When it comes to breast surgeries, breast augmentation gets a lot of attention. But bigger isn’t always better. Many women with naturally large or pendulous breasts experience a host of ailments, from back pain and poor posture, to unwanted attention and limited clothing options.
For some women, breast reduction surgery can dramatically increase their quality of life and make them feel more confident. Even better, depending on the cause and reason for breast reduction surgery, some or all of its cost might be covered by insurance.
Here’s how you can tell if breast reduction is the right option for you.
Your Breasts Get In the Way of Your Life
Did having to run a mile in gym class or shoot hoops on the basketball team leave you feeling filled with dread during your school days? Do you avoid working out now because your breasts move around and cause you discomfort?
Many women find it difficult, if not impossible, to find a sports bra that offers enough support for their breasts during exercise. Other women might experience trouble breathing or feel like they are being choked when they try to run, thanks to the size of their breasts. If your breasts are interfering with the things you want to do in life, a reduction surgery might be a good option.
Your Breasts Hurt You
Breasts can be heavy, especially when they are very large. That extra weight can cause a great deal of pain in multiple ways. First of all, it can put extra weight and pressure on your back and shoulders, leading to chronic pain in those areas.
Second, your bras might have to work overtime to fully support your breasts. If you’re wearing bras that don’t fit you properly and you’re depending on the shoulder straps to keep your breasts supported, you’re going to end up with impressions and dents in your shoulders from the straps, which can be painful.
Heavy breasts can also contribute to headaches. And if the skin of the breasts rubs against the skin on your chest, that can also cause irritation and itchiness.
You Have Trouble Finding Clothing That Fits
Although it’s become easier and easier to find larger clothing in stores and online, shopping for tops, bras and dresses that fit a larger than average pair of breasts can still be a big challenge. Everyone knows you need to try on bras before you buy them to get a good fit. But most lingerie stores or departments don’t carry sizes over a D or DD cup.
Depending on what style of tops or dresses is currently in, finding clothing that fits and looks good can also be a challenge. Some dresses might fit your chest but be huge everywhere else. When it comes to shirt shopping, it’s common for women with bigger breasts to completely give up on tops that button up or that have high or very low necklines.
Your Posture is Suffering
The extra weight that very large breasts add to your body can negatively affect your posture. It’s tough to sit up or stand up straight when you basically have two weights strapped to the front of your body, pulling you down. The poor posture can actually contribute to nerve pain and damage over the years, as standing or sitting with slumped or slouched shoulders puts pressure on the thoracic outlet.
You Just Don’t Like the Size of Your Breasts
Although plenty of women decide to have a breast reduction because they are experiencing discomfort or other ill effects or because they have a medical reason to reduce their breast size, it’s also possible to want a breast reduction for cosmetic reasons. Perhaps you’ve always felt self-conscious about having larger breasts and have dreamed of living your life as a B-cup. A breast reduction can give you breasts that are the size you’ve always wanted them to be.
If you are ready to learn more about breast reduction or want to see if it really is the right surgery for you, contact Dr. Paul Vitenas in Houston, Texas, today. Dr. Vitenas is a board certified plastic surgeon with more than three decades of experience performing breast surgeries. To schedule your consultation, call 281-484-0088.
