With the arrival of menstruation, a stride of signs shows us that the body is preparing for its bleeding time. With a cocktail of hormones in support, it sometimes goes through less pleasant symptoms, such as tension and pain in the breasts.
Do you feel swelling, pain or hypersensitivity in the chest at the time of menstruation? Mrs. L'Ovary explains how to relieve painful breasts and better accompany these symptoms during your period!
Breast pain and menstruation: what happens?
Breast pain, or mastodynias, can be manifested by hypersensitivity to the touch, a feeling of heaviness, swelling or spikes of pain in the chest. They are often characteristic of premenstrual symptoms and are usually felt equally in both breasts. These pains can manifest up to two weeks before the onset of menstruation and gradually intensify.
Having breast pain before or during menstruation is often a cyclical pain mainly caused by hormonal changes in the body.
Different links between breast pain and menstruation
To find out how to relieve painful breasts at the time of menstruation, let's start by looking at their potential sources.
Although the exact causes of breast pain are not yet known before menstruation, they may be related to, among other things:
- Hormonal disorder: characterized by a high level of progesterone that makes the breast tissue swell;
- Diet: the consumption of processed foods, too salty, too sweet, containing bad fats, or stimulants can affect the rate of inflammation or water retention in the body, which can cause pain;
- Water retention: the body tends to swell when menstruation arrives and contain a larger amount of water, which can also inflate the breasts;
- Inflammation: it is no secret that a rate of inflammation plays a role on premenstrual pain and during the bleeding period, and can be manifested by breast pain;
- Stress: as we have seen, stress and menstruation do not mix well. A high rate of stress or a rhythm that is too active for the body can contribute to PMS in general, and therefore to breast pain.
Our 4 tips to relieve painful breasts
1. Wear clothes and underwear that suits you, or not!
Since breasts can swell before or during menstruation, wearing a wider or more comfortable armband helps some women relieve painful breasts. This helps to better support the chest and avoids additional pressure or tension on the breasts.
If you are wearing bras, we suggest wearing sports sizes or going up a size to ease the pain.
For other women, not wearing a bra and choosing soft, loose-fitting sweaters can also be a solution. It's your body, it's up to you to see what suits you best! Psst! To complete your underwear set for your period and find ultimate comfort, check out our Wellness Kit.
2. Adapt your diet
As we mentioned earlier, having breast pain before or during menstruation can be part of the PMS lot. To help relieve these premenstrual symptoms, you can change your diet slightly when they occur.
What helps:
- Decrease the consumption of coffee or tea: these stimulants can have an impact on breast inflammation before or during menstruation and can also increase menstrual cramps.
- Eat less salty and less fat: we are obviously talking about bad fats, which can accentuate the retention of water in the body.
- Give preference to fiber and essential fatty acids: fruits, green vegetables, legumes and oilseeds are to be preferred on the menu.
- Make sure you stay hydrated: it's of course good at all times, but it helps to accompany water retention!
Little tip: raw flaxseed helps to reduce water retention before the arrival of menstruation.
3. Give yourself relaxation time
As we know, stress can have a significant impact on menstruation. And in the lot of unpleasant effects, stress can play on breast pain before or during menstruation.
To relieve painful breasts during menstruation, you can therefore start by taking stock of your stress level. Most of the time, we get used to it so much that we don't even realize it's there!
To remedy this, you can therefore adopt methods of breathing, relaxation or meditation that will help you refocus and find peace. The key: return to the present moment and in your body. This will help you reduce inflammation and stress!
If stress is particularly present in your life, we also invite you to assess the source. It is also the gift of our menstruation! They allow us to take stock of what no longer suits us, and leave us the choice to leave it behind us. 🌊
4. Try natural treatments
A series of plants and natural methods have been shown to be effective in relieving painful breasts, including:
- Burying or borage oil: these omegas rich in fatty acids reduce inflammation and act on the hormonal system. Little more, they help to strengthen and moisturize the hair, nails and skin!
- Chasteberry berries: also called Vitex agnus-castus,this plant has been shown to be effective in lowering premenstrual symptoms and their effects on the breasts. It can be taken as a mother tincture.
- Diuretic herbal teas: In case of swelling, diuretic herbal teas can help evacuate some of the retained water.
- Gentle massages on the chest: several massage techniques can improve blood circulation and make lymphatic drainage. If you try this method, go smoothly, with what makes you feel good!
Other anti-inflammatory treatments can help relieve sore breasts. Do not hesitate to consult a health professional at your disposal to find appropriate remedies!
Stays tuned to your body
When it comes to menstrual pain, there is no single solution. The key is to listen to you, to observe your body and its changes and to accompany it with gentleness and kindness!
To understand what helps you relieve your sore breasts, try methods that speak to you and take notes regularly about the evolution of symptoms. This will allow you to better know what you need, when and how.
Over time, you get to know yourself better, love yourself better, and live a harmonious and fulfilling menstrual cycle! ❤️
