Before your upcoming menstrual cycle, it’s quite normal to experience breast pain–that often manifests as swelling, tenderness, or even aching. These physical symptoms can happen when your hormone fluctuates, to prepare your body for your monthly cycle. But when it gets painful and the physical symptoms start affecting your daily life, should you be worried?
Thankfully, there are various remedies available to soothe breast pain before a period. The remedies from this guide–along with other tips–can help you be more comfortable before each of your cycles.
What Causes Sore Breasts Before a Period?
You can experience sore breasts, also known as cyclical mastalgia, before every period because of the hormonal changes that occur during your cycle.
Once your estrogen levels start to rise, your breast duct also enlarge–resulting in swollen milk glands. The progesterone levels will start to peak as well, so you’ll start to feel some swelling and tenderness in the area.
These bodily changes commonly appear within the couple of weeks before menstruation. However, there are other factors that can also contribute to period breast pain, like:
- Increased fluid retention
- Increased prolactin levels
- Fibrocystic breast changes
Pre-period breast pain is typically harmless, but once you experience severe pain that’s persistent, it’s better to consult your healthcare provider to check and rule out other conditions.
What Are the Symptoms of Premenstrual Breast Pain?
Premenstrual breast pain can come with several symptoms, such as:
Breast Tenderness and Heaviness
Most people can experience an aching sensation on both breasts, and can also feel a sense of heaviness than normal.
Swelling and Feeling Lumpy
You can also feel some swelling and even find a bumpy texture at some parts of your breast. You can find these lumps usually on the outer areas.
Pain
The pain you can feel can vary from mild to severe. Most of the time, it gets worse before your period, but it can start to ease up after your period starts.
Localized Discomfort
Aside from breast pain, some people can also experience a sharp or even a burning pain–sometimes radiating to the underarms.
Tips to Prevent or Ease Breast Pain Before Period
To soothe any breast pain that occurs before your period, you can consider doing these following tips:
- Try to limit consuming any caffeinated or alcoholic drinks when your period is approaching–to help decrease the discomfort you’re feeling.
- Cut back on any fatty foods. It’s best to eat a low-fat and high-fiber diet like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Aside from eating the right foods, you can also incorporate Vitamin E and Magnesium supplements to help relieve the symptoms you’re experiencing.
- Invest in a well-fitted supportive bra to provide you comfort and reduce the pain. Moreover, it’s best to wear one when doing intense physical activities.
- Regularly doing physical exercises in moderation can also help in managing premenstrual symptoms.
- If you’re resting at home, you can apply a warm or cold compress in your breasts to soothe the pain.
- Pain and discomfort during your period can also cause you stress. To manage this issue, you can do some relaxation techniques–like yoga, mediation, and deep breathing exercises–to likewise manage your symptoms.
- Writing in a journal can also help you track your changes, improvements, and the remedies that work for you.
The Best Treatments for Period-Related Breast Pain
There are treatments available over-the-counter or through prescription to help manage your period-related breast pain.
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Once taken, these over-the-counter medications can make you feel better by reducing the pain and swelling that you’re feeling.
If the pain you’re experiencing starts to become more intolerable, you can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to lessen the sensation–when needed.
- Hormonal Treatments
For pain management, you can also go for hormonal treatments, as prescribed by your healthcare provider. These treatments can usually include:
- Birth control pills
- Progestin injections
- Hormone blockers
These medications can help manage the fluctuating hormones that occur before a period. As a result, there will be less painful symptoms and swelling when expecting your next cycle.
- Danazol
NoDanazol is a synthetic androgen, usually given to people with severe cases. However, this medication is used with caution because of the noted side effects.
- Diuretics
Diuretics, also known as water pills, can help the breast swelling and tenderness related to periods. It increases the urine output to help remove the fluid retention in the body–to lessen the swelling.
However, diuretics are used with caution because of side effects like electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Therefore, it’s best to seek the advice of a medical professional before using diuretics to manage period swelling and tenderness.
Steps to Give Yourself a Self-Massage to Ease Breast Pain
Giving your breast a massage can do wonders, and can bring you comfort by reducing the swelling and tenderness. To do this, you can follow these steps to give yourself instant relief.
- You can start by finding a quiet environment and a comfortable spot. Get a warm oil ideal for massaging, like sesame or sunflower oil.
- Massage one breast at a time using a circular motion, starting from the nipple going outward. Keep in mind to always apply a light pressure to avoid further breast soreness.
- You can also massage the armpit area and outer edge of your breast. Use an upward motion going to the shoulder to support the lymphatic drainage–reducing the swelling.
- Don’t forget to massage your collarbone and neck on both sides to help relieve the tension.
- Finish your session with gentle, slow clockwise circles at the center of your breastbone.
- After doing all the steps, you can start to relax and get a warm shower afterward.
When Is the Best Time to See a Doctor or Specialist?
Experiencing breast pain before periods can vary from one person to another. While most breast pain isn't serious, it’s important to be aware of the specific situations that may require a visit to your healthcare provider.
Here are some indications that you should see a specialist:
A Persistent Pain that Lasts for More Than Two Weeks
If you’re experiencing pain that starts to interfere in your daily life, particularly that continues for more than two weeks–it’s best to see your doctor.
Pain that doesn’t improve even after several days after your menstrual cycle can indicate an underlying issue or a more serious problem.
Experiencing Pain that’s Localized or Worsens Over Time
You can also experience a throbbing pain in one area that gets worse as days go by. It can come from another condition–such as infection, cyst, or in rare cases, a tumor. Never ignore it once you experience a pain that’s localized.
Feeling a Presence of a Lump
While doing self-massages on your breast and you start feeling a lump, you better observe it. Lumps should go away after your period, but if the lump stays, feels hard, and immobile, it’s best to get it checked immediately.
Most breast lumps are benign, like some cysts or fibroadenomas, but some can be early symptoms of breast cancer.
Nipple Discharge
Always check your breasts for nipple discharge, especially if it’s clear or bloody. If your discharge comes out even without squeezing, it’s best to contact your healthcare provider to get it checked.
Nipple discharges are often signs of infection, hormonal imbalance–or in serious cases–breast cancer.
Change in Breast Appearance
You should seek medical attention immediately if you notice any changes on your breast’s appearance. Watch out for symptoms like:
- Dimpling of the skin
- Redness
- Swelling
- Thickened skin (you can compare it to an orange peel)
- Changes in size
- Changes in shape
Signs of Infection
Aside from the physical symptoms that were mentioned, experiencing fevers can also indicate that your body is fighting an infection. Especially if you’re breastfeeding, watch out for breast conditions–like mastitis–that may require antibiotics or pus drainage.
Family History and RIsk Factors
If you have a family history of breast cancer or over 40 years old, you should consider having regular check ups for early detection–to maintain your good health.
Final Thoughts - Period-Related Breast Pain is Manageable and Treatable
Feeling pain before a period is a normal thing, and it’s a common event that every person can experience. However, it’s important that we should always be aware of our bodies by monitoring the symptoms–to prevent any more problems in the future.
By being mindful of the symptoms, considering treatment and medical management, lifestyle changes, and massage techniques, you can guarantee your comfort every time your period is approaching.
It’s advised to make time to get your check ups regularly–to maintain your overall health and well-being.
FAQs
Is It Normal to Experience Breast Pain Before My Period?
Yes, experiencing breast pain every period can be a normal experience for most people. While most cases are not a cause of concern, it’s best to monitor pain severity and duration.
Can You Feel Any Physical Pain From Breast Cancer?
It’s possible to feel pain from breast cancer, even though it’s not a common initial symptom for most patients.
Are There Any Risks When Doing Self-Massages for Breasts?
Self-massages meant for breasts are generally considered safe and can be beneficial for most people. You should also do it correctly to prevent the pain from getting worse.
