Symptom: Breast swelling

Introduction: Breast swelling

Breast swelling: Swelling or enlargement of one or both breasts. See free access online books about Breast swelling below. See detailed information below for a list of 61 causes of Breast swelling, including diseases and drug side effect causes.

» Review Causes of Breast swelling: full list

Causes of Breast swelling:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Breast swelling. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Puberty - causes breast size increase.
• Menstrual cycle - may change breast size during the cycle.
• Contraceptive pill - may cause slight breast size increase.
• Hormone replacement therapy - may cause slight breast size increase.
• Mastitis
• Gynecomastia
• Breast abscess
• Sexual arousal - causes breasts to swell
• Lymphatic obstruction - may cause one swollen breast
• Pregnancy
• Newborn infant breast swelling - some newborns get temporary breast swelling from maternal hormones.
• See also causes of breast lumps, swelling, and breast pain

See full list of 61 causes of Breast swelling

» Review Causes of Breast swelling: full list

Causes of Types of Breast swelling:

Review the causes of these more specific types of Breast swelling:

• Male breast enlargement (12 causes)
• Gynecomastia (22 causes)

More types of Breast swelling

Breast swelling: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Breast swelling, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

• Breast swelling: Multiple Symptom Checker

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

• Breast swelling and Breast symptoms (50 causes)
• Breast swelling and Swelling symptoms (50 causes)
• Breast swelling and Sexual symptoms (30 causes)
• Breast swelling and Head symptoms (25 causes)
• Breast swelling and Face symptoms (21 causes)
• Breast swelling and Body symptoms (21 causes)
• Breast swelling and Behavioral symptoms (19 causes)
• Breast swelling and Male sexual symptoms (18 causes)
• Breast swelling and Weight symptoms (18 causes)
• Breast swelling and Personality symptoms (17 causes)
• Breast swelling and Mental problems (16 causes)
• Breast swelling and Weight gain (16 causes)
• Breast swelling and Infant symptoms (15 causes)
• Breast swelling and Weakness (15 causes)
• Breast swelling and Nerve symptoms (15 causes)
• Breast swelling and Sensations (15 causes)
• Breast swelling and Genital symptoms (14 causes)
• Breast swelling and Fertility symptoms (14 causes)
• Breast swelling and Growth symptoms (14 causes)
• Breast swelling and Arm symptoms (14 causes)

See full list of 614 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Breast swelling

Home Diagnostic Testing and Breast swelling

Home medical tests possibly related to Breast swelling:

• Colon & Rectal Cancer: Home Testing
  • Home Colorectal Cancer Tests
  • Home Fecal Occult Bleeding Tests
• Breast Cancer: Related Home Tests:
  • Home Breast Cancer Tests
  • Home Breast Lump Detection

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Breast symptoms (172 causes)
• Swelling symptoms (2077 causes)

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Breast swelling

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Breast swelling:

• Breast lump (61 causes)
• Breast pain (75 causes)
• Breast symptoms (172 causes)
• Breast infection
• Mastitis
• Nipple symptoms (79 causes)
• Nipple pain (6 causes)

Diagnostic Guides for Breast swelling

12 MEDICAL SYMPTOM BOOKS: FULL TEXT ONLINE! Read the full text of published book sections related to Breast swelling from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Breast swelling. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Breast swelling

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Misdiagnosis and Breast swelling

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Read more about Misdiagnosis and Breast swelling

Diagnostic tests for Breast swelling:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Breast swelling. Some of these are listed below :

• Physical examination
  • Examination the breasts when sitting and lying flat and assess any breast lump found for position, size, shape, consistency, tenderness, mobility and attachment to the overlying skin. e.g. a hard, irregular lump is suspicious of breast cancer; a firm, smooth and mobile breast lump may suggest fibroadenoma
  • Axillary and supraclavicular lymph node examination
  • Examine to see if there is a deformity of the breast associated with any mass e.g. an orange peel appearance of the skin over the tumor, retraction of the skin, retraction of the nipple or ulceration of the skin overlying the mass suggests breast cancer
  • Examine lump to see if it transilluminates - may suggest a cyst of the breast or a galactocoele. If it does not transilluminate it is probably a benign or malignant tumor.

See full list of 12 diagnostic tests for Breast swelling

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Breast swelling. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

• When did you first notice the breast swelling? - to establish if acute or chronic.
• Is it unilateral or bilateral? - if bilateral it may suggests benign mammary dysplasia or benign breast cysts.
• Does breast tenderness and swelling increase before the menstrual period and settle after the menstrual period? - suggests benign mammary dysplasia.
• Have you noticed "lumpiness" in your breasts in the past? - suggests benign mammary dysplasia.
• Has the swollen area been red or hot? - may suggest acute mastitis (most common) or inflammatory breast cancer.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Breast swelling (18 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Breast swelling) may include:

• Breast mass - suggests mastitis, abscess, benign mammary dysplasia or advanced breast cancer. If tender masses in both breasts consider benign mammary dysplasia.
• Painful breast lump? - a painful breast lump is most likely due to an infection (e.g. mastitis or abscess). Other possibilities are benign mammary dysplasia or advanced breast cancer. Note only 5% of breast cancers are associated with pain. The ache may extend down inner aspect of the upper arm in benign mammary dysplasia.
• Diffuse breast pain? - may suggest pregnancy, benign mammary dysplasia or the effect of oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy.
• Nipple discharge? - A bloody discharge from the breast suggests a benign breast cancer (intraduct papilloma), malignant breast cancer or sometimes benign mammary dysplasia. A pus-like discharge may suggest an abscess or mastitis. A watery discharge of various colors (clear to green-grey) suggests benign mammary dysplasia.
• Fever? - would suggest acute mastitis or abscess.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Breast swelling (18 listings)

Stories from Users for Breast swelling

Real-life user stories relating to Breast swelling:

• Swollen Leaking Breasts
• Breast Swelling...
• Swollen leaking breasts
• Swollen from below breast to vagina
• sore swelling breasts
• Fast swelling and color change in both ankles and feet
• Breast Soreness and Swelling
• Sore, swollen redish purple lump on breast

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Breast swelling or relevant symptoms:

• Integumentary (Skin) (244)
  • Itchy red bumps all over body? Hives?
  • Sensitive Skin to Touch
  • Painful skin and no answers!!!
  • Pinprick red dots, itchy skin, wrongly diagnosed
  • Skin blisters, joint & muscle pain, Photos..
  • More user stories
• Endocrine (Growth and Metabolism) (93)
  • Symptoms of Cushing's - Tests all negative
  • Has anyone been diagnosed with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome and are being treated??
  • Pitutary tumor
  • I am at my wits end with these symptoms
  • I think I have Cushings, can you help?
  • More user stories
• Hematologic/Lymphatic (Blood and Lymph) (106)
  • High platelet count
  • Extreme neck pain, swollen lymph node -help
  • Swollen lymph nodes in groin
  • Nipple Discharge
  • Swollen Lymph Node for 2 1/2 months
  • More user stories
• Sexual/Reproductive/Gynecological (456)
  • Bleeding during sex, help!
  • Tingling at the end of penis
  • 17, and i want a baby.
  • Prostatitis- Help me please
  • *i just need someone to respond please:(...
  • More user stories

Videos for Breast swelling

Patient Surveys for Breast swelling

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Medications or substances causing Breast swelling:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Breast swelling as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Contraceptive pill - may cause slight breast size increase.
• Hormone replacement therapy - may cause slight breast size increase.
• Aldomet (alphamethyldopa)
• Chlorpromazine
• Aldactone

See full list of 27 medications causing Breast swelling

Organs affected by Breast swelling:

The list of organs typically affected by Breast swelling may include, but is not limited to:

• Breast

Detailed list of causes of Breast swelling

The list below shows some of the causes of Breast swelling mentioned in various sources:

• 3?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency - enlarged male breasts
• Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome - normal female breast enlargement
• Androgen insensitivity syndrome, partial - enlarged male breasts
• Breast abscess - swollen breast
• Breast Cancer - breast thickening

See full list of 61 causes of Breast swelling

How Common are these Causes of Breast swelling?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Breast swelling. Of the 61 causes of Breast swelling that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 2 causes are "very common" diseases
• 1 causes are "common" diseases
• 3 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 0 causes are "rare" diseases
• 2 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 58 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 61 causes of Breast swelling

Conditions listing symptoms: Breast swelling:

The following list of conditions have 'Breast swelling' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

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Causes of Breast swelling Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Breast swelling based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: