Chest Pain And Menstrual Cycle

Mastalgia is defined as chest pain. Unfortunately, many women experience it during premenstrual syndrome. Menstruation is affected by many different factors. There is actually a relationship between chest pain and the menstrual cycle.

It is common in young women and disappears when one reaches menopause. About 70% of all women have experienced it at some point in their lives. Learn more about this common symptom during menstruation.

What is the relationship between chest pain and the menstrual cycle?

The menstrual cycle is nothing more than a process that is performed by a myriad of hormones that determine how and when the cycle should take place. In that sense, mastalgia is one of the most common symptoms in the various stages of the menstrual cycle.

It usually ejaculates during the second half of the cycle (after ovulation, which is known as the luteal phase) and disappears at the beginning of the menstrual period. During the menstrual cycle, hormonal changes such as the following occur:

• During ovulation, estrogen levels rise. This causes a fluid in the mammary glands.
• Progesterone reaches its highest level a few days later (day 21). This causes an enlargement of the milk ducts, which helps the cells prepared for milk production.

In order to better understand it, the hormonal changes that occur during this phase cause inflammation, swelling and enlarged breasts, which is painful in many cases. In addition, if the woman becomes pregnant (which keeps the level of progesterone up), they will remain swollen.

Biologically,  the breasts have a large number of receptors for these substances, making them hormone-dependent glands. To a large extent, the breasts respond more to hormones than the rest of the body.

Causes

Chest pain is  most related to premenstrual syndrome (the week before menstruation) or benign changes in the breasts  (for example, benign lumps in the breasts). Although these are the most common causes, there are some risk factors such as:

• To follow a diet rich in fat.
• To consume too much caffeine and chocolate.
• Family history of chest pain during the menstrual cycle.
• Certain drugs (hormones, antidepressants and so on).
• Large breasts (it increases weight and may be accompanied by back or neck pain).

Chest pain does not have to be a sign of breast cancer. Only 10% of cases of malignant tumors in the breasts cause mild pain.

Symptoms

There is a difference between chest pain related to the menstrual cycle and those that do not occur due to cyclical processes.

Chest pain and the menstrual cycle (cyclical)

Symptoms in the breasts  caused by the menstrual cycle are the most common cause of chest pain and are known as premenstrual syndrome. As we have already mentioned in this article, they are caused by hormonal changes, which are characterized by the following:

• They affect young women.
• As a general rule, they do not occur during or after menopause.
• Homogeneous and bilateral spread (in other words, both breasts hurt and the pain extends to the mammary glands).
• Swelling and irritation.
• Accumulation of fluid in the breasts.
• Slight increase in breast size.
• Tension (firm breasts).
• Persistent pain (which can range from mild to severe) only during one stage of the cycle.
• You can feel small lumps in the chest.
• The symptoms become more intense two weeks before menstruation.

• As the last, the pain disappears when menstruation begins.

Non-cyclic chest pain

Unlike cyclical pain, other causes can also lead to symptoms in the breasts. One of them is usually trauma or benign diseases such as those we mentioned above. The typical symptoms of non-cyclic chest pain (not common) include the following:

• Persistent or sporadic pain  fixed in a place that can be described as burning, stinging or throbbing.
• Inflammation a specific place in the chest.
• Symptoms do not change over time or through the menstrual cycle.

• It occurs to a greater extent after menopause.
• It is usually unilateral (only one breast hurts).

When to go to a doctor?

In general, all non-cyclic causes should be investigated. We therefore recommend that you go to a doctor or gynecologist if you suffer from any of them. In addition, you will need to pay more attention if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Changes in the shape, color and appearance of the skin on the chest.
• Secretions or fluid from the breasts.
• Hormonal changes.
• New or unusual lumps in the breasts or lumps that change.
• To be over 40 and not have had a mammogram.
• Pain that does not go away and increases in intensity.
• Signs of infection (heat, redness, pus and so on).
• Pain, which affects the daily activities.

In short, chest pain is typically associated with the menstrual cycle and the hormonal changes that occur during it. In rare cases, however, it is a warning sign of a serious problem. One should always pay attention, especially if the pain is prolonged and intense.