Breast pain, clinically known as mastalgia, is a prevalent concern characterized by tenderness, throbbing, sharp, stabbing, burning sensations, or tightness within the breast tissue. This discomfort can manifest as a constant ache or occur intermittently, affecting individuals of all genders, including men, women, and transgender people.
The intensity of breast pain varies significantly, ranging from mild to severe. It can present in different patterns:
- Cyclic Pain: Occurring predictably for a few days each month, typically two to three days before menstruation. This is often considered normal, causing mild to moderate discomfort in both breasts.
- Premenstrual Pain: Lasting a week or longer monthly, commencing prior to menstruation and sometimes extending throughout the cycle. The pain can be moderate to severe and usually affects both breasts.
- Noncyclic Pain: Persistent throughout the month, unrelated to menstrual cycles.
In men, breast pain is frequently linked to gynecomastia, a condition marked by the enlargement of breast gland tissue due to hormonal imbalances between estrogen and testosterone. Gynecomastia can affect one or both breasts, sometimes unevenly.
Hormone therapy in transgender women can also induce breast pain. Conversely, transgender men might experience breast pain due to residual breast tissue following mastectomy.
In the majority of cases, breast pain is indicative of benign breast conditions and is rarely a symptom of breast cancer. However, unexplained breast pain that persists beyond one or two menstrual cycles, continues after menopause, or is not associated with hormonal fluctuations warrants medical evaluation.
Types of Breast Pain: Cyclic vs. Noncyclic
Breast pain is broadly categorized into cyclic and noncyclic types, each with distinct characteristics.
| Cyclic Breast Pain
