Most women experience varying degrees of breast soreness at some point during their lives. The quality of the pain may be sharp or dull, throbbing or aching, and it may affect only one breast or both. Often linked to hormonal fluctuations, breast pain may be mild and diminish within a day or two, or it may be so great that it interferes with daily activities for several days. For most women, episodes of breast soreness subside with age.
Hormonal Influences
Breast tenderness is common during a woman's period and is caused by increased levels of a hormone called estrogen. Estrogen causes the breast's milk ducts and glands to swell during the second half of the menstrual cycle. The fluid is reabsorbed into the breasts if conception does not occur and the period begins. Some researchers have speculated that a fatty acid imbalance in the body may also make breast tissue more sensitive to circulating hormones. Hormonal breast soreness is normal but is usually not very severe, and it should not last longer than a week and should not keep you from performing everday tasks.
Fibrocystic Changes
Sharp or aching breast pain may be a symptom of fibrocystic changes in women of childbearing age. Although these changes can cause noticeable cysts (small fluid-filled sacs) or lumps of thickened tissue, the condition is benign and should not be confused with breast cancer. If you have fibrocystic changes, you may notice that your breasts become more tender just before your period, and one breast may hurt more than another.
Medication Use
If you use birth control pills or receive treatment for infertility, you may notice a greater tendency for sore breasts. Women may continue to experience breast pain after menopause if they take estrogen and progesterone hormone replacement therapy.
The Mayo Clinic reports that some women have noticed breast pain when taking certain antidepressants. In particular, breast pain seems to be associated with use of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class of antidepressants, which include fluoxetine (marketed under the name Prozac) and sertraline (marketed as Zoloft).
Breast Cancer
According to Dixie Mills, MD, medical director of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, breast pain is very rarely associated with breast cancer. Nevertheless, if you experience any pain or tenderness that is abnormal for you, you should consult your physician or gynecologist without delay. Other breast changes that are cause for concern include the presence of lumps in the breast or underarm area, a change in breast size or shape, dimpling of the skin of your breast, and discharge from the nipple.
Other Causes
Breast pain can also arise from other causes. A poorly fitting or unsupportive bra is often a culprit, as is stress. Caffeine has also been linked to breast pain, so you should monitor your consumption of coffee, tea, cola beverages, chocolate and energy drinks---particularly on days of your menstrual cycle when you are already prone to discomfort. You should also be aware that sometimes what is perceived to be breast pain is actually muscular soreness. Any exercise that strains the chest or pectoral muscles can cause soreness that seems to radiate to the breasts.
