As women, we’ve all dealt with tender breasts at one time or another. From a breast that is sensitive to pressure, to a set that screams “off limits” to your partner—breast pain can get in the way from everyday life (i.e., intimacy to workouts). Here are six common yet sly sources of breast pain…
1. You Drink Too Much Caffeine
While your caffeine consumption isn’t a surefire reason for breast pain, research published by the National Institutes of Health draws a correlation between caffeine restriction and a significant decrease in breast pain for women with fibrocystic (or lumpy) breast tissue.
The study monitored a group of 113 female patients with fibrocystic disease who reported temporary bouts of mild, moderate, or severe breast pain, and asked them to restrict all caffeinated consumption (i.e., coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate) for one year. Findings revealed that after a 1-year duration of caffeine abstinence, 61-percent of participants reported a decrease in or no breast pain.