Breast Pain
Alternate Names : Breast Tenderness, Mastalgia, Mastodynia, Pain - Breast
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Breast Pain: Home Care & Treatment
For fibrocystic breasts or other breast tenderness that occurs just before your period:
- Avoid caffeine.
- Try taking vitamin E and vitamin B complex with extra B6. (These supplements help some but not all women.) Some women also report improvement from evening primrose oil.
- Eat a diet low in fat and high in fiber.
- Talk to your doctor about possibly taking birth control pills. These can help relieve pain.
If you have a breast infection, you will need antibiotics. Look for signs of infection like localized redness, nipple discharge, or fever. Contact your doctor if you have these signs.
Just after an injury to the breast occurs, apply a cold compress such as an ice pack (wrapped in a cloth -- don't apply directly to the skin) for 15 to 20 minutes. Take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen to reduce the likelihood of developing persistent breast pain or swelling.
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