Shooting breast pain is a problem that affects many women for different reasons. If you are experiencing shooting breast pain, it's a good idea to visit your health care provider to see whether it is the result of a bigger problem. When looking for relief of breast pain, you can find remedies from things around your home to drugs prescribed to you by a doctor. With the help of your health care provider, you can find relief that works for you.
Causes
In order to treat your shooting breast pain, you should first identify the cause of it. Not only can it help you prevent the pain, but it can also alert you and your doctor to a possible bigger problem. Some of the reasons that you might be experiencing shooting breast pain could be linked to breastfeeding. If you are breastfeeding and experiencing pain, have your doctor check for mastitis, an infection that can occur in nursing women. You may also have a problem with your hormones that is causing the pain. If you have very large breasts, or have had recent surgery on your breasts, you may experience a shooting pain as well.
Nonmedical Relief
You can find relief for your shooting breast pain at home, without the use of medicine. Warm compresses are often helpful to relieve pain, alternated with a cold compress. Purchase a more fitted bra, or choose to wear a sports bra even at night to keep the breasts compressed to your body to relieve pain. Meditation and relaxation therapy can also help in situations where your breast pain is perpetuated by stress or anxiety. You may also consider eliminating caffeine from your diet, which can affect your blood vessels with the chemical methylxanthine and cause shooting breast pain.
Medical Relief
In some cases, cold compresses and relaxation therapy aren't enough to help you cope with your breast pain. With the help of your doctor, you can engage in a pain medication regimen to help you deal with your shooting pain. A basic over-the-counter ibuprofen should help more mild cases. Taking an oral contraceptive may also help regulate the hormones that can cause shooting breast pain. Some medications may actually cause shooting breast pain as a side effect, so you may want to reduce the dosage of that medication or stop taking it altogether. Talk to your health care provider to find a solution for relief of your shooting breast pain once and for all.
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