Hormonal changes from a woman's cycle
Pregnancy
Trauma to the breast
Mastitis
Thrombophlebitis
Stretching of breast ligaments
Certain medicines, such as hormone medicines, antidepressants, or certain heart medicines

Risk Factors

Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:

Having large breasts
Not wearing a bra that fits well and has good support
Using certain medicines

Symptoms

The main symptom is pain in the breast area. Pain may be mild or severe. It may be in both breasts or just one. It may be painful only in one spot or all over.

Diagnosis

You will be asked about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. It will focus on your breasts. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.

Images may need to be taken to look for any breast changes. This can be done with:

Ultrasound
Mammogram

Treatment

Treatment will be based on what is causing the pain. Options are:

Using hot or cold packs
Lifestyle changes, such as wearing a supportive bra, avoiding caffeine, or eating a low-fat diet
Medicines to ease pain
Changing or stopping medicines that may be causing pain

Prevention

There are no known guidelines to prevent this problem.

RESOURCES:

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org

Office on Women's Health—US Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.womenshealth.gov

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
http://sogc.org

Women's Health Matters
https://www.womenshealthmatters.ca

References:

Mastalgia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/mastalgia. Accessed October 19, 2020.

Salzman B, Fleegle S, et al. Common breast problems. Am Fam Physician. 2012 Aug 15;86(4):343-349. EBSCOhost full-text, editorial can be found in Am Fam Physician 2012 Aug 15;86(4):325.

Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Elliot M. Levine, MD, FACOG
Last Updated: 4/27/2021

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