What causes chest tightness and breast pain?

Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on February 13, 2025
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Chest tightness and breast pain are primarily considered to be caused by breast hyperplasia or mastitis. It is recommended to visit a hospital for an examination, including a breast ultrasound, to identify the cause and receive appropriate treatment. Diet should be light, avoiding spicy, greasy, cold, and irritating foods. It is also important to check for symptoms of pregnancy using a test strip. If pregnancy is ruled out, the symptoms may be due to breast hyperplasia or mastitis. Under a doctor's guidance, anti-inflammatory and anti-infection medications should be taken as treatment. Additionally, maintaining a good mood, avoiding anger, ensuring adequate sleep, and not staying up late can significantly aid in recovery from illness.

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Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
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Breast engorgement but not much milk, what's the problem?

Breast pain with scanty milk supply may be due to milk stagnation in the ducts. It is recommended to visit a formal hospital's breast department for an ultrasound or routine blood test to determine if inflammation is present. If the blood count exceeds 10,000, it indicates that the milk was not fully drained during breastfeeding, causing it to accumulate in the lobules of the breast tissue, leading to bacterial mastitis. In this case, it is advised to stop breastfeeding and treat the inflammation symptomatically. Local warm moist compresses, as well as peri-inflammatory injections of isotonic saline, can be used to help reduce the inflammation. Antibiotics such as penicillin, cephalosporins or erythromycin may be chosen.

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Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
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Can cupping therapy be used for breast distension and pain?

Breast pain can be treated with cupping, but it is ineffective because breast pain is related to fibrocystic breast changes, which are often caused by endocrine disorders leading to elevated levels of estrogen. Generally, we can treat it with traditional Chinese medicine, using methods to soothe the liver and regulate qi, and harmonize the thoroughfare and conception vessels to alleviate the pain. Endocrine treatment can also be used, though it is generally avoided if possible. However, for significant pain during the pre-menopausal period, therapy can be initiated before the menstrual period. Treatment with vitamins B, C, and E can improve liver function, regulate sex hormone metabolism, and enhance autonomic nervous system functions. These serve as supplementary medication for this condition. Vitamin E in particular also helps alleviate pain.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Is it normal to have breast pain in the late stages of pregnancy?

In the later stages of pregnancy, it is normal for pregnant women to experience breast pain. This occurs because, in the late stages of pregnancy, levels of estrogen and progesterone increase. Under the combined influence of these hormones, the mammary glands become congested and swollen, further proliferate, and the mammary ducts expand, leading to breast pain. This condition prepares the body for breastfeeding after childbirth. When breast pain occurs, one can use a hot towel to apply heat to the breasts to alleviate the pain. Additionally, it is important to choose comfortable bras daily, avoiding those that are too tight or small, as they can cause compression on the breasts.

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Written by Wu Shi Ting
Breast Health Department
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What is premenstrual breast pain?

Many female friends are troubled by breast pain before their period. What exactly is the reason for this? Why do symptoms of breast pain appear before the period? Mild breast pain may be due to changes in hormones within the body, and it is considered a normal physiological condition. Of course, it could also be caused by diseases, such as the commonly seen fibrocystic breast changes, which show cyclical breast pain with the menstrual cycle. Indeed, other diseases can also cause cyclical pain in our breasts, and it is something that we need to pay attention to. Especially in cases of severe pain, where even light touch causes a lot of pain, we recommend going to the hospital for relevant examinations as soon as possible.

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Written by Ding Ying Bo
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Brown vaginal discharge and breast pain, is it pregnancy?

Brown vaginal discharge and breast tenderness, if occurring after a delayed period, especially when effective contraceptives have not been used, may indicate early signs of pregnancy. This is because a low level of progesterone after conception can lead to a threatened miscarriage, manifesting as brown discharge. Moreover, following conception, a rapid rise in estrogen and progesterone levels in the body can stimulate the breasts, causing tenderness and pain. However, brown discharge and breast tenderness can also occur just before menstruation begins, as the endometrium thickens and hormonal fluctuations can lead to shedding. Thus, the presence of brown discharge and premenstrual breast tenderness, coupled with a noticeable increase in progesterone levels, can also stimulate the mammary ducts, resulting in breast pain. Therefore, it is difficult to determine based on symptoms alone whether the manifestations are due to a delay in menstruation or early pregnancy. A hospital laboratory test is necessary to confirm, generally advocating for an HCG test as it is the most accurate for confirming pregnancy and can determine with near 100% certainty, with little room for error.