260424 What can I do to get rid of the pain?

All of the following is taken from a pamphlet published by Inland Imaging (www.inlandimaging.com/locations.[1]with the source cited as:[2]

If you have breast pain, you are not alone. Breast pain, also known as mastalgia, Is common and accounts for 45 to 70% of breast related health care visits. The good news is that most causes of breast pain are benign (non cancerous) and usually related to hormonal changes in your body or something as simple as a poor fitting bra.

• Wear a properly fitted bra without underwire.
• Wear a sports bra while exercising.
• Some changes in diet have been shown to reduce symptoms of breast pain, such as decreasing your intake of fatty foods and caffeine.
• Some over the counter herbal and prescription medications have been shown to help. Ask your doctor if any are right for you.
• Some women find that ice packs or heating packs help their pain. You can try these to see if one works for you.
• Stress reducing and relaxation techniques may also help alleviate symptoms of breast pain.

The bottom line?

Breast pain is common and usually not associated with anything bad. Cyclical breast pain comes and goes with your menstrual cycle and is related to hormonal changes in your body. Non-cyclical breast pain has a wide variety of causes and the cause is hard to determine but also usually related to benign processes in the breast. Talk to your doctor about your breast pain if you are worried, particularly, if you have a lump in the area of pain that does not go away after your period, redness, swelling, drainage from the area, (signs of infection), nipple discharge, or if your best pain is not clearly associated with your menstrual cycle, lasts more than two weeks, in just in one spot, keeps getting worse or is affecting your life and limiting what you can do.

Your doctor may order imaging tests to evaluate your breast pain. Although these are usually normal, they may help find a cause for the pain or identify something that needs to be biopsied. There are several treatments for breast pain, but there is not a single one that works for everyone. You should talk to your doctor about which may be right for you.

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[1] At inland imaging, our specialty trained radiologists, nurses, and technologists make sure that you get detailed answers quickly and accurately. Because when it comes to your health, better answers can lead to better outcomes.

Scheduling: (509) 455. 4455.

[2] The Society of Breast Imaging. SBR, September 27th 2019. Doctor Michelle Lee is an assistant professor of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis. Doctor Wendi Owen is an assistant professor of radiology at UK Healthcare.