Causes
In most cases, pain or a strong pulling in the chest can be associated with the normal menstrual cycle. Until now, it has been assumed that hormonal fluctuations and the increase in various female sex hormones play a decisive role in this connection. Since the menstrual cycle is a very finely tuned system, deviations in normal hormone concentrations can also lead to a strong pulling in the breast.
In the normal menstrual cycle, the female sex hormone “estrogen” can dominate in the first half of the cycle. Approximately between the 10th and 12th day of the menstrual cycle, the concentration of the so-called luteinizing hormone (LH) begins to increase. This hormone plays a major role in stimulating ovulation.
In the second half of the cycle, the body’s own progestin progesterone (synonym: corpus luteum hormone) is considered the dominant hormone. Pain or a strong pulling in the breast can in principle occur during any change in hormone concentrations. In fact, however, it can be observed that a strong pulling in the breast can occur, especially when the corpus luteum hormone increases.
The direct cause of these complaints is increased water retention (edema) in the mammary gland tissue. The severity of the cycle-related breast complaints can vary greatly. Many women feel only a slight feeling of tension a few days before the onset of menstruation.
Other women, on the other hand, develop such a pronounced pulling in the breast that it becomes necessary to take pain-relieving medication. If the breast is pulled during the menstrual cycle, water may also be trapped in the area of the eyelids, hands, feet and/or legs.Another common cause of chest pain or tightness is the regular use of hormonal contraceptives (such as the “pill”). Complaints in the area of the breasts are among the most common side effects of estrogen-containing contraceptives.
Women in whom breast tenderness can be associated with hormonal contraceptives should therefore switch to progestin-containing contraceptives (such as contraceptive swabs). In addition, pregnancy can also lead to severe pulling or even pain in the breast. The reason for this is the fact that the mammary glands only fully mature during pregnancy and the subsequent breastfeeding period. This means that during pregnancy the size of the breasts can grow enormously. In general, feelings of tension and pulling in the breasts are considered to be one of the earliest indications of pregnancy.
