You are not alone if you have that monthly breast pain that you feel before your period. 90% of women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and most women have breast pain as one of the symptoms. Read on for more on breast pain before your period, and what you can do to alleviate the discomfort.

When Does Breast Pain Before Period Start?

Also known as cyclical mastalgia, breast pain before a period may start two weeks before the start of your menstruation, lasting the length of the luteal phase (second half of the cycle). It may become more intense a few days before your period, but it goes away once your period starts.
Breast pain varies among individuals and may include discomfort, tenderness, or pain in one or both breasts, or underarm area. Sometimes, your breasts may feel heavy or achy and hurt when touched.
Breast pain is not considered a symptom of breast cancer, in fact, most women with breast cancer do not experience pain in their breasts.

What Causes Cyclical Mastalgia?

Change in hormone levels is the suspected cause of breast pain but the exact hormones that cause it are not known. Some theories point the blame at excess estrogen and insufficient progesterone during the luteal phase, but studies have proven to be inconclusive on these theories.

Natural Remedies You Can Try

A Well-fitted Bra
Wearing a well-fitted bra allows your breasts some space to grow when they swell. Many women are wearing the wrong bra size. You can visit a bra consultant to get fitted properly.

Dietary Changes

Include more fibre and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, bak choy, etc to support your body’s removal of excess estrogen. Reduce fat intake as they may contribute to cyclical breast pain.

Herbal Remedies

Chasteberry, also known as Vitex, has been traditionally used to reduce symptoms caused by hormonal imbalance. Chasteberry, found in Meditrina Ageless Herbal Cream, improves breast swelling and pain that occur during PMS.

Exercise

Exercise helps to reduce stress and can help to reduce cyclical breast pain. If your breasts are starting to hurt in the week leading up to your cycle, go for low impact exercises such as swimming, yoga, walking and elliptical machines.

Cyclical breast pain can persist until menopause. If you experience pain that does not go away when your period starts, it could be a sign of an injury or inflammation. You should seek a medical evaluation if the pain is not related to your menstrual cycle.