Symptoms:
There is tenderness and discomfort in the breast.


Cause:
Breast tenderness is a common characteristic of the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and early pregnancy. If caused by PMS, the tenderness may occur regularly every month; if associated with early pregnancy, missed periods and a positive home pregnancy test will reveal that.

The cause is generally the natural cycles of your reproductive hormones, which are estrogen and progesterone. They signal the milk-producing glands in the breast to grow and areas around them to expand with blood and other fluids to nourish the cells. This can result in stretched nerve fibers and a sense of pain.

Then there are fibrocystic changes, which include lumps and cysts (see "Breast Cyst" for more information).

Treatment:
• For breast tenderness, apply vitamin E on the area, and be sure to include enough essential fatty acids in the diet (5 gm, 3 times a day). Flaxseed oil, sunflower seed oil, or wheat germ oil are best.

• Selenium is an antioxidant and helps prevent breast tenderness.

• Using caffeine products is linked to breast tenderness.

• Discomfort and soreness in the breast is also a symptom of fibrocystic breast disease (see "Breast Cyst)."