If you have breast lumps that cycle with your menstrual period, you’ve got plenty of company. A majority of women, as many as 80 percent, experience the condition at least occasionally. Some experts say that Fibrocystic Breast Disease is a normal condition during a woman’s childbearing years. But other experts warn against taking this too lightly. They say for some women, the pain of fibrocystic breast disease or its potential for complications is too serious to ignore. Some facts about fibrocystic breast disease: - Hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle are the cause of fibrocystic breast disease. Doctors suspect that an imbalance of estrogens over progesterone is responsible. - Early signs of fibrocystic breast disease may occur in women aged 20 to 25, but most patients are in the 30 plus age range. Symptoms are usually most severe during the years that precede menopause. - Women who suffer from symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are predisposed to fibrocystic breast disease also, because both conditions are influenced by similar hormonal factors. - If you began menstruating at a young age, do not use birth control pills, have no children, or have a history of miscarriage, your chances of developing fibrocystic breast disease are increased. - Ten to fifteen percent of those who have fibrocystic breast disease experience no discomfort, while in others the pain may become constant and severe. Heavy menstrual bleeding, ovarian cysts, and irregular periods commonly accompany this pain in more severely affected women. - Although fibrocystic breast disease originates in the breasts, the pain and tenderness may spread to the underarm area, where the lymph glands may become enlarged at the same time that other symptoms occur. - Fibrocystic lumps are noncancerous. That is, they are classified as benign. It is important to have firm evidence that a lump is fibrocystic before taking any reassurance to this. To rule out cancer for sure, one or more tests will be needed: a biopsy, ultrasound, or mammogram. All of these have good track records for detecting fibrocystic breast disease. |
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