Swelling of the breast

Introduction

Swelling of the breast can have various causes and can occur in different forms. In general, a swelling (lat. : “tumor”) is an increase in volume of a tissue, which can usually be perceived as a palpable or visible enlargement and change of shape of the original state.

A swelling of the breast is thus characterized as a one- or two-sided increase in the volume of the breast. The swelling can be sharply defined, for example as a lump, palpable or more diffusely distributed in the tissue, so that the entire breast appears swollen. As a classic sign of inflammation, the swelling of the breast can also be accompanied by redness, overheating or pain in the swollen area.

Cause

The causes of breast swelling can be very different and are based on different diseases or circumstances. There is no general cause for the swelling of the breast. The cause can be determined by combining various examinations, accompanying symptoms and information provided by the patient.

In the following section the most common causes of breast swelling are explained:Mastitis is a benign inflammation of the female breast that can occur both during and outside of breastfeeding. Due to various causes, such as a milk congestion, bacterial infection or skin injury, an inflammation of the glandular tissue occurs, which is accompanied by redness, swelling and overheating of the breast, and often also fever. The complication can be a breast abscess, which is extremely painful.

Mastopathy is a benign tissue alteration of the breast due to hormonal fluctuations. The breast tissue feels lumpy and may appear swollen depending on the extent of the mastopathy. Up to 50% of all women are affected by mastopathy at least once in their lives.

Typical are cycle-dependent pains, which usually occur immediately before the period. Swelling of the breast can be caused by tumorous changes in the breast. These include cysts, fibroadenomas, papillomas or hamartomas.

Unlike cancer, for example, these are benign changes in the tissue. The swelling can often be felt as a lump. Also in the context of breast growth and breast differentiation during puberty, swellings of the breast are quite normal and natural.

The most common benign tumor of the breast is the so-called fibroadenoma. After an operation on the breast, for whatever reason, swelling of the area of operation is very common and to a certain extent also normal. This goes down after a few days, depending on the extent of the operation.

If the wound healing is disturbed or even a bacterial infection of the wound occurs as a complication, the swelling can remain longer. Injuries or bumps in the breast can lead to bruising, which in turn causes swelling and chest pain. The breast is very sensitive to pain and therefore injuries there are perceived as very unpleasant.

In the acute situation it helps to cool the chest well. This can counteract the development of a swelling of the breast. During pregnancy and breastfeeding a swelling of the breast is very common.

In the context of hormonal adjustment mechanisms, the glandular tissue of the female breast changes during pregnancy. The breast becomes larger and adapts to the forthcoming breastfeeding period. During the breastfeeding period, swelling of the breasts is therefore quite normal.

For various reasons, such as milk congestion, the breast can sometimes be very painfully swollen. Consistent regular breastfeeding is a good remedy for this problem. However, if a real inflammation (mastitis) develops, medical treatment is necessary.

Unfortunately, there are also malignant diseases such as breast cancer, which can lead to swelling of the breast. Not only women can get breast cancer, but also men. Often nodular changes in the breast are palpable.

However, this does not always have to be the case. Nodules usually feel different from nodules in benign diseases. Nodules suspected of being tumorous are usually blurred.