Breast pain before period

When a female gets her first menstruation called menarche, she starts to experience many discomforts before the period or during it, because certain changes are happening inside her body. One of those discomforts is the breast pain or tenderness, which is called mastalgia in medicine.

A woman experiences breast pain before her period when she touches them. She also may see that her breasts are swollen and even somewhat sore. All these symptoms are quite normal to appear before the menstruation, but only when they last for a while and when they are not severe. The breast pain and tenderness typically disappear when the menstruation ends.

Causes of breast pain before period

The hormonal fluctuations are the prime cause for the incidence of breast pain when menstruation is approaching. The two most important hormones in women are estrogen and progesterone, and due to the fact that they fluctuate during the menstruation, breast tenderness is likely to occur. Furthermore, the soreness of the breasts, as well as of the nipples, is also among the most typical signs of pre-menstrual syndrome. This occurs as a consequence of the excessive water retention in the breasts, which follows the ovulation. When there is excessive water in the breasts, it causes stretching of the skin and the breast tissues, making them very tender.

The breast pain may appear also due to estrogen dominance, which occurs in perimenopause in some women. Estrogen dominance is the condition when levels of this hormone are significantly increased, which causes such pain and soreness in the breast that a woman experiencing it has the problem to touch them even slightly. Breast tenderness may also be induced by excessive consumption of coffee and cola, since these beverages have the properties that widen the blood vessels in the breasts, thus causing the distension of the breast tissues.

Treatment for breast pain before period

The above mentioned causes are responsible for the occurrence of breast tenderness before periods in the majority of cases, but it is recommended to visit a doctor and examine the breasts regularly since breast pain can also be a sign of some more serious medical condition, like breast cancer. However, if the breast tenderness is related to the menstrual period, there are several things that can be done to alleviate it. Every day walk for about 30 minutes, but besides that, wearing a good quality bra, taking certain painkillers and applying cold or hot compresses are some of the things that may reduce the breast tenderness as well.