Breast Tenderness
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This describes a painful sensation when pressing on the breast that can occur when a patient touches herself or when a physician or other person touches her breasts. Breast tenderness is usually caused by fluctuations in hormone levels. Breast tenderness that occurs with a menstrual period and then goes away is not worrisome and does not require a physician evaluation. Breast tenderness that persists and does not go away after a few weeks should be evaluated by a physician.

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Pain when pressing the breast

Generally, Breast tenderness can be related to:

• Mastitis

  Inflammation of the breast, caused by bacteria entering the milk ducts or by a duct becoming blocked. Good breastfeeding technique and avoiding pressure on the breast can help prevent it.

• Breast Cancer

  Breast cancer is a malignancy that arises in the breasts of men or women. It can arise from ducts or lobules. Patients either find a lump or have an abnormal mammogram. Risk factors include being female, having breasts, have a genetic predisposition (eg a gene you inherit from a parent), family history of breast or ovarian cancer, getting older, personal history of breast biopsies, dense breasts on mammography, or ovarian cancer, alcohol, and obesity. Protective factors include pregnancy, especially at a younger age, weight maintenance especially after menopause, and exercise.

• Mastopathy

  A condition where a painful lump forms in the breast due to imbalances in female hormone levels, causing symptoms to occur before and during menstruation.