Symptoms of breast hyperplasia

Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
Updated on April 04, 2025
00:00
00:00

Breast hyperplasia mainly manifests as cyclical breast pain and tenderness, which often appears or worsens before menstruation and lessens or disappears after menstruation. Mild cases may not catch the patient's attention, while severe cases can affect daily life and work. However, some patients do not show obvious cyclical changes. Symptoms can include unilateral or bilateral breast fullness and pain or needle-like pain, which may extend to the shoulders, upper limbs, or chest/back area. A few patients may experience nipple discharge that can be yellow-green, brown, serous, or bloody. The condition can persist for a long time, but symptoms may disappear or lessen after menopause.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
51sec home-news-image

What does breast hyperplasia feel like to the touch?

Breast hyperplasia, found during physical examinations, can present as nodular lumps in one or both breasts. These lumps vary in size, are firm but not hard, and may sometimes be tender to touch. The boundaries between the lumps and surrounding breast tissue are unclear, yet there is no adhesion to the skin or chest muscles. Occasionally, the condition presents as an area of indistinct thickening, with lesions typically located in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, but it can affect the entire breast. The size of the lumps often changes with the menstrual cycle, enlarging during menstruation or shrinking afterward. Sometimes, there might be nipple discharge, which can be yellow-brown, serous, or bloody. The course of the disease can be prolonged, but symptoms usually disappear or lessen after menopause.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
54sec home-news-image

How to treat mammary gland hyperplasia?

Treatment of breast hyperplasia: The first aspect is psychological treatment. Breast hyperplasia is often related to fatigue, irregular life, mental tension, and excessive stress. To treat hyperplasia, it is foremost necessary to alleviate the pressures of life and work, eliminate worries, and maintain a relaxed mood and peaceful mindset, which can alleviate the symptoms. The second is the treatment with traditional Chinese medicine, which involves using some herbs that soothe the liver, improve qi circulation, invigorate the blood, remove blood stasis, and soften and dissipate masses. The third aspect is the treatment with Western medicine, generally involving hormones, which can alleviate pain, but have significant side effects. The fourth is surgical treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Shi Ting
Breast Health Department
1min 15sec home-news-image

What should I do if I have breast hyperplasia?

In clinical practice, based on different pathological types, breast hyperplasia can generally be divided into simple breast hyperplasia and cystic breast hyperplasia, and the treatment methods are different. For simple breast hyperplasia: If there are no symptoms such as pain, we generally do not use drug treatment. Maintaining a regular lifestyle, relaxing, eating less high-fat food, and drinking fewer caffeinated beverages are all beneficial. If the pain affects normal life and work, it needs to be treated in a timely manner to relieve the pain. Surgery is generally not recommended unless the growth mass cannot rule out malignancy. As for the treatment of cystic breast hyperplasia: If the cyst is small and the symptoms are mild, endocrine treatment can be carried out; If the cyst is large, has compression symptoms, or ultrasound suggests that the cyst wall is locally thickened, has abundant blood supply, or there are tumors attached to the cyst wall, or the patient is greatly stressed about cancer, surgical treatment can be considered.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
1min 7sec home-news-image

How to regulate mammary gland hyperplasia

For symptoms that are not severe or are mild, most do not require treatment, but regular re-examination of breast ultrasonography or mammography is necessary. For more pronounced symptoms, medication and symptomatic treatment can be used as follows: Bras can be used to support the breasts, and traditional Chinese medicine can be used to treat breast hyperplasia by smoothing the liver, regulating Qi, and harmonizing the Conception and Governing Vessels. Endocrine treatment can also be used, though it should be avoided as much as possible. However, for premenopausal women with severe pain, it can be taken before the onset of menstruation. When undergoing endocrine treatment, regular pelvic ultrasound examinations are required, as endocrine treatment may increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Vitamin treatment, such as with Vitamins B, C, and E, can improve liver function, regulate sex hormone metabolism, and enhance autonomic nervous function, and can be used as an adjunctive therapy for this condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
34sec home-news-image

Symptoms of breast hyperplasia

Breast hyperplasia usually manifests as cyclical symptoms such as swelling, pain, and tenderness that often occur or worsen before menstruation and may decrease or disappear after menstruation. Minor cases might not be a concern for patients, but severe cases can affect daily life and work. Symptoms might include pain in one or both breasts, which can extend to the shoulders, upper limbs, or shoulder blades. Additionally, a small number of people might experience nipple discharge, which could be milky, clear, yellow-green, or brown in color.