Introduction
After ovulation the second half of the female cycle begins. This is associated with hormonal changes, which also affect the breast. In the two weeks that elapse between ovulation and menstruation, water retention in the breast increases. The resulting feeling of tension is one of the triggers for the perceived breast pain. The symptoms tend to increase with age, but in many cases they subside after menopause, as hormonal changes occur.
Causes
The cause is mainly to be found in the normal regulatory cycle of the female cycle. In the first half of the cycle the hormone estrogen dominates. Due to a complex control cycle, ovulation occurs, whereupon the second half of the cycle begins.
In this phase the hormone progesterone dominates instead of oestrogen. Progesterone causes water to be stored in the breast tissue. The sudden increase in volume triggers a feeling of tension, which can be perceived as unpleasant and painful.
After 14 days the progesterone phase ends with menstruation, which indicates the start of a new cycle. The progesterone drops again and the water retention in the breast also decreases. Another hormone that plays a role especially in women is prolactin.
It is secreted by the pituitary gland and is responsible for preparing the breast for the production of milk in case of possible fertilisation. Women who react more sensitively to prolactin perceive the changes that prolactin causes in the mammary glands with a feeling of tension. If prolactin is the cause of breast pain after ovulation, a diagnostic workup can differentiate whether the hormone is in the normal range or elevated.
Causes of unilateral chest pain
A unilateral chest pain is typically not cycle-dependent, i.e. it cannot be influenced by the hormonal changes. The causes can be an injury or contusion of the breast or even the ribcage. After medical interventions, such as a tissue removal, pain can still occur a few days later. Other diseases of the mammary gland, such as dilation of the milk ducts or inflammation of the mammary gland (mastitis) can be a cause of unilateral chest pain.
Chest pain after ovulation- a bad sign for pregnancy?
Pregnancy can only occur in the female cycle within a limited period after ovulation. Therefore, post-ovulation chest pain is not a bad sign of pregnancy if the egg is successfully fertilised, but rather a sign of pregnancy or a normal symptom throughout the pregnancy. Already during pregnancy, one can observe remodelling processes in the breast, which should prepare the breast for breastfeeding.
In addition, a so-called first milk is produced by the mammary gland. After the first breastfeeding, this forms into full-fledged breast milk. An increasing swelling or hardening of the breast with feelings of tension and moderate pain are therefore a very common occurrence during pregnancy.