Why are my breasts sore?

Like most parts of the body, breasts can be sore from time to time. Not only for girls, but for guys, too. You may be worried about your body's development, about what causes breast soreness, and even about cancer. If you're a girl, you may have noticed a slightly sore feeling when you wash your breasts in the shower. Or maybe you felt an ache when you've rolled onto your stomach in bed. Sometimes it may have felt like your breasts gained 10 pounds overnight. If you're a guy, you may have noticed some tenderness and even a lump beneath your nipple area. Whether it's a dull ache or a sharp pain, soreness in your breasts can be scary. TV shows, magazines, and newspapers are filled with information about breast cancer, so it's easy to think your pain could make you a statistic, but don't freak out. The truth is that breast pain in a teen is rarely cancer. So what is pain from and how can you be sure? Why Do I Have Breasts Anyway? All mammals have breasts and humans are no exception. Breasts, which are milk-producing glands, begin to enlarge in females around the onset of puberty. Breasts are made of fat and other tissue that surround and protect nerves, blood vessels, and milk ducts (small tube-like paths). The main biological reason young women have breasts is to allow them to feed babies. Since long before the invention of the bottle, babies have been nursed (fed milk) straight from their mothers' nipples. Although some women give their babies formula from bottles, many women still breastfeed their newborns. In fact, doctors recommend breastfeeding as the best way to meet a baby's nutritional needs. The timing of breast development varies from girl to girl. Most girls begin getting breasts around 10 or 11, but it's normal for breast development to start anytime between the ages of 8 and 13. In general, it takes 4 to 5 years for a girl's breasts to reach their adult size. When guys start puberty it is common to develop a small amount of breast enlargement too. During puberty, hormones in the body can cause the breasts to grow larger. The difference is for guys, this condition is called gynecomastia and is usually temporary.

Many women have breast tenderness and pain, also called mastalgia. It may come and go with monthly periods (cyclic) or may not follow any pattern (noncyclic). Cyclic pain is the most common type of breast pain. It may be caused by the normal monthly changes in hormones. This pain usually occurs in both breasts. It is generally described as a heaviness or soreness that radiates to the armpit and arm. The pain is usually most severe before a menstrual period and is often relieved when a period ends. Cyclic breast pain occurs more often in younger women. Most cyclic pain goes away without treatment and usually disappears at menopause. Noncyclic pain is most common in women 30 to 50 years of age. It may occur in only one breast. It is often described as a sharp, burning pain that occurs in one area of a breast. Occasionally, noncyclic pain may be caused by a fibroadenoma or a cyst. If the cause of noncyclic pain can be found, treating the cause may relieve the pain. Breast pain can get worse with changes in your hormone levels or changes in the medicines you are taking. Stress can also affect breast pain. You are more likely to have breast pain before menopause than after menopause.