Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHeart-Related CausesDigestive CausesLung-Related CausesChest Wall PainFibromyalgiaShinglesBreast-Related CausesBreast CancerGet Medical Help
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Heart-Related Causes
Digestive Causes
Lung-Related Causes
Chest Wall Pain
Fibromyalgia
Shingles
Breast-Related Causes
Breast Cancer
Get Medical Help
Pain under the left breast could have many possible causes, such as injury, infection, or hormones. Several internal organs can also cause pain that radiates to the left breast, including the heart, lungs, stomach, pancreas, and spleen.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Some causes of leftbreast painare related to the breast itself; others are not. Because left breast pain can be a symptom of a heart attack, however, it is important to rule out this cause first.
Heart Attack
Thesymptoms of heart attack in femalesmay include:
These are often different than symptoms of a heart attack in males. Unfortunately, the often vague and subtle symptoms lead women to overlook the signs. Too often, that’s a fatal mistake.
When to Get Emergency Help for Chest PainCall 911 if you experience sudden unexplained chest pain withsymptoms of a heart attacksuch as:Pressure or squeezing in the chest.It may last just a few minutes or come and go.Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body.You may feel it in your arms, back, neck, or jaw area.Shortness of breathSweatingNauseaLightheadedness or passing out
When to Get Emergency Help for Chest Pain
Call 911 if you experience sudden unexplained chest pain withsymptoms of a heart attacksuch as:Pressure or squeezing in the chest.It may last just a few minutes or come and go.Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body.You may feel it in your arms, back, neck, or jaw area.Shortness of breathSweatingNauseaLightheadedness or passing out
Call 911 if you experience sudden unexplained chest pain withsymptoms of a heart attacksuch as:
Angina
Angina pain may last a few minutes but should go away with rest. In addition to chest pain, you may experience other symptoms such as:
Treatment for angina involves lifestyle changes and medication that can help prevent a fatal heart attack, which may includeaspirin,statins, andbeta-blockers.
Why Is There Pain in My Left Arm, and Does It Signal Something Serious?
Pericarditis
Pericarditisis a common cause of chest pain that results from inflammation of the pericardium, the protective tissue surrounding the heart muscle.
This condition can cause sudden, sharp chest pain that worsens if you lie down or breathe deeply. It may feel like a heart attack, but it’s not life-threatening.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAID), such as aspirin, Advil, and Motrin (ibuprofen), can help relieve the pain. This may be combined with another anti-inflammatory medication,colchicine, which helps reduce the chances of pericarditis recurring.
However, the underlying reason for the inflammation needs to be treated as well. These can include the following:
The Origin of Left Breast Pain
Other nerves aren’t as specific. They alert you to the general area of a problem, not the precise location.
It’s common not to know whether your pain is in your breast or in something close to it.
Your esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth and stomach. It runs below your left breast.
For mild heartburn, your healthcare provider may recommend an antacid and avoidance of acidic, high-fat, or spicy foods and drinks.
For more severe cases of GERD, you may be put on an acid-reducing medication, such as an H2 blocker or aproton pump inhibitor.
You should notice an improvement in your pain once the digestive problem is under control. If you don’t, let your healthcare provider know.
Your lungs sit behind your breasts. A few lung-related conditions can cause pain that’s mistaken for breast pain. They include:
Pulmonary emboli are medical emergencies that require immediate treatment. Other symptoms to be aware of include sudden shortness of breath and coughing.
Chest wall muscles located below your breast may spasm when you’re anxious or stressed. That can cause pain that lasts for a few seconds or several days.
You may also experience chest wall pain if you strain a muscle in your chest or you have a bruise or rib fracture. This type of chest pain may feel worse when you inhale.
Chest wall pain can appear on either side, though it’s less common on the right. It can range from mild to severe.It’s usually painful to the touch. The pain may radiate to your back or stomach and can feel sharp or stabbing.
It may get worse when you take a deep breath.Pains may even shoot down your arms.
Fibromyalgiais a chronic pain condition. It can cause pain anywhere in your body. Chest pain, including costochondritis, is fairly common.
Fibromyalgia paincomes from a disordered nervous system. It affects not only nerves, but muscles, joints, and connective tissues. The pain is usually:
Very often, fibromyalgia pain is made worse with gentle pressure. This is calledtactileallodynia.
While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, several therapies are available to help with pain. First-line treatments include the following drugs:
Sometimes pain feels like it’s either in the skin or on the outer surface of the breast. This may beshingles.
Treatment for shingles involves taking antiviral drugs, such as:
Pain and other shingles symptoms should resolve once the infection is treated.
Noncancerous Breast-Related Causes
Several breast conditions unrelated to breast cancer may cause pain in or under the left breast. They include:
Injuries
Your breasts are covered with sensitive, elastic skin that protects:
If you’ve had a breast injury, bruising and aches may last until the injury heals.
Sometimes an injury to the breast causes scar tissue. Scar tissue can cause pain andfatnecrosis, a breakdown of fatty tissue.It may appear as a hard lump. These lumps are hard to distinguish frombreast cancer, even on amammogram.
If you are experiencing mild breast pain due to a minor injury, use the following to reduce pain and inflammation:
Contact your healthcare provider if your pain does not improve after icing and using painkillers.
Can Your Bra Cause Breast Pain?A poorly-fitting bra can cause breast pain. Make sure you wear the appropriate size with proper support. Incorrect fit can cause sagging and pulling, which causes breast discomfort.
Can Your Bra Cause Breast Pain?
A poorly-fitting bra can cause breast pain. Make sure you wear the appropriate size with proper support. Incorrect fit can cause sagging and pulling, which causes breast discomfort.
Breast Surgery
After any type of breast surgery—augmentation,reduction, orreconstruction—your breasts will hurt as the incisions heal and scar tissue develops.
As with scar tissue from an injury, pain can come and go long after your surgery. Depending on the type of surgery, you may experience:
Your healthcare provider will likely prescribe painkillers for your recovery. They may also provide instructions for hot and/or cold compresses to help relieve breast pain and swelling. Take care to follow their instructions carefully.
Milk Duct Conditions and Infections
Several benign but painful conditions can develop inside your breast milk ducts.
If you suspect a breast infection or inflammation, see your regular healthcare provider or gynecologist. You may need antibiotics or other prescription medications.
Hormonal Causes
Hormone changes may cause breast tenderness. That’s especially true during the fluctuations of your menstrual cycle.
Other causes include taking hormones for:
You may feel pain in one or both breasts. It may be worse on one side. You might also feel it in your armpit.
Some thyroid diseases can lead to benign (noncancerous) breast changes that cause pain. These include:
The nature of the pain along with how it’s treated depends on the specific breast changes. If your pain is a side effect of another medication, your provider may switch your treatment to one that has a lesser effect on your hormones.
For breast pain due to thyroid dysfunction, your pain should resolve once your thyroid condition is under control. Treatment will likely entail thyroid medication (e.g.levothyroxinefor hypothyroidism) to return your thyroid hormones to a healthy level.
Lumps
Breast lumpscan show up at certain stages of your menstrual cycle. If you find lumps at other times, see your healthcare provider right away. It’s even a good idea to get lumps that are related to your cycle checked out.
Your provider can take the steps necessary to see whether a lump is benign or malignant (cancerous). They’ll likely use imaging tests and possibly a biopsy.
Pregnancy
Under the influence of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, breasts undergo many changes during pregnancy to prepare forlactation(milk production) and the possibility of breastfeeding.
As the breasts develop and increase in size and volume, you may notice that they feel especially tender and full and that the nipples are more sensitive.
Tender, swollen breasts are often one of the earliestsigns of pregnancy, appearing as early as one to two weeks after conception.
Many people find that applying a cold compress to sore breasts is helpful. Wearing loose clothes and a well-fitted bra for extra support is also recommended.
Left-Sided Breast Cancer
Breast canceris usually—but not always—painless in the early stages. A notable exception isinflammatory breast cancer.
This is an aggressive breast cancer that usually begins with:
This cancer often resembles an infection. Most of the time, you can’t feel a lump. The only early symptom may be pain in one breast.
Breast cancer in female breast tissue occurs slightly more often on the left side than the right. It occurs equally on both sides inmale breast tissue.
Breast pain is likely due to something other than cancer.Nonetheless, if you feel a lump in your breast or are experiencing unusual swelling, with or without pain, you should always see a healthcare provider for an evaluation.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Left-sided breast pain has many causes. Some are more serious than others. The only way to know for sure what’s causing your pain is to get medical attention.
Contact your healthcare provider if you experience the following with breast pain:
Pain is your body’s way of alerting you to a problem. Don’t ignore it or assume it’s harmless.
If your healthcare provider doesn’t find an explanation for your pain, keep pushing for one. If pain persists, consider getting a second opinion.
It’s not unheard of to have more than one cause of left breast pain. For example, you may have a breast cyst along with costochondritis.
Summary
The first thing to do when you have sudden sharp left breast pain is to get checked for a heart attack.
Pain under the left breast can come from injuries or conditions that affect the breast tissue and milk ducts. Breast cancer isn’t usually painful early on. An exception is inflammatory breast cancer, which also causes redness and swelling.
See your healthcare provider about left breast pain so you can have it diagnosed and treated.
35 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Johns Hopkins Lupus Center.Thyroid medications.
American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.
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Motosko C, Bieber AK, Pomeranz M, Stein J, Martires K.Physiologic changes of pregnancy: A review of the literature.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017 Dec;3(4):219-224. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.09.003
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