Pain and discomfort in the chest area appear in many women, but not everyone goes to the clinic for examination. Most of the fair sex do not take their he alth seriously enough, always hoping that unpleasant symptoms will disappear by themselves. It is absolutely impossible to do this, because these manifestations are a signal of developing mastopathy of the mammary gland. What is it, and why is it important to treat the disease in time?
Mastopathy: basic concepts
The medical term “mastopathy” is a fairly common disease that affects the mammary glands. It is characterized by pathological growth of the soft tissues of the breast. Such growths are benign neoplasms. By themselves, in some cases, they may not bring discomfort. So why is breast mastopathy dangerous? It causes other more serious manifestations.
According to international statistics, about 40% of women have this diagnosis, while all women from 14 to 60 years old are at risk. ATpostmenopausal period, the risk of the disease is significantly reduced. This feature is explained by the direct dependence of the disease on the level of hormones in the female body.
Such a seemingly harmless disease carries a great risk, since a benign tumor can turn into a dangerous malignant one at any time.
The structure of the female breast
To understand what breast mastopathy is and how to protect yourself from it, you should understand the structural features of the female breast itself.
The entire mammary gland consists of the smallest alveoli - small bubbles, the inner surface of which consists of a special glandular tissue. Alveoli are able to increase and contract, as they consist of myoepithelial cells. Each alveolus contains many lactocytes and a duct. Through it, the accumulated secret is removed from the alveoli.
One mammary gland consists of about 15-20 lobes, from which large milk ducts pass into the nipple. Each lobe is a cluster of smaller ones, there are from 30 to 80 of them. They are formed by a group of 150-200 alveoli.
Besides the lobules of the alveoli, there are other types of tissues in the female breast:
- glandular;
- fatty;
- connective.
The amount and ratio of these tissues completely determines the size and for the most part the shape of the breast.
Mastopathy of the mammary glands: what is it and why does it occur
Doctors knowingly associate this disease with the state of the hormonal background of a woman, becauseit is the level of production of progesterone and estrogen that becomes the impetus for the appearance of mastopathy. What causes hormonal imbalance?
- Abortion. Artificial termination of pregnancy is considered a difficult test for the body, requiring the restructuring of the work of all organ systems.
- Diseases of the female reproductive system. In the list of such diseases: inflammation of the ovaries, endometriosis, fibroids and many others.
- Irregular sex life, abstinence.
- Multiple sexual partners, promiscuity.
- Some thyroid and liver diseases.
- Incorrect selection of oral contraceptives or their incorrect use.
There are other factors that can trigger the appearance of signs of breast mastopathy in women. It should be noted that they only increase the risk of developing the disease, but are not the causes:
- various breast injuries;
- bad habits (abuse of cigarettes and alcohol);
- constant stressful situations, overwork, frequent depression;
- tight underwear (this causes poor circulation in the mammary gland);
- bad environment in the area of residence;
- heredity - genetic predisposition slightly increases the risk;
- hard physical work, excessive stress on the body;
- no breastfeeding completely or for a very short period;
- lack of iodine in the body.
Statistics show thatamong patients with this diagnosis, there are many women who did not give birth before the age of 30.
Clinical picture
The disease is characterized by a bright characteristic clinical picture, while the symptoms change over time. At the very beginning of the disease, women feel:
- chest heaviness;
- unpleasant and painful sensations in the mammary glands;
- feeling like there is a foreign object in the chest.
The very onset of a disease is usually accompanied by a change in state. So, in the first half of the menstrual cycle, women do not feel any special symptoms of breast mastopathy. Pain and heaviness appear only in the second half, so such manifestations are often regarded as premenstrual syndrome.
The lack of treatment leads to worsening of the condition. Later, the following symptoms are added:
- heaviness and pain become constant;
- pain in breast mastitis often radiates to the armpit;
- small seals appear in the mammary gland - a woman can feel them on her own;
- in some cases, there is a deformation of the mammary gland, which is visible during examination;
- presence of discharge from the nipples - they can be transparent or yellowish.
At this stage, it is impossible to postpone a visit to the doctor, since some of the above signs of mastopathy of the mammary glands are also characteristic of other diseases, for example, oncology.
Several phases of mastopathy
The development of the disease consistsof several phases, largely depending on the age of the patient.
1 phase. This stage of the development of the disease is often observed in women under 30 years of age. The peculiarity is that the symptoms are often tied to the menstrual cycle (at this age it is usually regular).
2 phase. This stage is characterized by the most striking manifestations of signs of mastopathy of the mammary glands and occurs in the fair sex aged 30 to 40 years. It is quite easy to explain this pattern. The fact is that it is at this age that women often have an imbalance between the amount of two hormones produced: estrogen and progesterone. A change in the hormonal background can provoke a decrease or increase in the hormone prolactin - it is he who is responsible for the engorgement and painful condition of the mammary gland).
3 phase. According to medical characteristics, in the third phase of mastopathy, small cysts appear in the mammary gland, the cavity of which contains secretory fluid. This stage of the disease is often diagnosed in women aged 40 and older.
It is worth emphasizing: the division into phases by age can be considered rather conditional, since some negative factors can worsen the overall picture of symptoms. Their list includes the poor ecology of the region and the bad habits of the patient.
Types of mastopathy
Speaking of mastopathy, one cannot ignore the differentiation of the disease according to some signs. One of these characteristics is the growth rate of neoplasms. In this regard, allocate:
- proliferative type - hecharacterized by slow growth of connective tissue;
- non-proliferative type - the neoplasm grows much faster, while requiring increased attention from doctors, as it increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
The neoplasms themselves also differ. On this basis, mastopathy is divided into several forms.
Fibrous form
This type of mastopathy is characterized by the development of fibrosis, that is, connective tissue cells located between the ducts. Due to the growth of interductal tissue, the ducts themselves narrow. In especially severe cases, the duct is completely closed, which is accompanied by severe pain and the appearance of compacted areas in the mammary gland. Fibrous mastopathy of the breast is often observed in women aged 35–40 years.
It is characteristic that the fibrous form of the disease affects mainly the outer upper sections of the mammary gland. Patients notice pronounced pains a few days before menstruation - they can cover not only the chest, but also the armpit area, give under the shoulder blade.
Cystic form
Distinguishing this form of the disease from all others is quite easy. Its feature is the development of cysts. A cyst is a neoplasm of connective tissue with a cavity inside. The cavity is usually filled with liquid. Depending on the size of the affected area of the mammary gland, cysts can be either single or multiple. The blockage of the channels of the breast leads to the appearance of seals.glands and the impossibility of outflow of fluid. The result is an accumulation of fluid in the lobes and the appearance of dense tissue areas.
Most of the patients with cystic mastopathy of the breast are women who have reached the age of 50. It is at this stage of life in the female body that a serious hormonal failure occurs, associated with an increase in estrogen production.
Feature of diffuse cystic mastopathy
This type of disease has a distinctive feature - the appearance of not one large, but numerous small neoplasms. There is no order in this process, cysts can occur in absolutely different parts of the mammary gland, and quite often both breasts are involved in the process at once.
If pain occurs before the onset of menstruation, a woman may complain of the following symptoms of breast mastopathy: discomfort not only in the chest, but also in the area of the shoulder blades, armpits, and collarbone. In some cases, the clinical picture may weaken, especially in the long course of the disease.
Diffuse fibrous form
This is another type of disease, the symptoms of which are completely identical to those of other forms of mastopathy. However, there is a significant difference - the formation of a rounded dense node in the mammary gland. Such a knot is not connected to the surrounding tissue, is quite mobile and has clear boundaries.
An experienced doctor can easily feel this neoplasm by palpation. More often, diffuse fibrous mastopathy of the mammary glands is observed in girls and women under 25 years old.
Modern diagnostics
Today, medicine has all the possibilities for the early diagnosis of mastopathy, so at the first symptoms a woman should go to a mammologist - this is the doctor who treats breast disease.
Initial reception. During it, the doctor collects as much information as possible about the patient and the medical history. In this case, such details as symptoms according to the patient, information about the general state of the woman’s he alth, the presence or absence of harmful factors will turn out to be important.
Palpation. Feeling the mammary glands is one of the main diagnostic methods. An experienced mammologist will detect the presence of neoplasms immediately. Based on these data, a decision will be made on further methods of laboratory and hardware research.
Mammography. It is a special type of hardware diagnostics, during which breast tissue is carefully examined. For patients, such an examination is completely safe and painless. However, the accuracy of this diagnostic method is as high as possible. So, in the presence of neoplasms in the breast, mammography will show pathology in about 95% of cases. It is for this reason that women are encouraged to get regular mammograms.
Ultrasound of the mammary gland with mastopathy. Another type of hardware diagnostics, which allows to identify the presence of seals in the chest with maximum accuracy and obtain data on the location and size of the neoplasm.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imagingtomography). This type of diagnosis is not always used. It is indispensable only in cases where all previous methods did not give a complete picture of the disease.
A blood test for hormones. The laboratory research method allows you to check the level of hormones in the patient's blood. This characteristic is especially important for prescribing an effective correct course of therapy.
Biopsy. A biopsy puncture is a procedure in which a long, thin needle is inserted into the affected breast. With its help, a tissue sample of the neoplasm is removed. Histological examination determines the nature of the tumor: it is benign or malignant. Such a diagnosis is not prescribed for everyone, but only if patients are suspected of having an oncological disease.
Hormonal treatment
With this treatment, patients are prescribed drugs to restore hormonal levels.
Important! Only a doctor should select the appropriate hormonal therapy, since the wrong choice of the drug and its dose can accelerate tumor growth and lead to complications.
A course of hormone therapy is not prescribed in all cases. The decision in this regard is made based on the results of a detailed examination. Several groups of drugs are used as medicines, since it is necessary to treat mastopathy of the mammary gland for a long time and in a complex manner.
Oral contraceptives. Their use is rational for women under 35 years old. These drugs have side effects, so you need to take themunder medical supervision.
Gestagens. Among such funds, Utrozhestan, Progestogel, Duphaston are distinguished. They can be presented in different forms (for oral use and for topical use).
Prolactin secretion inhibitors. The main task of such funds is to control the production of the hormone prolactin, which largely restores the he alth of the mammary gland.
Non-hormonal treatment
How to treat breast mastopathy without hormones? The peculiarity of this therapy is the complete absence of hormonal drugs. Among the advantages of this approach are a small number of side effects and relative safety from the influence of hormones. At the same time, there is a serious drawback here: the use of non-hormonal drugs gives results only in certain forms of mastopathy.
- Anti-inflammatory (for oral and external use). With the help of such drugs, symptoms are relieved: pain disappears, the inflammatory process in the tissues is eliminated, and swelling decreases.
- Vitamin complexes. Vitamins are necessary for the female body to increase immunity, restore the psychological state, and block the growth of pathological cells. Especially recommended for those women who regularly face hard physical work, stressful situations.
- Folk treatment of breast mastopathy. The use of herbal medicine and othersfunds is based only on reducing symptoms and increasing immunity. These prescriptions should not be used as a primary medicine.
- Iodine. Preparations containing such an element as iodine normalize the functioning of the thyroid gland and significantly inhibit the growth of various types of tumors.
- Homeopathy. The use of such funds helps to reduce the level of prolactin. This action allows you to block tumor growth and speed up recovery.
- Sedatives. Quite often, complex therapy also involves means for normalizing the psychological state. Given the fact that breast mastopathy can develop due to stress, sedatives have a positive effect on the entire body of a woman.
Surgery
This option is effective in the treatment of the mammary gland from nodular mastopathy. Under the surgical intervention is understood the operation, during which:
- remove the tumor along with a small amount of surrounding he althy tissue (this approach is called sectoral resection);
- The neoplasm is carefully removed without damaging he althy tissue (such an operation is called enucleation).
In general, surgery acts as a drastic measure when other treatments fail. There are several recommendations for surgery.
- If the biopsy reveals a malignant origin of the tumor. In this case, it is impossible to delay, and the treatment of nodular mastopathy of the mammary gland is performed as soon as possible.
- When observedoverly active growth (new growth doubled in just a couple of months).
If after pumping out the fluid in cystic mastopathy of the mammary gland, the cyst fills with fluid again after a while. Removal of seals is performed under local or general anesthesia, while the woman can return to normal life the very next day
Food
In addition to complex treatment, a special diet for mastopathy of the mammary glands is extremely important. It lies in the careful observance of proper nutrition. A woman's diet should include a large variety of vegetables and fruits, fish and lean meat every day.
What you absolutely should refuse is coffee, chocolate, cola, cocoa, as well as strong tea. All these products contain methylxanthines, which contribute to the appearance and growth of various neoplasms in tissues.
No matter how terrible and invincible breast mastopathy is for thousands of women, it is one of the common diseases from which effective means of getting rid of have long been found. Timely contacting the clinic will significantly speed up the recovery process and minimize the risk of complications of the disease.
