What Are the Treatments for Pain in Breast After Injury?
A breast injury can prove extremely painful. During the injury, damage to breast tissues breaks open blood vessels and damages the structure of the breast, leading to a inflammation, swelling and pain.
A breast injury can prove extremely painful. During the injury, damage to breast tissues breaks open blood vessels and damages the structure of the breast, leading to a inflammation, swelling and pain. In extreme cases, breast injury can even lead to fat necrosis and lump formation in the breast, as well as the formation of scar tissue. A few simple steps to prevent and treat inflammation and swelling can relieve pain following a breast injury.
Cold Compress
A simple treatment to help treat and prevent breast pain following injury is to apply a cold compress. Following injury, blood pools at the trauma site and stimulates an inflammatory response, which contributes to the pain experienced. Applying a cold compress helps to prevent swelling at the injury site and helps suppress an inflammatory response, ultimately easing the pain associated with the injury. MedlinePlus recommends placing a bag of ice in a towel and applying the cold compress for 15 to 20 minutes immediately following the injury. Using a cold compress along with other pain management aids can significantly relieve the pain associated with breast injury.
NSAIDs
Another way to relieve pain after breast injury is to take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or an NSAID. These drugs help relieve pain by inhibiting the body's natural inflammatory response after injury, easing swelling and pain in the breast. NSAIDs work on a molecular level, inhibiting chemicals secreted by the injured cells and the immune system but does not inhibit the body's healing process. HealthLinkBC lists ASA, or aspirin, and ibuprofen as over-the-counter NSAIDs. Patients with a pre-existing bleeding condition or abnormally thin blood should consult with a doctor before taking NSAID medication, as these drugs can think the blood and increase bleeding.
Other Analgesic Medications
If some cases, pain following a breast injury may require painkilling medication in addition to NSAIDs. Extreme pain may require drugs like narcotic painkillers that work at a molecular level to relieve pain. Some types of painkillers, such as opiates, block the activation of pain centers in the brain and induce euphoria to relieve pain. Alberta Health Services indicates that narcotic painkillers can be used in combination with over the counter NSAIDs like ASA to further ease pain. Patients seeking narcotic painkilling medications should do so under the supervision of a doctor, since many of these drugs can prove highly addictive.