the following ways:

● Physical examination:  the doctors will go through your medical history and check your breasts and the lymph nodes in your lower neck and underarm.

● Mammogram: If you have a thickening lump or a specific painful spot in your breasts, the doctor will take a diagnostic X-ray of that breast.

● Ultrasound: If the X-ray fails to detect any characteristic abnormalities in a breast part, an ultrasound will be used to produce a more detailed image of the breasts.

● Biopsy: if the doctor has suspicions regarding a lump or growth inside your breasts, they will perform a biopsy to extract some breast tissues and examine them.

Breast Pain Treatment Options

Breast pain treatment always focuses on eliminating the underlying causes or managing the symptoms while they occur. For cyclic and hormone-related pain, doctors typically suggest NSAID medications and lifestyle changes to ease the temporary discomfort. They may also prescribe vitamins and dietary supplements that may lessen breast pain symptoms. 

However, in rare cases, breast surgery may be required to treat severe conditions. Hence, it is crucial to consult a breast surgeon and learn more about your breast health in time. At Deccan clinic, our breast surgeon regularly meets patients seeking breast pain treatment in Pune and suggests that every woman should undergo breast assessments at least once a year.