Hot flashes and night sweats are uncomfortable symptoms commonly associated with menopause. There are, however, other subtle symptoms of menopause, such as itchy breasts.
What Causes Itchy Breast?
Hormonal changes that occur during menopause can cause breasts to become painful or itchy. Although many menopause symptoms (such as hot flashes, urine leakage, and dizziness) are more common in Black women, “somatic” symptoms (such as breast discomfort, tenderness, and itchy breasts) are not influenced by race.
Other somatic symptoms include swelling, weight gain, appetite changes, and headaches. With age, Black women often report that their menopause symptoms worsen, while in white women, there is often a decrease in menopause symptoms with age.
Somatic symptoms associated with menopause worsen in women between 45 to 47, regardless of race. Having longer menstrual cycles and poor physical health increases the likeliness of breast itchiness and other somatic symptoms.
During menopause, hormone levels (such as estrogen) decrease, causing itching and other breast changes including:
- Breast tenderness
- Sore nipples
- Shrinkage of breast tissue
- Breast or nipple itching
A decrease in estrogen levels during menopause not only causes breast changes, but hormone changes can also cause the skin to shrink (atrophy), becoming thin and dry. Thinning skin can be very sensitive and dry skin is prone to itching.
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Home Remedies
There are some things you can do at home such as: