Teenager worried about pain in breasts

I am a 15 year old girl. I started my periods at the age of 14. My breasts are very heavy and hurt sometimes. Do teenage girls often have such feelings in the breast? How do I get rid of the pain?

I have also some whitish patches on the sides of my breast. What are these? Please advise.

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 Response: You have just stepped into adolescence. Your breasts are growing. And they are growing rapidly too, causing growing pains just like your legs. As your breasts grow, the skin around gets stretched and so also the other tissues around it causing pain, and because both the breasts don’t always grow at a uniform rate and evenly, sometimes only one breast hurts.   So it’s absolutely normal for many girls to have such feelings during their teens. This problem is more enhanced if your boobs are big. 

No medication is required for this as this pain is a part and parcel of growing up and you’ll have to put up with it.  However you need to support your boobs with an appropriate well-fitting bra. Ill-fitting bras too can also cause pain, more so if your boobs are large. 

Another reason for breast pain is hormonal. This happens with most menstruating women. Your breasts tend to become sore, tender and heavy just before your periods and the pain subsides at the commencement of your period. It’s one of those PMS symptoms and is called cyclical breast pain. (Read Home Remedies for PMS)  This pain is mostly manageable and occurs for a short period. Talk to a gynecologist, only if the pain is too severe.

To ease the pain in your breasts, you can do the following things: Avoid activities such as jogging, running and other high impact exercises that may cause excessive bumping of your boobs, especially when you are PMSing or experiencing soreness. And as mentioned earlier, wear a bra of correct fit. Avoid usage of bras at night. Try low-fat diet and avoid dairy products and junk food, during PMS as some studies suggest that high levels of saturated fats consumption can make the breasts more sensitive to hormone levels. Eat more of fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of water and avoid caffeine and carbonated drinks.

As regards the white patches, I don’t really think that these are white patches as such. Most probably these are the stretch marks on the sides of your breasts. At this age, your breasts, buttocks and thighs are growing fast and not only do they pain but they also tend to develop stretch marks and are often the result of the rapid stretching of the skin associated with rapid growth or rapid weight changes.  You need not worry too much about them as they normally fade over time.  Keep your skin well-hydrated by drinking lots of water and this will also help minimize the appearance of these marks. 

But if you feel these are not stretch marks, these white patches could possibly be some fungal, yeast or bacterial infection. In any case, this has to be confirmed by a dermatologist. So without hesitation go and seek the opinion of a reputed dermatologist / skin specialist. Depending on what you have, you will be treated with local creams or lotions to easily get rid of these patches.

Moreover to prevent or treat skin infection in the breast region, it’s better if you follow some tips. Always wear a well-fitting bra during daytime. Do not wear clothes that are too tight at the breasts. Rashes, skin infections and irritations can happen due to dark, humid environment that provides a perfect breeding ground for microorganisms to grow.  At night, allow your breasts to breathe; do not wear bra while sleeping. And while taking a bath, do take care to wash the area around your breasts and in the creases thoroughly.   Also use unscented mild soaps and body washes and avoid ones that may cause irritation and skin allergy.

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