Why do nipples hurt before menstruation?

Every woman will experience breast pain before her period. Under normal circumstances, nipple pain 3 days before menstruation may be a sign of impending menstruation or early pregnancy. However, some women do not know how to distinguish between normal and pathological breast tenderness. Next, let’s learn about why nipple pain occurs before menstruation and gain some relevant knowledge.

After long-term observation and research, medical workers have found that women have six main types of breast pain.

1. Breast pain during adolescence: It usually occurs between the ages of 9 and 13. After menarche, the pain will disappear on its own.

2. Premenstrual breast pain: Many women experience breast fullness, hardness, and tenderness before menstruation. In severe cases, the breasts will become swollen and painful with the slightest vibration or collision. This is caused by increased estrogen levels in the body before menstruation, breast hyperplasia, and edema of breast tissue. The above changes may disappear after menstruation.

3. Breast tenderness during pregnancy: Some women experience breast tenderness and pain around 40 days of pregnancy due to the placenta and villi secreting large amounts of estrogen, progesterone and prolactin, which causes the breasts to enlarge. In severe cases, the pain may last throughout the pregnancy and does not require treatment.

4. Postpartum breast pain: Breast fullness, hardness and pain often occur 3 to 7 days after delivery. This is mainly due to breast lymph retention, venous congestion, interstitial edema and obstructed mammary ducts.

5. Breast pain after abortion: This is because the pregnancy is suddenly interrupted, and the hormone level in the body drops suddenly, causing the newly developed breasts to suddenly stop growing, resulting in breast lumps and breast pain.

6. Breast pain after sexual intercourse: This is related to the physiological changes in the breasts during sexual intercourse. People with low libido or disharmonious sex life cannot achieve sexual satisfaction, so breast congestion and swelling are not easy to subside, or they subside incompletely. Continuous congestion will cause breast pain.

Premenstrual nipple pain is normal in most cases, and female friends do not need to worry too much, as it will usually disappear after menstruation. However, if the condition does not improve over a long period of time, or even becomes more severe, you can check yourself by touching it. If you find a lump that is uneven, has unclear edges, and has poor mobility when you touch it, you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible.