health

The breast is made up of fatty tissue filled with pockets called lobes, each
of which contains many smaller pockets called lobules. After a woman
gives birth, these lobules produce milk. As a woman goes through her
menstrual cycle, the body releases hormones that cause the pockets in
the breast to enlarge and hold extra fluid. At the end of the cycle, this
swelling disappears, but fluid can sometimes get trapped in these openings.
Over time, cysts can form.
Fibrocystic breast disorder usually affects women between the ages of
30 and 50. The lumps often are especially noticeable before and during
menstruation. When a woman reaches her 50s or 60s and stops menstruating,
these symptoms usually disappear as well.