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Left breast pain: causes and treatment

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on
Left breast pain

Does your left breast hurt? Don’t have your period? Are you worried that it is something evil? Many medical consultations are related to pain. One of them is those that originate in the mammary region, in one of the breasts, which is not usually associated with the menstrual cycle. This is why there is a considerable concern for women.

The treatment will depend on the cause and the related symptoms. The correct medical term is mastalgia, and this defines breast pain. For more information, continue reading this FastlyHealarticle, where we will talk about left breast pain, its causes, and treatment.

Left breast pain: most common causes

Breast pain is medically defined as mastalgia and is a common gynecological condition in medical practice. The common concern among women attending medical assessments is the risk of breast cancer.

Breast pain can occur bilaterally or unilaterally, the first of which consists of pain in both breasts or breasts, and this pain is usually joint in a premenstrual syndrome where there is a pain in both breasts generally this discomfort is defined as cyclical mastalgia, a once the menstrual cycle is over, the pain disappears.

On the other hand, unilateral mastalgia, which is the subject to be discussed in this article, has a particular characteristic unrelated to menstruation. That is, it is also known as non-cyclical mastalgia. But then we ask ourselves this common question: what are the common causes of left breast pain?

It is common for this to be related to conditions with tendons and tissues, and, in this case, when the doctor examines the chest, the pain may intensify. According to the Ibero-American Society for Scientific Information, breast pain that does not correspond to that occurring during menstrual cycles represents 31% of women treated for mastalgia.

The most common causes of pain in the left breast are:

  • Structure of the breasts: A common reason for left breast pain is a result of changes in the mammary gland or breast duct. It is bringing with it the development of breast cysts.
  • Trauma: A blow to the left breast can cause pain.
  • Breast cyst: this condition is also common when there is pain in only one breast. It is common in women between the ages of 35 and 50. At first, they may have been palpated with breast self-examination, so they went to the doctor. They are nothing more than small bags with liquid content inside the breast, completely harmless. Although its cause is not entirely defined, it has been proposed to be related to a hormonal imbalance. The larger the size, the greater the pain due to the pressure exerted on the surrounding tissues.
  • Breast abscess: a common condition in diabetic patients or those with immune system problems. It is nothing more than a pocket of pus formed after a bacterial infection. In addition to the pain, the breast may be red, swollen, and warm; likely, you will also have a fever if the condition has advanced. It is typical for purulent discharge (pus) to leak through the nipple.

breast pain

Other Possible Causes of Left Breast Pain or Breast Pain

On the other hand, other causes can be associated when there is a pain in the left breast :

  • Mastitis: This condition is common in lactating women. It is nothing more than the inflammation of one of the breasts due to the accumulation of milk or bacterial infection. In addition to the characteristic pain of mastitis, there may be swelling, redness, warmth when touching the breast, muscle pain, tiredness.
  • Fibroadenoma: This is another cause of pain in one of the breasts. They are nothing more than benign nodules common in young women between 35 and 55. They become painful when they increase in size and are compressed by the bra or sleeping on the stomach.
  • Fat necrosis: this is nothing more than the presence of a kind of dead fat cell nodules resulting from a blow, injury, or after surgical intervention. Although this phenomenon is rare, it is benign and causes pain in the affected breast and redness, inflammation, and swollen skin. This is usually common in women with large breasts.
  • Costochondritis: although it is not a sinus condition, it is a painful disorder that affects the chest wall. It occurs when there is inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. Although the pain begins in the chest wall, it can spread to the breast, mistaking it for a breast condition. This pain can increase intensity when sneezing, making movements, and practicing exercises.
  • Huge breasts: this alone can also cause pain in a single breast. This is due to the stretching of Cooper’s ligament due to the weight of the breasts. This ligament is responsible for supporting the breasts.
  • Ductal ectasia is a condition similar to mastitis that occurs when dilation of the ducts responsible for carrying milk triggers an inflammatory reaction.
  • Breast cancer: the most feared cause of suddenly showing breast pain is that there is breast cancer. This is nothing more than a malignant tumor that generates inflammation, ulceration, and pain in the affected breast.

Whatever the cause, a medical evaluation is essential for the diagnosis to be timely and effective. Some tests will likely be indicated to corroborate the physical examination performed, such as breast ultrasound and mammograms.

Treatment for left breast pain or breast pain

The treatment will depend on the cause diagnosed by the doctor after the physical evaluation and the performance of some studies, which allow visualizing the interior of the left breast to determine the presence of nodules, cysts, or other alterations.

In many cases, the pain in the breast can disappear only over time; It is likely that in this case, you will not need treatment if so indicated by the doctor. However, the specialist will prescribe some medication if there is an aggravating factor or a root cause.

  • The first step is to calm the patient’s pain. In severe pain, they are likely to indicate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for oral route every 8 hours, such as ibuprofen.
  • If the size of the breasts is large, the specialist will likely propose a breast reduction avoid other complications such as, for example, deviation of the thoracic spine.
  • In case of suffering from breast cysts, do not be alarmed. The best way to help eliminate them is by changing your lifestyle for a healthier one, reducing the consumption of beverages such as coffee, tea, soda. But, being safe, they will not require further treatment.
  • In case of abscesses or an infectious process such as mastitis, the doctor is likely to indicate the use of oral or intravenous antibiotics depending on the severity.
  • Fibroadenomas usually do not require any special treatment unless the pain is intense due to their large size.
  • Costochondritis will improve with the use of oral pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.
  • It is also likely that the doctor will indicate to use a bra with extra support if he considers it necessary.

Treatment for left breast pain or breast pain

If it is the first time you perceive pain in the left breast, go to the medical evaluation to evaluate the cause and severity of the case. However, in most cases, this is usually a condition that goes away after a few days.

This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Pain in the left breast: causes and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Female reproductive system.

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