I Have Very Large Lumps In Both Breasts. I'm 14 Years Old. What Could These Be?

Question

Asked by DaintyDollyz

I Have Very Large Lumps In Both Breasts. I'm 14 Years Old. What Could These Be?

The lumps go from being extremely painful, to painless, to painful again, sometimes on a daily basis. They take up the majority of both breasts -; I feel almost no soft tissue. My doctor has said these are nothing to worry about. Any advice?

Answer

At your age, these lumps are almost certainly part of puberty. As you grow and develop, your breasts will go through a lot of "growth spurts," which are characterized by "breast buds" - areas of hard, lumpy tissue that signal your breast is about to grow. For more on this, please read our teen guide to breast development.

As you grow older, you may find that this lumpiness continues, even after puberty. Some women just naturally have hard, lumpy breasts. When you're an adult, this condition is called  fibrocystic change; it's quite common in women in their 20s, then can gradually dissipate as you grow older. You might be dealing with this, in its very early stages. It's not cancer; it's not a disease; it's "normal" for you, just a pain in the neck.

The reason you're experiencing periodic breast pain is probably purely hormonal. Once you start your period, your hormone levels fluctuate quite a bit, and this can cause breast pain and soreness. If it gets too bad, the doctor can probably give you something for the pain. Additionally, some women have reported relief when they cut caffeine from their diet; so if you drink coffee, tea, or cola drinks, or eat a lot of chocolate, you might consider cutting back on those.