Breast pain is a very common problem but often mistreated. Here are ten things you should know about breast pain and it's management:

Dr. Rohan Khandelwal

Fellowship In Breast Surgery, Fellowship In Onco-plastic Breast Surgery, MRCS (Edinburgh), MS - General Surgery, MBBS · Oncologist · 

Breast pain is a very common problem but often mistreated. Here are ten things you should know about breast pain and it's management:

1. Most common cause of pain between 15-35 years of age is fibro-cystic disease, which occurs due to hormonal fluctuations.
2. In fibrocystic disease, there is cyclical pain, which is more in intensity just before the menstrual periods
3. Cyclical pain is commonly seen in patients who are overweight and hypothyrooid.
4. Ultrasound should always be done to rule out any lumps/ cancer.
5. During these episodes of pain, try wearing a sports bra. It offers good support and reduces the pain. You can also apply anti-inflammatory gels over the site of pain.
6. Large cysts (>1.5 cm) should be aspirated - they help in reducing pain
7. Cancer usually presents as a painless lump in the breast
8. Sometimes breast pain can be due to musculo-skeletal causes.
9. If there is one particular point, where pain in occurring (specially close to the middle), then it could be due to costo-chondritis (inflammation of the joint between cartilage and bone)
10. Costo-chondritis can be managed by pain-killers and local injection of steroids

Please make sure you get yourself treated from an expert breast surgeon, who knows the various causes of breast pain and their management.