Some Causes Of Breast Tenderness

Some Causes Of Breast Tenderness
Many women experience breast tenderness and pain as part of PMS.
These episodes are known officially as cyclic mastalgia, cyclic
mastitis, or sometimes fibrocystic breast disease. Your symptoms may
range from an uncomfortable feeling of fullness in your breasts to a
pain that is severe enough to disrupt your life. At its worst, cyclic
mastalgia can interfere with your sleep, your sexual relationships, and
your ability to carry out your daily activities.

Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates milk production and the
other breast changes necessary to prepare for breastfeeding. Excessive
production of prolactin (a condition known as hyperprolactinemia) can
cause breast swelling and tenderness, as well as other PMS symptoms.

Breast tenderness is a perfectly normal side effect of estrogen
therapy - particularly in post menopausal women who have not been
exposed to estrogen for many years. It should settle down within 2-3
months of therapy. Other causes of breast tenderness can include
excessive use of caffeine; fibrocystic breast disease, which actually
tends to get less after menopause; engorgement with milk, which can be
seen in post menopausal women with thyroid disease, with the use of
tranquilizers and other medications, and with pituitary (brain) tumors;
blood clots in the veins of the breast; and breast cancer. Any patient
considering estrogen replacement therapy should always have a thorough
breast exam and an annual mammogram prior to therapy. If the breasts
are sensitive, all caffeine products should be stopped. If the
tenderness persists for, you should contact your health care provider.
It may be necessary to lower the estrogen dose for several months to
allow your body to adjust to these mild side effects. Once the side
effects disappear, the dosage should be gradually increased until
adequate blood levels exist to achieve maximal therapeutic benefit.

The following vitamins and herbs may be usefull.

Vitamins : E, B6

Herbs :
Dong Quai, Evening Primrose Oil.
Evening primrose oil (EPO) is a safe natural product and is now an
accepted treatment in Europe and North America for the cyclic breast
pain of PMS. Doctors sometimes recommend it for other PMS symptoms,
too, but evening primrose oil is probably most useful for relieving
breast discomfort.

Black currant seed oil
is a rich source of essential fatty acids. These are converted in the
body to prostaglandin, which is necessary for fighting infection. Many
women find this oil reduces breast tenderness associated with PMS.

The
nutrients/herbs mentioned above reflect the major nutritional
supplements that may help the condition. Please do remember however
that nutritional supplementation is an adjunct to medical treatment and
in no way replaces medical treatment.