When a woman reaches post-menopause, it's essentially the one-year anniversary of her last menstrual cycle. You won't necessarily know you've completed menopause and are now post-menopausal until 12 months have passed. It's basically a numbers game. Tracking your menstrual cycle can help determine when you've reached this point in life. Only after that 12th month has come and gone without vaginal bleeding will you know that you're officially post-menopausal.
Post-Menopause
Post-menopause marks the end of a woman's fertility, or no longer in her child-bearing years. The ovaries have stopped producing eggs as well as progesterone. And estrogen levels have evened out, but are significantly lower than before. Post-menopause also brings an end to many of the symptoms associated with both perimenopause and menopause. However, it's quite possible to experience some of the same discomforts one has during menopause during this stage, including breast tenderness.
Breast Tenderness
Often referred to as mastalgia, breast tenderness is either cyclical or non-cyclical in nature. With cyclical breast tenderness, the pain or discomfort is commonly linked to hormonal changes, as would be seen in monthly menstrual cycles. Non-cyclical mastalgia is usually a result of other factors, including trauma, cysts, fatty acids and breast size. According to the Mayo Clinic, both types of breast tenderness can affect you when you're post-menopausal, even though you're no longer going through hormonal changes.
Cause
Breast tenderness during post-menopause is typically linked to hormone therapy. When you supplement the body with estrogen and progesterone, it reacts in the same basic way it would if it were making these hormones on its own. Even after you stop taking the medication, you can still experience breast tenderness, according to the Mayo Clinic. For some women, they can suffer from mastalgia for upwards of two years after their final period.
Significance
Just because breast tenderness isn't uncommon in post-menopausal women, it doesn't mean you shouldn't consult with your doctor. It can be an indication of an injury or underlying condition, such as a heart problem or even cancer, though cancer rarely manifests only this one symptom.
Treatment
Once you've determined that the breast tenderness isn't a sign of something serious, there are things you can do to help relieve the pain. Simply changing the cut and style of your bra may help relieve pressure. The Mayo Clinic says you can ease this pain by changing the dosage of medications you are taking. Even a topical pain reliever may bring relief.
Member Comments