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Chest pain on palpation. Why does the left mammary gland hurt? Causes of pain in the mammary glands in men

Content

Any woman at one time or another in her life experiences chest pain. The appearance of pain in the mammary glands is not a reason for panic, but you should not take this condition lightly. To be calm about your health, every woman needs to be able to recognize the symptoms, consult a doctor on time, and undergo timely diagnosis.

Types of breast pain

When a woman has pain in the mammary gland, the sensations range from slight discomfort to severe bloating and painful burning, which significantly reduces the quality of life. The doctor’s primary task is to determine the type and cause of pain in order to prescribe adequate treatment. The largest number of complaints comes before the onset of menstruation. This is due to the cyclic changes in the female body that occur during pregnancy or after menopause, at the onset of menstrual syndrome or a week before the onset of menstruation.

Non-cyclic mastalgia or mastodynia (breast tenderness) can occur due to mechanical expansion of tissue by a benign or malignant tumor, local edema, excessive irritation of receptors by pathological nerve impulses, microcirculation disorders or other factors. Non-cyclic mastalgia does not depend on the level of sex hormones and does not change throughout the ovarian-menstrual cycle.

Nature of pain in the mammary gland

Pain or discomfort in the chest does not always indicate pathological disorders. Often this symptom manifests itself during temporary hormonal disharmony of the female body. Less commonly, pain in the mammary glands is a consequence of sclerotic or inflammatory processes in the glandular tissue, a consequence of operations and injuries, or the development of neoplasms. Based on the nature of the pain syndrome, pain is divided into:

acute;
dull;
stabbing,
pulsating;
burning;
shooting;
cutting;
aching-pulling.

Causes of pain in the mammary gland

Although most often chest pain in women is a normal biological process, sometimes it is a consequence of the manifestation of a disease. More often, pain is noted with mastitis and diffuse fibrocystic mastopathy. Less commonly, the mammary gland hurts when touched due to diseases such as herpes zoster (viral infectious pathology), Mondor's disease (superficial thrombophlebitis) and others.

Sometimes pain is caused by diseases of the heart or spine. For example, pain in the left mammary gland in women occurs when walking or inhaling, often accompanied by nausea - this is angina pectoris, hypertension or rheumatic carditis. Also, mental disorders (cancer phobia and others) become the cause of functional discomfort in the chest. Soreness also manifests itself after mechanical damage - compression or a strong blow leads to a violation of the integrity of the mammary glands. Extensive hematomas strongly compress the surrounding tissues, which leads to severe pain.

During pregnancy

A pregnant woman's breasts undergo multiple changes: they become sensitive, painful, enlarged, and the nipples change color. Sometimes it starts to itch and itch due to stretching of the skin or due to increased progesterone hormone. All these changes are considered normal. If during pregnancy the mammary gland hardens, changes color, becomes very painful, increases unevenly, and blood is released from the nipples, then an urgent consultation with a mammologist is required.

During menopause

Pain in the mammary gland with pressure, deep palpation, and even when wearing a tight bra can be observed during menopause. Mastalgia during menopause is manifested by the following symptoms:

distension or heaviness in both or one mammary gland without clear localization;
prolonged pain of a burning, burning, aching nature;
short-term acute pain (cutting, stabbing);
an increase in the volume of one or both glands, swelling;
excessive sensitivity or mild pain when pressing.

Intercostal neuralgia

Damage to the nerves between the ribs, which is accompanied by acute pain, is called intercostal neuralgia. The disease is accompanied by paroxysmal burning or shooting pain in one or several places, depending on the location. Solar plexus neuralgia is usually accompanied by breast tenderness. Breast pain in the attachment area. Upon examination, the gynecologist does not find any pathological changes or signs of any female diseases.

If, in addition to tenderness of the mammary glands, cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, muscle tone and/or curvature of the spine are observed, then these symptoms indicate intercostal neuralgia of the thoracic region. With this pathology, a woman may feel pain in one mammary gland, but upon careful examination it turns out that the pain comes from the vertebral region of the back, localized under the scapula on the right. This is a sign of intercostal pinching of the nerves of the thoracic spine.

Mastopathy

The disease is characterized not only by pain, but also by the presence of lumps in the mammary gland. As mastopathy develops, the pain becomes prolonged and severe. The most intense pain syndrome is observed during PMS, during menstruation and during palpation of the breast. The main causes of acute pain are the proliferation of connective tissue or blockage of the ducts.

Pain due to mastopathy may vary depending on the type of pathology. With diffuse changes in breast tissue due to their proliferation, the pain has the character of compression, intensifies with PMS, and after the end of the cycle significantly decreases or disappears altogether. With nodular mastopathy, the following symptoms are observed:

pain does not go away throughout the menstrual cycle;
discomfort is felt in the armpits, back, shoulder, forearm area;
The nipple area becomes painful.

Fibroadenoma

A benign neoplasm located in the mammary gland is called fibroadenoma. The tumor is of glandular origin, and its structure is dominated by connective tissue. What distinguishes benign fibroadenoma from a malignant neoplasm is that the pathology is not accompanied by severe pain and often does not manifest itself at all.

The back and other parts of the body also do not hurt. With fibroadenoma, there is no swelling, hyperemia or weakness. The neoplasm is easily palpable and remains unchanged in any phase of the menstrual cycle. If the fibroadenoma begins to hurt, its structure has changed (no clear boundaries, thickening, etc.) or the breast has become swollen, this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor.

Mastitis

The inflammatory process in the tissues of the mammary gland is called mastitis. Pathology occurs more often due to staphylococcal infection. Bacteria enter the soft tissue of the breast through the milk ducts or through the bloodstream when a woman performs poor hygiene standards. Mastitis is often the result of milk stagnation during lactation. Among nursing mothers, the incidence ranges from 1 to 16%, depending on place of residence.

Mastitis is manifested by painful thickening in the gland, peeling and increased skin temperature at the site of inflammation, redness, fever, and general symptoms of intoxication (appetite disturbance, dizziness, weakness, migraine). As the disease progresses, the pain intensifies and the chest becomes hot to the touch. When expressing, the pain increases, pus and bloody discharge are found in the milk. Purulent mastitis can progress, after which an abscess develops.

Abscess

Pathology occurs after bacteria penetrate the nipple through cracks or other deformation. The causative agent of the abscess is streptococci or staphylococci. Sometimes staphylococcal infection is combined with E. coli or Proteus. The first signs of an abscess are fever, high temperature. The gland increases in size, becomes denser, and becomes extremely painful, so the woman cannot use it for feeding. When the inflammatory process spreads to adjacent areas of the chest, the skin swells and turns red - this forms a visible abscess (abscess).

Cancer

According to statistics, 3% of women who find a moving, painful ball in the breast are diagnosed with cancer. Pain occurs after ordinary movements or palpation due to the effect on the nerve endings of the tumor. As cancer grows, healthy tissue is gradually displaced, and the cancer covers an even larger volume of nerves. Breast tenderness is a sign of cancer. It manifests itself in different ways:

sudden severe pain that limits physical activity;
prolonged moderate or mild pain;
penetrating pain with increasing intensity for half an hour.

Other causes of chest pain

Pain in the mammary glands in women can have a non-trivial cause, after which the discomfort goes away. The chest can be injured during sudden braking of a car or hurt after excessive physical activity. Causes of pain not related to disease:

tight underwear;
treatment of the thyroid gland with hormonal drugs;
osteochondrosis;
inflammation of the lymph nodes;
long-term use of oral contraceptives.

Risk groups for breast diseases

Risk factors for the development of periodic pain in the mammary gland include environmental hazards, emotional balance, lack of constant sex life, and others:

pregnancy and childbirth;
feeding period;
prolonged stress;
abortion;
infertility;
obesity;
alcohol;
smoking;
chest injury.

Diagnostic methods for chest pain in women

If the mammary glands are painful, a woman should consult a gynecologist or mammologist. To make a correct diagnosis, the doctor needs not only an examination and history taking, but also a number of diagnostic procedures and clinical tests. Sometimes palpation of the gland is enough to identify the cause of pain, but in most cases a serious examination of the woman is necessary. Basic diagnostic methods:

Ultrasound. This is the most common way to identify seals. Ultrasound examination of the mammary glands is completely safe and is therefore recommended for pregnant and lactating women.
Biopsy. It is carried out using three methods: excisional, puncture, trephine biopsy. During the first, the doctor excises the detected lump and part of the surrounding tissue under local anesthesia. A puncture biopsy is the insertion of a thin needle into the thickening and the collection of its particles. Trephine biopsy is also performed under local anesthesia. This is the most progressive method of taking a biopath for histological examination.
Mammography. An X-ray of the gland, which is carried out using a mammograph, allows us to identify the earliest stages of oncology.
Ductography. It is carried out if the tumor is not palpable, but is present in the breast ducts.
Pneumocystography. A method for diagnosing cavity formations (cysts) ranging in size from 2 to 5 mm. The puncture is performed with a thin needle under ultrasound control.

Since the development of malignant and benign tumors in the breast directly depends on hormonal imbalance, the doctor may prescribe a determination of hormonal status to determine the level of prolactin in the blood to select treatment tactics. This is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It stimulates the development and growth of the mammary glands and is responsible for milk production. A high level of prolactin indicates several diseases of the mammary glands (mastopathy and others).

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There are two types of chest pain - pain behind the sternum, inside the chest, and pain when pressing on the sternum. Pain in the chest behind the sternum or radiating into the sternum may indicate a disease of an organ located in the chest or below the costal arch, since signals about disorders are reflexively transmitted through the spinal cord to the chest.

Pain in the sternum, not accompanied by constant other symptoms, often indicates a process affecting the sternum itself. Before dealing with pain in and behind the sternum, you should determine what the sternum is.

The sternum is a flat, oblong bone located in the center of the front of the chest. The ribs are attached to it on both sides by means of cartilaginous formations. The second ends of the ribs are attached to the spine. The upper part of the sternum is connected to the clavicle, and at its lower end there is the xiphoid process, which is not connected to the ribs. The xiphoid process is a cartilage that hardens with age and by the age of 30–35 grows into the body of the sternum. The xiphoid process, along with the solar plexus, is one of the most important centers of nerve clusters in the human body.

Pain in the sternum that appears when pressing on it may be a consequence of traumatic injury due to direct force on the body of the sternum or on the xiphoid process. Sometimes at the time of fracture the pain can be very sharp, a hematoma can form at the site of injury, and the mobility of the chest during breathing is limited by painful sensations.

Injuries can lead to pain in the lower part of the sternum, in the xiphoid process - the so-called sliding costal cartilage syndrome. With this syndrome, pain can intensify with the slightest muscle tension - with any movement, deep breath, coughing, sneezing.

Tietze syndrome

Internal organs can also cause chest pain only when pressed.

Most often, the cause of pain in the sternum, which manifests itself with pressure, is disturbances in the articulations of the ribs with the sternum, when painful points form in the area where the muscles attach to the ribs. This occurs because with prolonged tension in the muscles at their attachment points, an inflammatory process begins in the periosteum.

This disease of the sternum is called Tietze syndrome. It is also called costochondritis, perichondritis, etc. The syndrome is considered not so much a serious as an uncomfortable disease; more common in teenagers and young adults

Pain in the chest when pressed in the middle speaks not only of Tietze syndrome, but may indicate the presence of diabetes.

Reasons

hypovitaminosis and calcium metabolism disorders;

severe cough;

trauma and surgery;

introduction of infection into torn ligaments;

prolonged loads on the upper shoulder girdle and chest, causing microtraumas in muscles and ligaments;

one-time physical impacts on the structures of the chest, in particular, bruises received by athletes during training;

infectious and inflammatory diseases;

age-related changes in osteochondral tissue,

surgical intervention in the chest area.

Symptoms

When you press on the place where the rib attaches to the sternum, you feel quite severe pain.

A small swelling about 3-4 cm in size, painful on palpation, with a dense surface on one side, in the lateral part of the sternum at the junction of the rib, when one cartilaginous pad is affected.

Acute attacks of pain in the anterior part of the chest, often with pressure, moving downwards.

Pain is concentrated in the area of the 4th - 6th ribs

Exacerbation of pain with any movement, including deep breathing.

Sometimes the inflammatory process in cartilage tissue can manifest itself as pain in the mammary gland, when pressure is applied mainly on one side. Therefore, if one mammary gland hurts when pressed, then you should check yourself for possible pathological processes at the site of attachment of the ribs. This type of pain is non-cyclical, most of which is associated with pathology in the musculoskeletal system.

Otherwise, pain in the mammary gland is associated with pathological processes in the gland itself.

Tietze syndrome, especially in the early stages, is diagnosed primarily by MRI and clinical symptoms.

Diseases of internal organs

The pain that appears when you press on the sternum is associated with damage to internal organs and even with psychogenic diseases. In such cases, it can radiate to other areas of the chest and be accompanied by clinical signs of a particular disease.

Most often, when pressed, chest pain can appear due to disorders in the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive systems, or with degenerative processes in the spine.

So, why does the chest hurt when you press on it?

With osteochondrosis, pain can manifest itself in the sternum itself or in the form of intercostal neuralgia. Pressure can increase pain, and warm-up exercises can reduce it. Associated symptoms include numbness in the arm, headache and back pain.

Sometimes the appearance of painful sensations in the lower part of the sternum when you press on it indicates diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - a stomach ulcer, for example, when inflammation along the fat cells can reach the sternum. But in this case, there are also symptoms of digestive disorders - nausea, heartburn and others.

If, when pressed, the chest hurts inside, and more often without it, the pain radiates to the left side - the shoulder blade, the arm, and breathing intensifies the pain, these are signs of heart disease - angina pectoris. Short-term acute pain in the chest that occurs during stress (physical or nervous) is a sign of angina pectoris. Pain that occurs when a person is at rest or even sleeping is a sign of resting angina. In any case, a nitroglycerin tablet quickly relieves the attack. If nitroglycerin does not help and the pain continues, we may be talking about a heart attack or obstruction of the coronary arteries.

Prolonged pain, usually in the upper third of the sternum, sometimes lasting several days, is a sign of a thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Chest pain is also caused by diseases of the respiratory system. These can be inflammatory processes in the lung and bronchi, tuberculosis, various types of tumors and injuries. Accompanied by cough, weakness, sweating, fever.

Thus, we can conclude that the appearance of chest pain is not a clear sign of any specific disease. The illness can be very serious and requires immediate medical attention.
Recommendations

To find out why the chest hurts when pressed, especially in the presence of other symptoms, you should not engage in self-diagnosis and self-medication, but you must immediately consult a doctor for qualified help. Often, a complex examination and even urgent intervention are required to make a diagnosis and get an answer to the question “why”.

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If the chest hurts on the side when pressed, this may be a sign of many diseases. In order not to miss the development of pathology, you need to know about the symptoms in advance.

What can cause chest pain when pressing? When should you contact a specialist?

What causes discomfort in the middle of the chest if you touch it?

Causes of chest pain

In the case when the breast hurts when pressed, this can greatly frighten the woman. But is it worth worrying so much?

There can be many causes of discomfort, ranging from the most harmless to malignant tumors.

First, you need to conduct a home inspection. You need to carefully touch and press on the surface of the mammary gland and monitor the sensations. If it hurts inside when you touch the nipple, you should be wary.

Uncomfortable underwear

It is usually small in size and with clear boundaries. When palpated, it feels like hard balls that move under the skin.

The disease occurs due to a disruption in the functioning of hormones, so the formations may become smaller after the complete completion of menstruation.

Fibroadenoma can be confused with a tumor, but its difference is that the formations do not disappear when examined in a supine position.

At the same time, if a woman is in a horizontal position, cancerous tumors disappear and are not visible.

Cystic formations

Cysts are hollow spaces in the breast tissue that are filled with fluid. The cause is the proliferation of connective tissues. It is possible that trauma to the chest area increases the likelihood of developing cysts.

With this disease, severe pain is observed; treatment is required to reduce the discomfort.

Getting rid of voids occurs by sucking out the liquid. After the procedure, the pain decreases.

This disease is characterized by the appearance of a single node in the chest, the process is accompanied by pain in the area of the affected tissue. After a short time, the knot becomes softer, which reduces discomfort.

The symptoms of tuberculosis are similar to oncology. An independent examination will not give an accurate description of the disease, but with an ultrasound, a specialist will accurately tell you the cause of the pain. If tuberculosis develops in the chest, scars appear drawn inward in one place.

As a result of the disease, the mammary gland may swell and change its shape. There may be enlarged lymph nodes and redness on the skin in the area affected by the disease. A characteristic symptom is inside the chest.

A woman may experience the following symptoms:

Weakness and lethargy.
Lack or decreased appetite.
Increase or decrease in body temperature.
Increased sweating of the skin.
Unreasonable weight loss.
Possible symptoms of intoxication.

It is worth remembering that such a disease is quite rare, and the occurrence of breast tuberculosis is impossible without the presence of its primary form in the body. A biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis.

Fat necrosis

Most often, necrosis occurs after trauma to the mammary gland. Even a weak blow, to which a woman does not pay due attention, can cause it.

Due to damage, the vessels of the mammary gland are injured and lose blood supply. Next, the soft tissue in this area dies.

Subsequently, a scar will form, calcium deposits and the appearance of a hard formation are possible.

May begin as a result of rapid weight loss or radiation therapy.

The disease is often asymptomatic, pain occurs only when severe. Necrosis can be confused with oncology because it looks very similar to a malignant tumor on mammography or ultrasound. To accurately determine the nature of the disease, a biopsy is prescribed.

Treatment is surgery. The affected area is removed, further development of necrosis in the form of a cancerous tumor is impossible.

What other causes of chest pain could there be?

Discomfort in the middle of the chest and in the mammary glands can occur for many reasons:

disruption of thyroid hormones;
presence of VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia);
neuralgia in the heart area (pinching);
lung diseases;
osteochondrosis in the spine.

The risk of developing diseases that lead to touching increases in some cases:

refusal to breastfeed;
late labor or absence thereof;
presence of bad habits;
injuries in the middle of the chest;
bad heredity;
diseases accompanied by disruption of hormone formation;
diabetes and gallbladder disease.

In addition, you should beware of poor ecology and frequent interference with the body’s functioning.

How is the diagnosis done?

You should visit a specialist as soon as possible if you experience the following symptoms:

Enlarged lymph nodes.
The presence of neoplasms or compactions in soft or glandular tissues.
Changes in the shape and symmetry of the breast and nipple.
Pain on palpation.
External changes to the skin and areola.

Only a doctor can diagnose the disease after the necessary tests and procedures. The specialist must touch the tumors, after which some questions should be answered:

When the pain started.
Intensity of sensations.
Dependence on the menstrual cycle.
Localization of pain.
Do your nipples hurt and is there any discharge from them?
Does it hurt when you press on your chest?

It is worth paying attention to taking medications, especially hormonal ones.

Treatment

After the doctor makes a diagnosis, it is necessary to prescribe treatment for the mammary glands. This can be surgical or conservative intervention.

Tumors and formations in the form of cysts and necrosis are removed with concomitant treatment. If the pain has hormonal causes, their work should be adjusted. This could be diet or medication.

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It is worth remembering that you can start treatment only after consulting a mammologist.

Content

Painful sensations in the sternum can occur completely unexpectedly and cause serious discomfort to a person. The causes are quite normal life processes, but sometimes these symptoms are a signal of the presence of dangerous diseases. Breast pain in women often occurs in the area of the mammary glands, which is a sign of mastopathy or indicates a possible pregnancy. In men, pain in the chest area can be a signal of diseases of the esophagus, heart rhythm disturbances and other diseases.

What is chest pain

Painful attacks inside the sternum vary in nature, duration, and etiology. Pain in the sternum can be aching, sharp, stabbing, cutting. It can be constant or come in attacks with sudden onset. Most cases of painful manifestations are associated with diseases such as:

diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
cardiac dysfunction;
problems with the spine;
respiratory tract diseases;
hormonal changes in the body;
breast diseases.

Why does a woman's breasts hurt?

Pain in a woman in the area of the mammary glands can be associated with normal life situations. For example, breast tenderness often occurs during menstruation and while breastfeeding. If you experience prolonged pain that bothers you periodically, it is necessary to undergo a breast examination to determine the causes of the discomfort. The diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a laboratory examination. Unpleasant sensations in the chest can be a sign of serious diseases such as breast cancer, mastopathy, etc.

One breast hurts

Unpleasant sensations may be the result of blunt trauma to breast tissue (for example, from a fall). At the same time, the chest that has been bruised aches. Damage to the mammary gland is accompanied by pain on palpation, redness, and swollen parts. Other causes include diseases of the internal organs. When they worsen, sharp, stabbing, aching pain may be observed on one side or the other of the sternum.

If the right chest hurts, the following diseases are possible:

hepatitis;
inflammation of the gallbladder;
diseases of the esophagus;
diaphragm damage;
spinal injuries with disc displacement to the right.

When the mammary gland on the left side hurts, it may be due to:

disorders of the spleen;
gastritis, pancreatic diseases;
pancreatitis;
intercostal neuralgia;
heart diseases (acute pericarditis, angina pectoris).

It's a dull pain

If the pain is nagging and prolonged, this may indicate mastodynia. This condition occurs as a result of hormonal imbalance. The woman feels cyclical pain, which tends to intensify. The cause may be gynecological diseases, stress, menopause. Mastodynia also occurs during prolonged hormonal therapy. Additional signs of the disease include swelling and enlarged glands. After the start of menstruation, the pain goes away.

Pain in the mammary gland when pressed

A woman may experience discomfort when touching her breasts. Often pain in both mammary glands occurs when feeding a child. This happens with lactostasis (milk stagnation). It occurs due to an excess of milk fluid or when the baby does not suck well. Pressing on the chest can create pain during mastopathy. This is a pathology of the mammary glands that occurs against the background of frequent experiences and hormonal changes in the body. Mastopathy is accompanied by discharge from the nipple, swelling, and aching in the breast tissue.

Stitching pain

Painful attacks of an acute nature can occur with intercostal neuralgia. A person feels stabbing, piercing pains that can radiate to the chest, shoulder blade, and lower back. The same sensations appear during attacks of angina pectoris, pericarditis, and other acute heart diseases. Sometimes tingling occurs due to mental disorders. Acute pain can occur with pleurisy and pneumonia. They are accompanied by shortness of breath and cough.

Breast pain, no lumps

Tugging sensations in the chest area may appear due to muscle spasms. This effect can occur when playing sports or exercising. Sometimes breast pain is caused by hormone therapy or a woman taking oral contraceptives. Breast tenderness may indicate pregnancy. This means that the body has begun to rebuild at the hormonal level. The intensity of pain can vary: from mild to strong.

When tilted

If your chest begins to hurt when performing some movements, the cause may be a previous injury. By pressing on the sternum you can locate the painful area. If damaged, it will be painful to touch the injured area. Pain when lowering or turning the body can be observed due to diseases of the esophagus (hernia). The cause of pain that appears after bending the body may be intercostal neuralgia.

The mammary gland is swollen and hurts

Some diseases cause tumors or an increase in breast size. These include:

fibroadenoma;
mastopathy;
breast cancer;
cyst formation;
lactation mastitis.

A cyst can form in healthy women. This is a cavity inside the mammary gland that fills with fluid. In most cases, these formations resolve on their own. Fibroadenoma is a benign tumor. The formation cells grow and put pressure on the milk ducts, which causes pain. Mastopathy is characterized by an increase in fibrous tissue of the gland. It is accompanied by swelling and roughening of the skin. Swelling and pain in the breast may be signs of breast cancer.

Pain under the nipple

During the feeding procedure, a woman may develop microcracks, which causes inflammation of the nipple. This causes damage to the nerve endings, which causes pain. The cause of these unpleasant sensations may be long-term use of hormonal drugs. Also, pain under the nipple can be caused by the following diseases:

acute mastitis;
herpes virus;
nipple cancer;
mammalgia;
some types of lactostasis.

In the middle of the cycle

Slight painful sensations in the breasts in women 8-10 days before the onset of menstruation are considered a normal physiological phenomenon that does not require treatment. Sometimes this can be a sign of pregnancy. Factors such as stress and fatigue can contribute to discomfort. The woman feels fatigue, lethargy, and headaches appear. In this case, swelling of the mammary glands is often observed. If symptoms do not go away after menstruation, and the pain intensifies, you should consult a doctor to prescribe treatment.

Chest pain in men

In representatives of the stronger sex, pain in the sternum may appear after a chest injury. Pain is felt when pressing on the damaged area. In diseases of the spine, pain occurs in the sternum, shoulder blades, and on the side of the displaced vertebrae. In men, painful sensations in the chest may appear due to the following diseases:

disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, disruption of internal organs;
inflammation of the heart muscle;
lesions of the musculoskeletal system;
inflammation of the pleura of the respiratory tract, tracheitis;
neuroses, mental disorders.

In pulmonary diseases, inflammation occurs in the pleural cavity. This process is accompanied by a sharp, strong cough and shortness of breath. Lesions of the pleura of the lungs often occur in smokers. This is a serious disease that is difficult to get rid of. When a lung infarction occurs, burning, stabbing pain appears that radiates to the back, stomach, and shoulder blades. Peptic ulcers of the esophagus can cause similar sensations. The causative agents of inflammation are viruses or infections. The diseases are characterized by muscle spasms that cause severe pain in the sternum.

During myocardial infarction, necrosis of the muscle tissue of the heart organ occurs. The pain is localized in the upper or central part of the body. The consequences of this disease are very serious. The inflammatory process in the myocardium causes the death of the heart muscle. Characteristic symptoms are nausea, severe shortness of breath, and cold sweat. Heart attacks are accompanied by a feeling of fear and dizziness. The pain does not go away after taking nitroglycerin.

Diagnostics

Women are advised to periodically examine their breasts on their own in order to promptly notice the presence of lumps in the mammary glands. This increases the chances of detecting cancer and other dangerous diseases in the early stages. In case of severe pain, changes in the shape of the mammary glands, or other negative signs, you should immediately consult a doctor for examination. Diagnostics in medical institutions includes activities such as:

collection of information, palpation of the chest;
Ultrasound of the sternum area;
mammography;
X-ray;
tissue biopsy.

You can contact a therapist at your place of residence, and he will then schedule a consultation with a specialist, depending on the results of the examination. If there is severe pain in the mammary glands, women can immediately visit a mammologist. What will be prescribed:

If a heart attack is suspected, a computed tomography scan may be prescribed.
If the cause of sternum pain is esophageal disorders, a FEGDS procedure is performed, in which the stomach is examined inside using a special apparatus. Tissue sampling is done to detect inflammation and infections.
Blood and urine may be taken for analysis to detect viral microorganisms.

Treatment

To get rid of chest pain, you need to cure the underlying disease, the symptoms of which are pain. Therapy can only be prescribed by a specialist, based on the research conducted. During the course of treatment, it is necessary to adhere to the motor regimen prescribed by the doctor (rest, walks, etc.). Depending on the disease present, treatment may include:

drug therapy;
herbal medicine;
physical therapy;
taking vitamin complexes, drugs that strengthen the immune system;
spa treatment.

An effective medicine used to treat the mammary glands is Danazol. This is a synthetic hormone that reduces ovarian activity. In addition, the drug produces an analgesic effect. It is prescribed for mastopathy, breast hypertrophy, and the presence of benign formations. The product successfully eliminates tumors, lumps, and relieves pain.

The disadvantage of the medicine is that it is not prescribed for pregnancy, diabetes, and epilepsy. It has a large list of side effects, including: liver dysfunction, allergic reactions, weight gain, etc. The advantage is the high effectiveness of the drug in the treatment of mammary gland pathologies. Danazol can be prescribed to children who have reached puberty.

Tamoxifen is a potent antitumor agent. The active substance of the drug suppresses the action of sex hormones, thereby slowing down the growth of malignant tumors. Tamoxifen has been successfully used in the treatment of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer. When taking this drug, patients stop the inflammatory process and reduce cancer formations.

The disadvantage of this medicine is the large number of contraindications. It should not be taken for diseases of the blood, liver, or eye pathologies. The list of undesirable manifestations is also long. Side effects may include nausea, heaviness in the stomach, weight gain, and itching of the genitals. The downside of the drug is the possibility of the appearance of benign tumors after long-term treatment. Among the advantages, doctors indicate a strong anti-cancer effect.

Mastodinon is a medicine based on natural raw materials. It has a mild effect on the body. Used to treat mastopathy and menstrual disorders. The active substance - extract of vitex, a tree-like shrub - restores the natural hormonal balance in women. Additionally, Mastodinon exhibits an analgesic effect.

The advantage of the drug is the absence of hormones. Mastodinon is made using herbal ingredients, so it is harmless. Thanks to this, the medicine has a gentle effect on the female body. For sustainable results, the complex must be taken for 2-3 months. The disadvantages of a homeopathic remedy include a ban on its use by pregnant and lactating women.

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Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give treatment recommendations based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

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One of the most vulnerable female organs is the mammary glands. Chest discomfort may indicate serious problems in the body. If your chest hurts when you press it, you should think about why the pain occurs. Sometimes painful sensations are completely natural and do not threaten serious illnesses. But there are situations when chest pain indicates a pathology that requires mandatory treatment. Let's figure out when to worry and how to recognize the disease.

In the last days of the cycle, the chest often hurts when pressed. This is a normal situation and should not cause concern unless other symptoms are observed. The mammary gland may hurt due to increased levels of prolactin - it rises in the second phase of the cycle and reaches a maximum with the onset of menstruation.

Typical changes before menstruation:

Some pain when pressed.
Heaviness, slight swelling.
Headaches.
Increased fatigue.

Symptoms manifest differently in all girls. You should consult a doctor if premenstrual symptoms interfere with normal life and cause serious discomfort. It is also worth considering if chest pain intensifies with each passing month and sometimes bothers you during other phases of the cycle.

Besides menstruation, there is another reason for natural breast pain - pregnancy. During pregnancy, the sensitivity of the mammary glands increases, and the breasts hurt when pressed. This is a normal condition. Medical consultation is needed if the pain does not go away with rest or is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms.

Pain when pressing may occur while taking antidepressants and hormonal drugs. In this case, you should consult with the specialist who prescribed the medicine.

All of the above reasons are unpleasant, but do not threaten life or health. And there are a number of pathological causes - breast diseases, which must be treated.

Mastopathy

Most often, pain in the chest is a symptom of developing mastopathy. If there are no other symptoms, then most likely mastopathy is in a diffuse, initial form. It is recommended to palpate the mammary glands for lumps.

You can diagnose mastopathy yourself based on the following signs:

Pain at rest, pain when pressed.
Lumps, nodules, cysts in the breast - they can be detected at the end of the cycle during a routine self-examination.
Nipple discharge.

Treatment of mastopathy largely depends on the stage at which therapy is started. Therefore, if characteristic symptoms appear, you need to consult a specialist.

Cystic formations

A cyst is one of the signs of fibrocystic mastopathy, into which the diffuse form degenerates over time. Cysts in mastopathy tend to grow; they can compress blood vessels and nerves, which leads to pain that intensifies when pressed.

You can feel the cyst yourself if it is large, otherwise you will need to undergo diagnostics. If you suspect a cyst, you should visit a mammologist and have a mammogram or ultrasound done.

Sometimes there may be several cysts - then the pain is felt more strongly, and the neoplasms are difficult to palpate. This is also a form of mastopathy.

Another type of mastopathy is a spherical neoplasm, benign. One of the characteristic symptoms is pain when pressed. Moreover, the pain occurs only in one breast. If only the left or right mammary gland hurts, you should first suspect fibroadenoma.

If both glands are affected, nipple discharge appears. The affected nipple (left or right) changes shape.

Treatment is only surgical. The speed of recovery after surgery depends on the complexity - the larger the fibroadenoma, the more difficult it is to remove it.

Breast cancer

This is the most dangerous and serious disease. Cancer is difficult to diagnose, since the first obvious symptoms appear only in the second stage, when the risk of spreading metastases is high.

There are several signs of breast cancer:

Soreness and swelling, which are accompanied by changes in the shape of the breast. Sometimes pain as such may be absent and appears only when touched.
Enlarged regional lymph nodes.
Asymmetry, retraction of breast areas, deformation.
Skin redness, peeling, itching.
Retraction or flattening of the nipple, discharge.
The appearance of ulcers on the skin.

If characteristic signs appear, you should seek diagnosis as soon as possible.

Wrong choice of bra and other reasons

It sounds unusual, but in fact, the wrong underwear can cause pain. A tight bra, cups that are too small or rough seams can cause persistent irritation. There is only one solution - to choose the right bra, in size and from natural fabrics. Mammologists warn that poor-quality or unsuitable underwear not only causes discomfort, but can also provoke the development of certain breast diseases, for example, mastopathy.

There are even rarer reasons:

Vegetative-vascular dystonia. It is often disguised as other diseases and can manifest itself, among other symptoms, as tenderness in the mammary glands.
Thyroid diseases.
Gynecological problems.
Osteochondrosis.
Intercostal neuralgia.

If you have the listed chronic diseases, it is worth thinking about whether chest pain is associated with these pathologies.

Pain and fever

If, in addition to pain, a high body temperature appears, then the range of possible diseases narrows. First of all, you should suspect mastitis - it is an infectious disease. Temperature is the main sign of infection of the body with viruses or bacteria. Mastitis can occur due to open sores on the chest or during breastfeeding.

Symptoms of mastitis are:

Increased body temperature.
Soreness, when pressed - severe acute pain.
Redness, swelling.
Inflammation.
Discharge from the nipples, usually purulent.
Poor health, weakness, headaches and other common symptoms associated with infectious diseases.

With the right course of treatment, the disease can be overcome in a week. The doctor will order tests, find out what kind of infection caused the disease and select therapy. It is important to determine the causative agent; this determines what medications will have to be taken.

Lactostasis

This is stagnation of milk in the breast during lactation. The symptoms are similar to mastitis, but the breasts become rough, swell greatly, and touching causes sharp, severe pain. If left untreated, lactostasis turns into purulent mastitis.

There are two forms of lactostasis - pathological and natural. In the first days of feeding, lactostasis is the norm - the breasts are rebuilt. It is important to master the correct position for feeding and monitor the complete emptying of the mammary glands. If mastitis occurs in the middle of lactation, it means that feeding rules have been violated.

Treatment – breast pumping, massage. If necessary, you can call a doctor who will prescribe medications to alleviate the condition.

Paget's disease

Paget's disease is cancer of the nipple. The main symptoms: pain in the nipples when pressed, itching around the nipple, peeling skin and sores. The color of the nipple and areola changes, and its shape changes. Discharge appears. This is one of the most dangerous types of cancer and requires long-term treatment.

If the pain is not caused by natural causes or suspicious symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor.