Breast lumps are common—affecting 8 out of 10 women—and fortunately most are not cancerous. Depending upon where in your menstrual cycle you are, you will probably detect some lumps. Chances are if you feel a breast lump just prior to your period, it will disappear by your period’s end.

During the premenstrual time, hormones can cause an increase in the nodularity of breast tissue—simply meaning a greater tendency for small lumps and nodules. This nodularity tends to create benign cysts, the kind that ultimately go away. However, if you have a persistent breast lump, it is important to have your doctor examine you in order to determine if testing, such as breast ultrasound, is necessary.

In the instance of breast lumps (as with other things) size does not matter—big or small, a breast lump that does not go away should be properly evaluated.

Breast Different Sizes

As no two snowflakes (or bodies, or ears or lips or vaginas!) are alike, no two breasts—no matter if they’re of a pair—are alike. One breast will always, to some degree, seem of a different size than the other, and that is completely normal. Different is normal.