BREAST LUMP
A tender lumpiness may arise in one or both breasts during early pregnancy or occasionally at the time of a period. This is normally hormone induced and is not serious. If the breast becomes tender and redness develops over the pain full area , either a breast abscess is about to form or acute mastitis is present , simple non-malignant lumps do frequently develop in the breast as do simple cysts , but medical evaluation is essential when any lump or cyst is discovered in the breast.
Evaluation
Evaluating a breast lump depends, in part, upon your age.
– Women under age 30: If you are under 30 years and you find a lump before your menstrual period, you may be advised to have a repeat breast examination after your period has ended. In this age group, breast lumps are often caused by hormonal changes and will resolve after your menstrual cycle.
If the lump does not go away when your period is over, you will likely need further testing with a breast ultrasound or needle aspiration biopsy to determine whether the lump is fluid filled or solid. Mammograms are not usually performed in women under 30 years old, although a mammogram may be needed if the ultrasound does not provide enough information.
– Women age 30 and older: Women who are age 30 or older who find a new breast lump will need a diagnostic mammogram.
Causes
The causes of breast lumps in women which are benign maybe any of the following
– Cysts: This is one of the most common causes of breast lumps in women before menopause. Breast cysts present as smooth, non-tender masses. They will often disappear over the course of the menstrual cycle, but those that persist will need further evaluation.
– Fibroadenoma: These are solid and round benign tumors that are made up of both structural and glandular tissues. So that named as “Fibro adenoma”. Usually these lumps are painless, and a woman finds them by themselves. They are rubbery in consistency and can easily be moved around. Fibroadenomas are the most common type of tumors in women in their late teens and early twenties. Fibroadenomas do not become malignant.
– Periductal mastitis: This condition is of infection and inflammation around the area of the nipple. This may be common in women who smoke.
– Inflammation: Some kinds of infections can cause inflammation or abscess.
– Fat necrosis: Fat necrosis is painless, round and firm lumps formed by damaged and disintegrating fatty tissues. This condition typically occurs in obese women with very large breasts. It often develops in response to a bruise or blow to the breast, even though the woman may not remember the specific injury. Sometimes the skin around the lumps looks red or bruised. Fat necrosis can easily be mistaken for cancer.
– Papilloma: This is a small wart like growth that projects into the breast ducts near the nipple. Any slight bump or bruise in the area of the nipple can cause the papilloma to bleed. Single intraductal papillomas are common in women nearing menopause. Multiple intraductal papillomas, in contrast, are more common in younger women. They often occur in both breasts and are more likely to be associated with a lump than with nipple discharge.
– Lipoma: Lipoma is a fatty lump.
– Fibrocystic Disease: The overgrowth of fibrous tissue results in thickening of the breast tissue causing lumps.
– Phyllodes tumors: These tumors may be cancerous or benign.
Breast lumps are abnormal bulges or masses of tissue located anywhere in one or both breasts. These lumps may even extend up to the lower areas of the arms.
Clinical Features of breast lumps
– It can vary in shape and size.
– It can be a tiny lump or a large one.
– Its shape can be round or uneven.
– It can be painful or painless lump.
– Characterized by a deep pink or red color around them.
If you discover a lump in one breast, examine the other breast also. If both breasts feel the same, the lumpiness is probably physiologically.
If you notice that one or both your breasts have lumps that exhibit the following qualities:
– Lumps are newly formed which are unusual to you.
– Lumps are unevenly shaped.
– Lumps are fixed or firmly attached to the chest wall.
– Lumps are hard and solid.
– There is wrinkling of the skin over the lump.
– Unrelated to a Menstrual cycle or do not disappear after the next menstrual period.
– Lumps are surrounded by reddened skin.
You should consult your doctor and not let fear delay you. It’s natural to be concerned if you find a lump in your breast. But it’s important to remember that most of all breast lumps are benign, which means no cancer is present. The sooner the problem is diagnosed, the sooner it can be cured. , it is time to consult your doctor
Self examination:
1. Breast self examination is easy to learn and you should get into the habit of examining your breasts once during your monthly cycle. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says you should know what is normal for your breasts. ACOG recommends lying down with a pillow under your right shoulder and placing your right arm behind your head. Using the finger pads of the three middle fingers on your left hand, feel around for any lumps in the right breast. Press firmly but gently. If you’re not sure how hard to press, talk with a health care professional to learn the correct technique.
ACOG says you can either move up and down or in a circular motion going outward from the nipple. Just make sure you cover the entire breast, chest and armpit area. You’re checking for:
– Lumps
– Changes in appearance including puckering and dimples
– Changes in size or shape
– Pushed-in or misshapen nipples
Reverse arm positions and repeat this procedure on your left breast.
You can also examine your breasts while standing, with your one arm behind your head. Again, make sure you cover the entire breast, as well as the chest and armpit area. You can do this standing examination in the shower. You might also want to check your breasts this way by standing in front of a mirror so you can look for any changes in the appearance of your breasts such as swelling or dimpling.
PREVENTION
– Diet:
A high saturated fat diet (high in diary products, red meat and fatty foods) increases the risk. Consider making changes to your diet. Elimination of caffeine and a low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet is helpful for some women. Caffeine avoidance has been a popular treatment measure in women with breast pain. Two randomized clinical trials on Some women find that by reducing or eliminating their intake of caffeine (coffee, tea, cola drinks) and taking Vitamin E supplements (400 IU daily) has seemed to improve their symptoms. Whether such improvement is pharmacologic or placebo in nature is still under debate.
– Emotions: This is still controversial but there is some evidence that the way women respond to stress may affect their chances of getting breast cancer. Those who do not express their emotions and have a sense of hopelessness and helplessness seem at greater risk
Previous Breast cancer: Women who develop breast cancer in one breast are six times more likely to develop breast cancer in the other.
– Wear a well-fitted support or sports bra
Homeopathic symptoms and cure
Homeopathic remedies are prescribed on the basis of symptoms rather than conditions, as each case of a particular illness can manifest differently in different people. There are many symptoms which can be effectively treated by homeopathy few symptoms are given below. If your symptoms are matching to any of the symptoms given below, it can be cured mail the disease and symptom number at drraishyam@gmail.com to know your medicine.
1. Cracked fissured nipples, blisters with honey type discharge; mentally the patient is extremely dull, sluggish, and lethargic. On the other hand there is extreme anxiety over trifles.
2. The patient is extremely sensitive to pain, patient will be adequately covered with blankets, only comfort is from heat. Breast tender to touch, it limits the extent of suppuration if used in high potency.
3. Salivation during sleep pain breast at night worse heat or cold swelling without heat cracked ulcerated nipples discharge offensive. Psychologically patient has a strong impulse to kill the child or husband (postpartum depression)
4. Tendency to recurrent abscess, spasm of pain when child nurses, pain in the breast radiates all over the body, breast hard or soft. Milk too lumpy and thick, tongue has red tip. Psychologically patient is depressed, wants to be left alone and weep, grief over loss of pregnancy.
5. Breast usually tender and sore pain in uterus when child nurses, abscess heal very slowly inverted nipples, plugged duct tender breast.
6. Lump is hard, nodular and tender to touch in the beginning. Then the pains are reduced and the lump turns to be hard due to calcification. Breasts are swollen and tender before menses. Patient complains of profuse sweating around the genitalia with foul smell. Patient is anxious, tired and weak, both mentally and physically.
7. The mammary gland is enlarged and there is a lump, which is hard. They are very sensitive to touch. The glands which are enlarged are tender with infiltration. Women of late twenties are affected. These patients present with hard but not serrated mass with firm rubbery consistency. Their edges are sharply defined and bloody discharge from nipple. All the glands of the body are very sensitive to cold and they are worse by taking cold.
8. Post-traumatic lump with pain and tenderness. The lesion is fixed to the breast tissue, which sometimes causes dimpling of the overlying skin. Engorged nipples, cracks and discharges of watery fluid. The patient is weak and emaciated, defective assimilation. All-gone sensation or empty feeling in the stomach, not relieved by eating. Chronic catarrhal condition of the membrane of the stomach. Patient is thirstless. Obstinate constipation, colicky and crampy pain in the abdomen. Liver is enlarged and tender.
9. The breast tissues are hypertrophied, enlarged, hard and nodular. Emaciation of the patient due to malabsorption. The tumours are well differentiated with leaf-like protrusions, ulceration occasionally, excoriating and acrid discharge from the nipple or from the lesion. Oedematous swelling of the affected breast.
10. Fibroid tumours, intense burning pains in the parts. The tumors have pliability and a kind of softness rather than hardness. The margins are clear, the glands have elasticity.
11. Lumps are hard and painful, stitching pains in nipple, and itching inside the breast, discomfort worse just before and during period, wanting to press breast hard with hand
12. Cysts with purplish tinge and more tender before and during period, chill, damp weather and emotional strain make discomfort worse
13. Pain comes and goes suddenly, weeping tendency dry tongue with thirstlessness, feels better in open air worse in warm room.
14. Breasts swollen, hard, and thickened, nipples sore, cracked, and blistered, obese patient.
15. Breasts painful and engorged with milk at time of period
16. Breasts red, throbbing, and heavy, lying down makes discomfort worse
17. Breast feels hard, slightest movement makes pain worse
18. Small, flaccid breasts which enlarge and harden before period
19. Gradual loss of fatty tissue, bluish-red lumps in skin of breasts, tendency to feel hot all the time
20. Pulsating pain with hardness of the breast, a sudden headache often accompanies the mastitis
21. Tender ness of the rest of the breast, which feels hard, the breast, is painful even from the touch of clothes during walking.
22. Worst right breast, discoloration of breast with red streaks, breast very sensitive to touch, high fever.
23. Breast hard as stone worse right or left breast, lips dry and parched, tongue coated thick white. Psychologically patient is irritable and wants to be alone, does not want to be touched or moved, headache, feels as if head would burst.
24. Cracked nipples, swelling of the mammae esp right, internal itching in breast, drives patient to despair, better by rubbing and scratching, mammae heavy, hard to walk down steps.