Hormonal Breast Tenderness

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

17 Feb 2009 05:43 PM

One of my least favorite symptoms of PMS is the breast tenderness. I guess I'm lucky that I don't suffer this particular symptom every month... but when it does hit, it sure does hurt!

During PMS and even pregnancy, hormonal changes can lead to discomfort in the mammary glands. Reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone) trigger growth in the milk producing glands. Blood and other fluids fill the nearby area. This can cause painful stretching to your nerves!

So what can you do to relieve hormonal breast tenderness?

• Try a diet change. A high-fiber, low-fat diet may signal your body to use estrogen differently. A study from Tufts University found that this sort of diet encouraged more excretion of estrogen, leaving less in circulation in the body to cause symptoms like breast tenderness.
• Watch your weight. Fat can store excess estrogen! Losing some weight may help relieve breast discomfort.
• Make sure you get plenty of vitamin C and B, plus magnesium and calcium. These vitamins and minerals can help regulate the body's production of hormones that activate the milk producing glands.
• Over the counter pain relievers can help reduce breast tenderness. This treats the symptom and not so much the problem itself, but if it gets you through the day, go for it! My breasts usually don't hurt enough to need painkillers, but the body is always full of surprises!
• Try cold. Or heat. Alternating the two might work, too. Everybody's body is a little different -- what soothes your pain might not work for somebody else.
• Wear a bra with excellent support. A jogging bra can help prevent stretched nerves from stretching farther. Bouncing around when you're already sore isn't going to help things.

Diuretics can provide only temporary relief. You'll flush extra fluid from your system, sure, but overuse of diuretics can throw your body off in other ways.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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