Many women experience breast pain, which is known by the medical term mastalgia. According to the Mayo Clinic, it happens in seven out of 10 women. Breast pain affects a woman's everyday activities. Some women experience breast pain throughout their menstrual cycle. The Mayo Clinic says 10 percent of women experience breast pain that lasts more than five days each month.
Supportive Bras
A bra that firmly supports the entire breast can help in the prevention of breast pain, according to the Mayo Clinic. This type of bra not only supports the breasts but also the muscles around the breast, which can help prevent pain. An unsupported breast tends to pull downward. This type of undergarment particularly can help during exercise and sleep, as well as during normal activities. The stresses of exercise can induce breast pain if the woman does not use a particularly supportive garment called a sports bra. Many women do not wear bras to bed for sleep. Without support, the breasts will change position as the woman does, which can lead to pain in the breasts.
Cold and Warm Packs
The application of warm or cold packs to the breast will allow the sensation of pain to decrease and to bring back a sense of well-being to the woman. The type of temperature that should be used for the pain depends on how the temperature therapeutically affects the breast and the degree to which it decreases the pain. Trying either temperature will help determine what works best. Women may use ice packs or water bottles for cold therapy, or heating pads or water bottles to apply heat.
Relaxation Therapy
The simple act of relaxing can help relieve pain in the breasts because high stress levels can tighten the muscles and cause such pain, according to the Mayo Clinic. The organization states that when anxiety occurs in women, it can trigger severe breast pain. According to Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer, of the University of California, Los Angeles, speaking with ABC News, muscles can clench due to stress as part of the normal flight-or-fight responses in the woman's body. She states that breathing techniques and muscle relaxation can reduce stress that causes pain.
Pain Medication
Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help decrease breast pain with their analgesic effects, according to the Mayo Clinic. If the discomfort continues and becomes bothersome, the woman should report it to the doctor.
