Breast tenderness occurs for pathological and non-pathological reasons. While most times the reason is obvious and self-limiting, a sudden change in breast tissue not related to normal hormonal changes always deserves investigation. Sudden tenderness and redness may indicate a serious infection or disease. Men as well as women can have breast tenderness.
Fibrocystic Breasts
Fibrocystic breasts often become more tender just before and in the first day or so of a menstrual period. Tenderness occurs as the breast tissue responds to hormonal changes and becomes lumpy. More than 60 percent of women experience hormonal changes around the time of a menstrual period that cause lumpy, tender breasts, MedlinePlus reports. Fibrocystic breasts occur more commonly in women between the ages of 30 and 50 and in those taking hormone replacement therapy. Birth control pills may improve symptoms. Eating certain foods doesn't cause or worsen fibrocystic tenderness, and having fibrocystic breasts doesn't increase the risk of developing breast cancer, MedlinePlus assures.
Gynecomastia
Men can develop breast tenderness from breast tissue enlargement called gynecomastia when their balance of estrogen to testosterone changes. This occurs when taking certain medications, in liver and kidney failure, at puberty and as men age, with around one quarter of men between the ages of 50 and 80 experiencing Gynecomastia, MayoClinic.com reports.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer, a rare cancer, causes the breast to enlarge, redden, itch and become tender very rapidly. Cancers cells blocking the lymph glands cause the characteristic appearance of inflammatory breast cancer, MayoClinic.com reports. The skin on the breast may dimple or take on an orange peel appearance, and lymph nodes around the collarbone bone may enlarge. Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and hormone therapy may be used to treat inflammatory breast cancer.
Mastitis
Mastitis, an infection of the milk ducts in the breast, occurs most frequently in nursing mothers but can occur in non lactating women rarely. Bacteria enter the nipple through tiny cracks and multiply in the milk ducts, causing a reddened, tender area on the breast. Fever and general ill feeling may also occur. Antibiotics treat the infection; warm compresses and analgesic medications help with the pain. Breastfeeding mothers can continue breastfeeding with mastitis, MayoClinic.com states.
Pregnancy
Breast changes from increased levels of estrogen and progesterone cause tenderness, swelling, tingling and itching in pregnancy. The increase in the size of milk glands and increased fat causes breast tenderness and enlargement that's often one of the first signs of pregnancy, according to the March of Dimes
