Tension in the chest and ovulation
introduction
Chest pain is known in technical terms as mastodynia. They can have many different causes. In women, this is most often due to hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle.
Whether the cause is cycle-related or other etiologies can usually be seen from the monthly pattern. There is no fixed rule as to when exactly in the cycle segment the feeling of tension in the chest occurs. Many women complain of the greatest pain shortly before menstruation, while in others the symptoms start a few days earlier.
Read more on this topic at: Ovulation chest pain and ovulation pain
root cause
The reason for the pain is that Fluctuation in hormonal balance during the monthly cycle.
One occurs just before ovulation estrogenrise. The follicle, the tissue around the mature egg cell, produces more estrogen and thus initiates ovulation. At the same time, due to the strong rise in estrogen, there is a positive feedback with the pituitary gland, whereupon the stimulus increasingly releases LH (lutenizing hormone).
LH causes the follicle to be converted into a corpus luteum after ovulation. The corpus luteum consists mainly of fat and is used to produce progesterone.
In the second half of the cycle progesterone thus the predominant hormone, while the estrogen level drops again after ovulation. Progesterone prepares the uterus and the body in the event of fertilization for a possible implantation of the egg. If the implantation is not carried out, the progesterone level falls again and withdrawal bleeding occurs (menstruation).
Occurrence just before / during ovulation
Estrogens have in addition to that Cycle / fertility regulation also affects other organs, such as the kidney.
In the kidney it increases under the action of estrogen Sodium and water retention, less water is excreted. As a further consequence, it can result in increased water content in the body too Edema come.
Many women therefore complain of swollen hands, eyelids, or a puffy feeling before or during ovulation. The chest pains are also increased Water retention established in the breast tissue. The growth of the breast, due to the swelling of the tissue, puts the skin under increased tension and thus increases the sensitivity of the skin nerves that supply it.
After ovulation
As described in the Causes section, a will occur in the second half of the cycle Drop in estrogen and one Increase in progesterone. Progesterone has a protective effect when it comes to water retention.
In women who report increased chest tension and pain in the second half of their cycle, a progesterone deficiency should be considered as the cause.
This represents a special form premenstrual syndrome there.
Symptomatic symptoms occur shortly before menstruation, including feelings of tension in the chest, nausea, food cravings, diarrhea, mood swings, reduced drive, headaches and back pain.
The reason for this is an imbalance in the estrogen / progesterone balance. Estimated 25-50% of women of childbearing age suffer from premenstrual syndrome.
treatment
In the case of pronounced symptoms with a high level of suffering, the substitution of Sex hormones help in the sense of oral contraceptives. Analgesics or antidepressants are also used if the symptoms are severe.
If it is less pronounced, certain Trigger substances like alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine help.
With regard to treatment options for pain during the first half of the cycle, therapy with analgesics (pain relievers) or contraceptives (oral contraceptives) can also provide relief.
The oral contraceptives aim to be permanent balance of the estrogen and progesterone levels and thus prevent concentration peaks as they occur in the physiological cycle.
Non-drug measuresthat promise possible improvement include warmth, light exercise, and diuretic teas (nettle tea).
Occurrence just before / during ovulation
In addition to regulating the cycle and fertility, estrogens also have an effect on other organs, such as the kidneys.
In the kidneys, the effects of estrogen lead to increased sodium and water retention, and less water is excreted. Another consequence of the increased water content in the body can be edema.
Many women therefore complain of swollen hands, eyelids, or a puffy feeling before or during ovulation. The pain in the chest is also due to the increased water retention in the breast tissue. The growth of the breast, due to the swelling of the tissue, puts the skin under increased tension and thus increases the sensitivity of the skin nerves that supply it.
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