Breast pain

Breast pain is usually linked to periods

Symptoms of breast pain caused by periods:

• dull, heavy or aching pain – from mild to very bad
• pain that begins up to 2 weeks before a period, gets worse and then goes away when the period ends
• usually (but not always) affects both breasts and sometimes pain spreads to the armpit

How to ease the pain yourself

You can:

• take paracetamol or ibuprofen, or rub painkilling gel on your breasts
• wear a properly fitted bra during the day and a soft bra to sleep in

There's little evidence that vitamin E tablets or evening primrose oil help with breast pain.

See a GP about breast pain if:

• it's not improving or painkillers are not helping
• you have a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery
• any part of your breast is red, hot or swollen
• there's a history of breast cancer in your family
• you have any signs of pregnancy – you could do a pregnancy test first