Why is my chest hurting?

Generally speaking, chest pain is not a serious illness. It may be caused by premenstrual breast pain, breast pain during pregnancy, breast pain after childbirth, breast pain after sexual intercourse, breast pain after artificial abortion, etc. However, it may also be caused by gynecological diseases such as breast hyperplasia. In this case, you must pay more attention to rest, do not stay up late often, do not eat spicy and irritating foods, and do not get angry.

1. Premenstrual breast pain

About 2/3 of women experience breast pain or discomfort before menstruation. The entire breast becomes swollen, hard, and tender, and the original granular or nodular feeling becomes more obvious. This is a physiological phenomenon. For most women, the swelling and pain are not serious and can be tolerated; however, a few sensitive ones feel unbearable swelling and pain when their breasts are subjected to slight vibrations or collisions. They may even be afraid to walk or dress, and hold their breasts with their hands all day long. This is mainly caused by increased estrogen levels in the body 1 to 2 weeks before menstruation, breast hyperplasia, cell enlargement, and edema of the breast interstitial tissue. After menstruation, estrogen levels drop, the above changes disappear, the breasts become loose and soft, the swelling and pain suddenly disappear, and the next premenstrual symptoms reappear. Generally, there is no need to deal with this. Just keep a cheerful mood and relax mentally. In severe cases, you can pay attention to eating a light diet or take a small amount of diuretics, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, etc. before menstruation.

2. Breast pain during pregnancy

Breasts may feel swollen 40 days after menstruation stops. In severe cases, there may be breast and nipple pain, which may last throughout pregnancy. This is because the placenta and villi secrete large amounts of estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin, which cause breast hyperplasia and breast enlargement. It is also a preparation for breastfeeding and is a physiological phenomenon. As your breasts grow larger, you should promptly change to a wider bra and avoid binding your breasts. If the bloating stops suddenly, it often indicates that the fetus may have died, and you should go to the hospital for examination immediately.

3. Postpartum breast pain

Three days after delivery, the breasts become swollen, painful, and hardened, even extending to the accessory breast glands in the armpits, accompanied by low fever. This is mainly due to breast lymph retention, venous congestion and interstitial edema, and obstructed mammary ducts. Generally, the pain will subside after 7 days of delivery when the milk starts to flow smoothly. Methods to prevent and treat postpartum breast pain include:

① In late pregnancy, squeeze out a small amount of colostrum in the breast to prevent it from being retained in the duct and forming a thrombus, blocking the mammary duct;

②Breastfeed as soon as possible after delivery;

③ Apply warm compresses to the breasts before breastfeeding and do some gentle massage to promote smooth milk flow;

④ Apply cold compresses to breasts between breastfeeding sessions to reduce congestion;

⑤ When the infant's sucking power is insufficient, you can squeeze with both hands or use a breast pump to assist in the discharge of milk; ⑥ You can use 6 grams of Bupleurum, 12 grams of Angelica, 9 grams of Vaccaria, 9 grams of Rhizoma Cyperi, and 9 grams of Glehnia littoralis to make a decoction for oral administration, or you can take Jiyuan Shenbao Lutuo Paste, 10 grams orally at a time. It is very important to deal with milk stasis correctly, otherwise it may cause mastitis, so you must try your best to do it as mentioned above, especially breastfeeding to suck out the remaining milk.

4. Breast pain after sexual intercourse

An unharmonious sexual life can also cause breast tenderness or aggravate existing pain, which is related to the physiological changes in the breasts during sexual intercourse. When a woman enters the sexual excitement stage, her nipples become erect, the surface of the breasts become congested, and the entire breasts become fuller and larger; during the continuation stage, the areola becomes congested, the breasts swell more significantly, and their volume can increase by 1/4; during orgasm, the swelling reaches its peak; during the resolution stage, the breast veins become less full and their volume gradually shrinks, returning to their original state after 15 to 30 minutes. People with low sexual desire or disharmonious sex life cannot achieve sexual satisfaction, so the congestion and swelling of the breasts are not easy to subside, or they subside incompletely. Continuous congestion will cause breast swelling and pain. It is reported that the incidence of breast diseases including breast cancer is also increased among women who are dissatisfied with their sex life. Therefore, women should attach importance to a good sex life, and those who have no orgasm or are sexually indifferent should seek medical attention.

5. Breast pain after abortion

After an artificial abortion, some patients complain of breast pain and can feel a breast lump. If the symptoms appear a long time after the abortion, people tend to forget or ignore that the symptoms are related to the abortion. Artificial abortion is different from natural childbirth. The latter is a natural process of maturity, while artificial abortion is an extraordinary state caused by human interference. Generally, the breasts begin to swell, become fuller, and enlarge, and the mammary glands gradually develop 4 weeks after menopause. When pregnancy is suddenly interrupted and hormone levels drop sharply, the newly developed mammary glands will suddenly stop growing, the cells will become smaller, and the alveoli will disappear. This aggregation and recovery is often incomplete and uneven, just like newborn leaves are not easy to wither and fall off, thus causing breast lumps and breast pain. It is reported that the incidence of breast hyperplasia also rises sharply with the number of induced abortions. According to foreign reports, the more abortions you have, the greater your risk of breast cancer. Many data have confirmed that the impact of abortion on breasts is not only painful, but can also be long-lasting and potentially harmful. Therefore, abortions should be avoided as little as possible or avoided, and contraception should be effectively implemented.

6. Breast pain due to breast hyperplasia

Fibrocystic breast disease is the most common cause of breast pain, and more than 80% of fibrocystic breast disease will cause breast pain to varying degrees. The pain site is often inconsistent with the location of the lump, and often radiates to the armpits, shoulders and back. It may be affected by menstruation, mood, weather changes and other factors, and often has automatic relief or irregular paroxysmal attacks. Lumps with unclear boundaries, varying sizes, hard texture, and good mobility can be felt in the breast. Some lumps have granular surfaces. This disease accounts for more than 2/3 of breast diseases and is more common in people aged 35 to 45. It is particularly common in older women who are unmarried, childless, not breastfeeding, depressed, or have sexual dysfunction. If you find the above conditions, you should ask a doctor for a physical examination to rule out cancer and follow up regularly. Mild pain does not need to be treated. For severe pain, iodine, methyltestosterone, vitamin B1, vitamin P6, vitamin E, phenergan and Chinese medicine deer tuo ointment can be used appropriately.