Breasts are dynamic organs that change considerably over a lifetime in response to aging and variations in the body’s hormone production. Understanding these changes can help you to distinguish between normal variations and something that may require medical attention. Most conditions causing change, lumps or pain are benign.

The breasts respond to estrogen and progesterone during each menstrual cycle, with growth and fluid retention that can range from barely noticeable to somewhat painful.

During perimenopause, hormone levels begin to fluctuate, and menstrual cycles may become irregular. Effects … More