Are you worried about your Nipple Discharge?
Nipple discharge during pregnancy or while breast feeding is perfectly normal, if you are not pregnant you may experience discharge from one or both breasts, either when pressed or spontaneously. The colour may not indicate a problem but any unpleasant smell or traces of blood in the discharge should be reported.
Monitoring the health of your breast is important. It is a good idea to check your breast regularly to look out for any changes. If you have noticed any of the following changes in your breast you should seek medical consultation immediately. Although, in many cases even abnormal changes to the breast can turn out to be non-cancerous cysts, a benign fluid filled lump, or fibroadenoma, a lump of overgrown fibrous, glandular tissue, or lipoma, a harmless, soft fatty lump, or even simply a result of changes in your menstrual cycle, there are scenarios where your symptoms could be a sign of a serious medical condition and should always be taken seriously.
- If you notice a new lump or growth in the breast or the surrounding area and armpit
- If your breast has changed significantly in its size or shape recently
- If you notice small, dimpled areas of skin on the surface of the breast
- Inversion, altered position or shape of the nipples
- A rash or moist red area on or around the nipple
- Prolonged breast pain or discomfort
- Nipple discharge
If you have experienced any abnormal or unexplained symptoms in addition to nipple discharge or have experienced a large volume or regular expulsion of discharge it is important that you get your breasts examined by a professional. During your appointment a doctor will take a detailed medical history and listen to you describe the symptoms you are suffering from, they will likely need to perform a breast exam and if necessary order further tests to confirm a diagnosis.
Here at VIDA we have expert clinicians on hand to help diagnose and treat your condition. To find out more about these services, we recommend visiting the following pages:
- Abscess
- Birth control pills
- Breast cancer
- Breast infection
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
- Endocrine disorders
- Excessive breast stimulation
- Fibrocystic breasts (lumpy or rope-like breast tissue)
- Galactorrhea
- Injury or trauma to the breast
- Intraductal papilloma (a benign
- Mammary duct ectasia
- Medication use
- Menstrual cycle hormone changes
- Paget's disease of the breast
- Periductal mastitis
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding
- Prolactinoma