Chest Pain: Symptoms And Solutions

chest pain (mastalgia) — a common complaint among women — can include chest tenderness, sharp burning pain or tightness in your chest tissue. The pain may be constant or it may occur only occasionally.

chest pain can range from mild to severe. It can affect you just a few days a month, for instance just before your period, or can last for seven days or more each month. chest pain may affect you just before your period or it may continue throughout the menstrual cycle. Postmenopausal women sometimes have chest pain, but chest pain is more common in younger, premenopausal women and perimenopausal women.
Most times, chest pain signals a noncancerous (benign) chest condition and rarely indicates chest cancer. Still, unexplained chest pain that doesn’t go away after one or two menstrual cycles or that persists after menopause and occurs in one specific area of your chest needs to be evaluated by your doctor.
Symptoms:
chest pain characteristics
Clearly related to the menstrual cycle
Described as dull, heavy or aching
Often accompanied by chest swelling or lumpiness
Usually affects both br**sts, particularly the upper, outer portions, and can radiate to the underarm
Intensifies during the two weeks leading up to the start of your period, then eases up afterward
More likely to affect women in their 20s and 30s before menopause as well as women in their 40s who are transitioning to menopause
Treatments:
For many women, chest pain resolves on its own over time. You may not need any treatment.
If you do require treatment, your doctor might recommend that you:
Eliminate an underlying cause or aggravating factor. This may involve a simple adjustment, such as wearing a bra with extra support.
Use a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication. You apply the medication directly to the area where you feel pain.
Adjust birth control pills. If you take birth control pills, skipping the pill-free week or switching birth control methods may help chest pain symptoms. But don’t try this without your doctor’s advice.
Reduce the dose of menopausal hormone therapy. You might consider lowering the dose of menopausal hormone therapy or stopping it entirely.
Take a prescription medication. Danazol is the only prescription medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating chest pain and tenderness. However, danazol carries the risk of potentially severe side effects, such as acne, weight gain and voice changes, which limit its use. Tamoxifen, a prescription medication for chest cancer treatment and prevention, may be recommended for some women, but this drug also carries the potential for side effects that may be more bothersome than the chest pain itself.