

Wider says, since this can help relieve muscle tension that might be making the breast soreness worse. Putting a warm compress on your boobs to promote blood flow can also be helpful, Dr. You may even want to try a topical version if the pain is really intense (just note that your topical medications contribute to your daily dosage if you also choose to take oral medications). So, you might think you’re experiencing breast pain after your last period, but it could be due to ovulation occurring before your next one. This pain or tenderness may continue until the start of your period and then linger for a few days after its onset, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Again, this is a time when the body is experiencing a surge of hormones, and progesterone levels rise right after ovulation. Ovulation itself, which happens about two weeks before your period, can be another culprit.

“The hormone levels significantly decrease once your period starts, which is why the breast pain tends to improve within a few days of the onset of your period,” Dr.

In this case, your breasts may become sore about three to five days before the onset of your period and tend to stop hurting once your flow begins, but this can vary by person. Hormonal fluctuations can also lead to fibrocystic breast changes (the development of non-cancerous lumps in your boobs) around your period, which can contribute to tenderness, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Together this results in swelling and breast tenderness,” women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, MD, tells SELF. Specifically, rising estrogen levels in the first two weeks of your cycle can temporarily cause your breasts to get bigger, while increasing amounts of progesterone during the second half may make your milk ducts puff up. Ross, MD, a women’s health expert and author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women's Intimate Health, tells SELF.

But experts do know that hormone levels fluctuate around that time of the month, and that can impact how your boobs feel, Sherry A. The jury is still out on the exact mechanisms behind breast soreness that develops before your period. What causes breast pain around your period-and how long does it last?
