Pain In The Breast Is Symptomatic Of Having Breast Cancer

The breast is a modified sweat gland that develops by the age of the fifth to the sixth week of intrauterine life. Development of breast occurs along the milk line, this is the line that connects the armpit to the groin, any abnormal growth of breast present congenitally develops along the milk line. The breast is a normal tissue with non-inverted nipples till puberty. After puberty due to an increase in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. This tissue undergoes an increase in size. This is accompanied by the Development of secondary sexual characters.

Not All Breast Pain Is Breast Cancer

Pain in the breast is called mastalgia in medical terms. This pain can be connected with periodical monthly menstrual cycles called mastalgia associated with cyclical nodularity and this cannot be associated with menstrual cycles. This is the way of classification. 

If you get pain at times of pregnancy, especially during lactation, you may be suffering from bacterial infection by the formation of an abscess in the breast. This is caused by poor oral hygiene of the baby, low immunity states, etc. This condition is accompanied by cruciating pain in the breast,redness-swelling, and bad-smelling discharge dispensed from the breast 

 If not treated at the proper time, this disease may be complicated and undergo cell death in the breast. During this condition,n you must not breastfeed your baby. As this might spread to infants. If you want to you can express your milk and boil it. Then you can feed it to your infant.

Certain basic things to know about breasts

The breast is seen between the second and sixth rib with its nipple situated in the fourth rib. The breast has a dark brown-colored area called the areola.

The areola contains sweat and sebaceous glands. These glands undergo proliferation at times of pregnancy. These areas are dark in color due to melanin deposition. Support to the breast is given by the stroma of the breast, these are called the ligament of Cooper. These ligaments support milk-secreting glands by building a support rope between glands and the skin present above. This keeps the breast taut and firm. Milk from the breast is produced only by the time of pregnancy by the action of prolactin and oxytocin. 

These are the hormones that help in breast gland stimulation. Milk is not produced at non-pregnant or non-lactational periods.

Baby suckling creates a reflex to milk production. Now let’s have a look at the pain in the breast. We will be knowing about what is breast pain, is natural to have pain in the breast, when should I check for breast cancer. At the end of this article, you will get your answer to these questions. 

Pain in the breast can be due to normal physiology?

There is even an entity that denotes normal pain in the breast this is called aberration in the development and involution of the breast. This is also called ANDI. When pain is non-cyclical it is because of the infection of bones and cartilage in the ribs. Sometimes heartburn because of a peptic ulcer might present as breast pain.

This normal pain is seen in women of 40 years and these changes are physiological and can be seen between menarche, the first period to menopause, abstinence of menstrual cycle. Women suffering from normal pain that is cyclical usually belong to the unmarried category, not breastfed mothers, etc.

Here the pain is present in both breasts with more pain in the lower half of the breast. Sometimes there might be an accompanying hard lump that hurts on the touch. Treatment modality as a first step involves life-changing modification such as smoking abstinence, drinking coffee should be avoided, coffee increases a hormone called epinephrine that increases pain

This cyclical pain in women resolves spontaneously by 20 to 30 percent, while in non-cyclical pain it takes time to resolve. Calories should be reduced as high lipid levels can also cause pain in the breast. There is an easy Treatment of taking evening primrose oil six times a day. This reduces bad lipids by increasing good lipids, which are high-density lipoproteins. This evening primrose oil contains linoleic and linolenic lipids which help in reducing pain. This has zero side effects. 

Breast cancer

It is a form of discrepancy in the cell growth in our body where the growth of cells is not controlled and this growth can’t be stopped by cells that control and check abnormal growth This abnormal cell growth takes nutrition that is needed for normal cells and this will grow well by this nutrient they have their blood supply and they also dispense these abnormal cells through the blood vessels which migrate to other organs producing secondary cancer

Risk factors:

• Women who have attained quick menarche and late menopause are subjected to increased oestrogenic action than other women
• Women who haven’t breastfed properly
• Unmarried women
• Familial history of cancer
• Smoking
• High lipid diet can cause increased oestrogen production

Symptoms:

Women around 40 to 50 years with no family history of breast cancer while younger in an age in case of presence of family history

Pain around the breast that is dull sometimes might increase in intensity

Lump presentation is the most often seen presentation. This lump may move or may be fixed to the skin. At times discharge through the nipple is also present. They can be watery or blood-tinged in nature. Loss of weight and loss of hunger due to the presence of spread other organs such as the liver, the ovary may be involved

Triple assessment:

Nowadays doctors when they see a patient above 40 years with breast pain they put them for carcinoma screening. This screening is called a triple assessment. Includes physical examination, mammogram, and a biopsy of the lump

Conclusion:

All pain in the breast can’t be due to cancer, some can be due to infection, injury, skin disorders, etc. but being over smart and aware is not a sin. Overdiagnosis is good rather than being not diagnosed. So visit a doctor in case you find any of the above symptoms.