Absolutely every woman at least once in her life has felt pain in the mammary glands and noticed their enlargement. And every woman has repeatedly wondered why her mammary glands become engorged and sore. Such changes should alert you and make you take a closer look at your health, because the cause of discomfort can be not only natural factors, but also pathological diseases.

If your breasts have enlarged, the reasons may be the following:

• menstrual cycle;
• physical exercise;
• weight gain;
• incorrectly selected underwear;
• side effect of medicines.

Menstrual cycle

The condition of the mammary glands is closely dependent on the menstrual cycle. Around the middle of the cycle, ovulation occurs and the body produces the hormone estrogen. The mammary canals enlarge and, as a result, the entire mammary gland enlarges.

Just before menstruation, the body produces the hormone progesterone, which causes the breasts to fill with cellular fluid. Most often, breast swelling during this period is accompanied by increased sensitivity. At this time, some women notice that their mammary glands are very swollen and hurt. Such hormonal changes occur as the body prepares for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, the hormonal balance is restored and pain disappears.

If the mammary glands hurt after 45 years, this may indicate menopause. During this period, the female body is subject to hormonal changes that cause discomfort in the mammary glands.

Physical exercise

When the pectoral muscles are stressed, the shape and density of the breasts may change and become firmer. Many women try to achieve an increase in bust volume thanks to physical exercise, but not everyone knows that it is impossible to pump up the mammary gland itself.

Thanks to exercise, you can only build muscle mass and tone your breasts. But if the load is excessive, the muscles can become stretched or injured, which will lead to pain.

Weight gain

If a woman notices that her breasts have increased in parallel with a general weight gain, this is not a cause for concern (of course, if this is not accompanied by unpleasant symptoms, pain, and if both breasts have increased equally). There is adipose tissue in the mammary gland; according to statistics, when you gain weight by 7-10 kg, your breasts increase by 1 size.

Incorrectly selected underwear

A tight bra impairs the drainage of lymph in the chest area. The mammary glands swell, the woman feels discomfort. Not only tight underwear can cause breasts to become enlarged and painful. A bra that is the wrong shape, the wrong size, or has hard underwire can interfere with blood circulation. If you take a more responsible approach to choosing underwear, the condition of the mammary glands will return to normal.

Side effect from medications

Some medications can cause fluid retention in the body. As a result, the breasts become enlarged. To normalize the amount of fluid, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe analogues of such drugs.

Also, hormonal contraceptives change a woman’s hormonal background, and against this background, discomfort and changes in the mammary glands may appear.

Pathologies

The female breast is a very vulnerable place for tumors of various natures. If you discover that the mammary gland is enlarged and hurts for no apparent reason, you should immediately seek advice from a mammologist. The most common diseases of the female breast are mastopathy and oncology.

Mastopathy

Mastopathy refers to benign formations. This is the growth of breast tissue against the background of hormonal imbalance. Breast pain occurs regardless of the day of the cycle and is accompanied by small lumps in the upper part of the mammary glands. All this happens against the background of general weakness of the body.

Very often, women do not pay attention to such symptoms, thereby allowing the disease to progress. Mastopathy in advanced form leads to breast cancer.

Mastopathy on early stage called diffuse, identifying it at this stage is easily treatable.

In a more complex stage, mastopathy becomes a nodular form. During this period, enlargement of the mammary gland in women occurs due to the appearance of many lobular and granular nodules in it. The pain becomes more intense and affects not only the chest, but also the armpit and scapula area. Such symptoms require immediate treatment.

Oncology

The most dangerous diagnosis that brings fear to women of any age is breast cancer. Previously, it was believed that the danger lies exclusively in women aged about 50 years, but, unfortunately, modern statistics are not encouraging. Now no one is safe from this terrible disease. Women of childbearing age are required to undergo a medical examination twice a year in order to avoid the disease. But older women need to be doubly attentive to their bodies.

An excellent prevention of breast diseases is self-palpation. This is palpation of the mammary glands in a lying position. It is advisable for a woman to perform this procedure regularly, on the same day of the month. Any swelling, hardening, discoloration, or discharge from the nipples should alert you and become an urgent reason to visit a doctor.

But don’t be alarmed; quite often, breast tumors turn out to be benign and can be treated.

Diagnosis and treatment

Whatever the cause, breast enlargement and pain should not be ignored. In the doctor’s office, the breasts are examined and palpated; to complete the picture, the specialist interviews women about their general health, history of female diseases, childbirth, abortions, etc. An integral part of a full breast examination is ultrasound.

If there is a suspicion of pathologies in the breast, the patient is prescribed a mammogram. This study allows you to see the condition of the mammary glands from the inside and make a diagnosis with an accuracy of 98%.

When the reasons why the breasts are enlarged and painful are determined, the specialist determines the course of treatment.

1. When premenstrual syndrome, diuretics are prescribed to help remove excess fluid from the body.
2. For intense chest pain, an ointment containing progesterone is sometimes prescribed for rubbing. Such drugs are safe and have almost no side effects.
3. For the treatment of the initial form of mastopathy are prescribed hormonal drugs.
4. And removal of tumors, cysts and nodules may require the help of a surgeon.

Video

From this video you will learn what can cause breast pain and enlargement.

Swelling of the mammary glands, which ladies often characterize as “full breasts,” is a fairly common phenomenon. And often it can characterize anything - from pregnancy to cancer. Experts recommend that women whose breasts become engorged regularly or remain so all the time, consult a doctor. Especially if the increase in its size is accompanied by pain.

Swelling of the breasts and mammary glands

Photo by Shutterstock

An increase in breast size is a phenomenon that women usually do not particularly worry about. Most often they associate this with the days of the menstrual cycle (ovulation has passed - the breasts have enlarged, the phase has changed - they have fallen). However, it is necessary to monitor very carefully exactly how this breast enlargement occurs. If it's not too much, there's nothing to worry about. But if the dimensions have changed significantly - by 2 or even 3, this is a reason to visit a specialist.

Reasons why breasts may become enlarged

There are quite a few reasons why breasts can become quite engorged. These are: - hormonal disruptions in the body; - adding extra pounds; - pregnancy; - dangerous carcinogens; - sports; - oncology.

If some of the reasons are quite simple and banal, and also do not cause any particular harm to health (such as breast enlargement due to working out its muscles), then in other situations such fullness can serve as a signal of a rather serious disease.

It is quite possible to try to distinguish one reason from another on your own. For example, hormonal breast enlargement is usually attributed to regular fluctuations in the cycle. Breast enlargement during ovulation depends on them. It should be remembered that at this moment the breast increases unprincipled - by half a size or by one. Mild pain or tension in this case may well be noted. But at the same time, the breasts should be uniform, without any signs of compaction. When your period ends, the swelling of the mammary glands will subside and they will return to their normal size.

If you can't associate your increase in breast size with ovulation, try an ovulation test. But then still see a doctor

Very often, ladies diagnose themselves as pregnant based on their plump breasts. This can only be suspected if there are prerequisites - unprotected sexual intercourse (and perhaps more than one), lack of menstruation, frequent urge to go to the toilet, a constant and painful feeling of hunger, etc. Hormones are also the cause of breast swelling during pregnancy. After all, a pregnant woman’s body is being rebuilt for pregnancy, childbirth and lactation. In this case, it is necessary to take a pregnancy test. In any case, see a doctor.

Being fat and adding extra pounds can also make your breasts appear fuller. This is due to the fact that it mostly consists of adipose tissue, which is noticeably replenished when a woman’s weight changes. Again, the chest in this case should be filled evenly. After losing weight (if this happens to a lady), the breasts will also fall off.

If a woman develops cancer, an increase in breast size will be accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms. For example, the breast will be swollen, and lumps in the form of nodules may be felt in it. The outline and shape of the breast also changes. In addition, peeling of the skin, skin retraction, and the presence of red dimples may appear. Of course, in this case, chest pain will begin.

If you find yourself with at least one of these symptoms, contact your mammologist immediately. Remember that breast cancer is easier to treat in its early stages.

Do not panic. Having these symptoms does not mean you have cancer. But you need to contact a specialist urgently

What to do with swollen breasts

If the problem of breast enlargement occurs to you regularly depending on your cycle, there is nothing you can do about it. You just need to prepare and purchase underwear designed for enlarged breast sizes. And this must be done, because... squeezing the chest does not lead to anything good.

If you suspect that you may be pregnant, you should not knead your breasts, trying to feel certain defects. It is better to immediately contact a gynecologist or do an ultrasound to accurately understand whether you are pregnant or not.

It is worth having your breasts examined regularly. To do this, just raise your hand up and place it behind your head, and with the other carefully probe the gland to identify any nodules, etc. If you find something that confuses you, make an appointment with your doctor to rule out cancer.

Photo by Shutterstock

No medications are prescribed for this symptom. The only thing is that they can begin to treat the cause. But for the most part, the health reasons are not dangerous, so the woman will be advised to learn to ignore such regular increases.

Very often, representatives of the fair sex face a problem when their breasts become engorged and cause discomfort. The reasons for this phenomenon can be very diverse. Read more about this in our article.

Possible reasons

If you notice that your breasts are full, which has never happened before, you should consult a doctor. However, many women face this problem regularly, and therefore often do not sound the alarm. Firstly, this phenomenon usually occurs before menstruation. Hormonal changes during this period cause the mammary gland to become very sensitive. It's all due to estrogens. They are released in much larger quantities and cause

Secondly, the next reason is possible pregnancy. Sometimes it's not entirely planned. Therefore, when their breasts become full, women do not panic and calmly wait for the onset of their periods. However, from the first days of the delay, be on your guard. It’s better to do a test and find out what the real cause of this pain is. If this is due to pregnancy, then there is no need to worry. The body adjusts to a new mood, prepares the chest expectant mother to feeding. The most dangerous thing is when it hurts not entirely, but in places. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor. With the onset of adolescence, girls may also experience chest pain. This is also related to Now it’s worth talking about these and other reasons in more detail.

Pregnancy

One of its first signs is complaints from girls that their breasts are full. The pain is constant. Don’t be afraid, because now the body faces a difficult task: to bear within itself new life. Therefore, it changes intensively from a hormonal point of view. And, as you know, breasts are given to the fair sex not for aesthetics, but for feeding babies. At this stage, she is preparing for her intended purpose. But the pain is usually uniform. There should be no compactions or lumps present.

This discomfort usually goes away after the first trimester of pregnancy. It resumes before childbirth and immediately after the birth of a child. Don’t be afraid that your breasts are full during the first days after birth: it’s milk coming in. Over time, the discomfort will pass. And feeding will bring pleasure to both mother and baby.

Another unpleasant moment associated with this period is the appearance of They represent injured skin tissue. She has to increase in size due to the growth of, for example, breasts. In this case, you may also feel discomfort. It is recommended to use special moisturizers to avoid this problem.

Critical days

Quite often, many women experience engorged breasts before menstruation. Since from the very middle of the cycle the body prepares for a future possible pregnancy. But with the onset of menstruation, the hormonal levels decrease and return to their previous state. Then the pain goes away, sensitivity decreases. If this does not happen, you need to consult a specialist. He will do all the necessary procedures to determine the cause of the pain.

In addition, some girls complain that their breasts become fuller during ovulation. At this time, the lower abdomen may also pull. All these changes are associated with the maturation of the egg, which is ready for fertilization. If you have a similar situation, then you can use a special test. He will tell you if they are related to ovulation.

Should I sound the alarm?

All of the above are not dangerous. This is the body's natural reaction to various changes. But when the pain is excruciating, localized only in one breast or in a certain place, then you should immediately go to the doctor. A woman herself can diagnose the first signs of any disease. To do this, you need to undress to the waist, raise one hand, and with the other, walk across your chest from bottom to top, fingering it. If compactions are felt or the gland has become heterogeneous in structure, this may indicate a disease.

Lumps like to be localized on the sides, closer to the armpit, and also under the breast itself. If you notice such symptoms, run to the doctor. Postponing this matter for a long time until “tomorrow” can lead to disastrous consequences. If, along with pain, you feel a deterioration in your health, your body temperature has risen, and weakness appears, this requires immediate hospitalization and a thorough examination.

Other reasons

If none of the above applies to your circumstances, there may be other reasons for the discomfort:

• You are wearing a bra that doesn't fit correctly. Simply put, the bra compresses the breasts too tightly. In this case, choose one that will be convenient.
• You have suddenly gained weight. Breasts are composed mostly of soft fatty tissue. When you gain weight, there may be a feeling of tide, heaviness.
• You drink large amounts of liquid. You also overuse salty foods that hold it back.
• You hit where it hurts. And there are no seals.
• You lead a sedentary and unsportsmanlike lifestyle.

What to do if your breasts are engorged and hurt?

The first thing you should do is pay attention to the nature of the pain. It can be permanent, short-term, localized only in certain places. After this, examine yourself for any lumps or lumps. If they appear, consult a doctor. If your breasts become engorged a week before your period, remember - this is quite normal. This is how the body reacts to hormonal changes.

When breastfeeding, some women may encounter a problem such as lactostasis. With this phenomenon, stagnation occurs in the milk ducts. In this case, the formation of lumps is inevitable. Doctors recommend letting your baby suck on problem breasts. If lactostasis could not be avoided and it turns into mastitis, then it is incredibly difficult to cure it on your own. You should consult a doctor about this problem.

Conclusion

Having information about why your breasts become engorged will save you from a lot of trouble. The main thing is to remember that identifying the problem in a timely manner will help you be alert in time. Women need to be examined by a mammologist at least once a year, even if nothing worries them at all. Especially during the period before childbirth and during menopause. It is at this moment that the most complex hormonal surge occurs. Be healthy!

Swelling of the mammary glands may indicate the development of a serious illness, which, in turn, can be triggered by poor diet, frequent stress, or taking medications. Also, often with these symptoms, the lower back also bothers you. It is very important to seek medical help at the first warning signs. Only an experienced specialist will be able to determine the true reason why the breasts are swollen. Only after the studies and tests have been carried out can the doctor make a diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment, which in turn will help prevent the destruction of the soft tissue of the mammary gland.

What causes breast swelling

Swelling during pregnancy

Everyday problems

Other causes of breast pain and swelling

Possible diseases

Breast enlargement and the presence of severe pain may be the first precursors to the development of mastopathy or a neoplasm of a negative nature in the breast.

Each of the diseases is dangerous in its own way and can be accompanied by the following symptoms: lower back pain often, body temperature rises to 37 degrees or higher, weakness of the body, and fatigue.

For appointment drug treatment it is necessary to conduct special research and a test of a certain direction. Only based on the results obtained, doctors can draw conclusions about what medications need to be taken so that the chest stops hurting, and how long the treatment will last.

How to make an accurate diagnosis

To correctly understand why your breasts swell, you need to undergo the following examinations:

1. Mammography.
2. Breast MRI.
3. Ultrasound diagnostics of internal organs.
4. MRI of the back (in cases where lower back pain occurs).
5. Biochemical blood test.
6. Test to determine the level of hormones in the thyroid gland.

Of course, it is impossible to know for sure on what day this situation may occur, but it can be prevented. To do this, you need to pay a lot of attention to your health, proper nutrition and daily routine. It is also important to wear the right underwear and take medications strictly as prescribed by your doctor!