Breast Pain

What is breast pain?

Also known as “mastalgia”, breast pain is very common, affecting most women at some stage of life. While it may cause varying degrees of discomfort, it is not typically a sign of breast cancer.
However, occasionally persistent pain is a sign of aggressive cancer and pain that lasts for more than a few days needs to be investigated.

There are two main types of mastalgia – cyclical and non-cyclical.
Cyclical breast pain is linked to the monthly menstrual cycle and fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone levels, causing breasts to become tender or painful just before a period.
Non-cyclical pain, accounting for around one third of breast pain, is not related to the menstrual cycle and can be caused by infection or non-cancerous breast lumps.
In some instances, women can have referred breast pain caused by illness such as shingles or pneumonia or it may be brought on by muscle strain or strenuous physical activity.
Smoking significantly exacerbates breast pain.

Heavy, full and aching breasts
Commonly begins in the second half of the cycle, peaking in the 3-7 days leading up to a period and settling when the period begins
Commonly affects women in their 20-30s
Usually involves the upper outer breast area into the underarm
Can worsen in perimenopause and into menopause

Some simple and effective measures offering relief include:

Smoking cessation
Wearing a well-fitting supportive bra (sports bra)
Wearing a soft support bra to bed
Taking painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
Low dose oral contraceptive pill can improve cyclical breast pain but for some women it can make it worse
Evening primrose oil has been reported to help some women
Excessive caffeine consumption has also been linked to breast pain and reducing intake may help.

This is not a substitute for medical advice. Please see your GP or breast surgeon if you have persistent breast pain symptoms.