Galactorrhea is an abnormal secretion of colostrum, milk or fluid from the nipples of the mammary glands, which was not provoked by lactation, pregnancy. Pathology occurs in about 4% of women. It is worth noting that in about 75% of all cases, the disease occurs in nulliparous women. Men who are interested in the fact that this is galactorrhea should know that a similar problem occurs among men, but very rarely.
Signs of disease
Pathology can be either unilateral or bilateral. The secreted liquid has a milky or light milky color. If we talk about quantity, then it can be very different, and discharges appear constantly or periodically. They can also be spontaneous or appear exclusively after pressure on the nipples. The ICD-10 code for galactorrhea is O92.6.
To signs of pathology, which may be optional andfickle, include the following:
- nipples increase in size, painful sensations appear;
- nipples may start to get rough and swell;
- palpation feels discomfort and slight pain;
- traces of secretions remain on linen;
- in the area of the nipples and areolas, redness is observed, maceration of the skin begins to appear;
- Men rarely experience gyno.
It is worth noting that galactorrhea is, first of all, the presence of discharge from the nipples.
Degrees of disease
Depending on how much fluid is secreted from the nipples, experts say that galactorrhea is a disease that has several degrees.
- 1 degree of galactorrhea - fluid is released exclusively during palpation. Small drops of milk or colostrum may leak out.
- 2 degree of galactorrhea - during palpation, the liquid is released in the form of a jet.
- 3 degree of galactorrhea - fluid is released constantly and at the same time spontaneously.
Causes of disease development
Most experts believe that galactorrhea is not an independent disease, but only a symptom of a different pathology of the mammary glands. Sometimes this can be a manifestation of the early stages of some diseases directly of the mammary glands. For example, oncology or fibroadenomatosis begins to develop. In addition, this condition may indicate the presence of problems with the hormonal background. In that case, it is abouthigh levels of prolactin in women in the blood, which leads to the appearance of discharge from the nipples.
Prolactin Overview
If you are interested in what prolactin is in women, then you should know that the main factor that provokes milk production is an absolute or relative increase in the amount of a hormone of protein origin - prolactin. Its synthesis occurs with the help of special cells that are located in the anterior pituitary gland. Prolactin also affects the growth of the mammary glands, regulates milk production, takes part in the maturation of follicles, stimulates ovulation, maintains the luteal body in a normal state, and takes part in the formation of new blood vessels.
Many people are interested - what is prolactin in women? Prolactin is a unique hormone that is responsible for a huge number of processes in the human body and can be synthesized not only in the pituitary gland, but also in some other tissue or brain cells. The hormone is produced in the mammary glands, in the fetoplacental complex. When exposed to a variety of cells, this hormone has no final point of application. In this regard, the hormonal feedback of the level of secretion of prolactin with the pituitary gland is completely absent.
This hormone can quite independently regulate its secretion in human blood, because it has an effect on the hypothalamus, which suppresses the synthesis of prolactin. At the same time, the hypothalamus is directly connected with the pituitary gland and other glands of the neuroendocrine system. Prolactin synthesis can be affected by a variety ofstressful situations, lactation, insulin, progesterone, thyroid hormones, estrogens.
The most powerful stimulant of physiological origin is the high concentration of steroids in the ovaries, mainly estrogen. At the same time, norepinephrine, opioids, serotonin, dopamine have an inhibitory effect on the secretion of prolactin.
Galactorrhea in almost all cases is caused by too much prolactin in the blood. In addition, pathology is considered a manifestation of hyperprolactinemia syndrome. This syndrome is present in about 80% of patients who have an excess of prolactin in the blood. At the same time, there are disruptions in the menstrual cycle, asexual disorders, infertility or miscarriage.
It is worth noting that liquid is not always released from the nipples due to the high level of prolactin in the blood. For example, fluid may be released even when the amount of this hormone is normal, or it may not be released when its level is high. The clinical picture can be very diverse, which may be due to the specific sensitivity of cellular receptors in the tissues of the end organs, which are affected by prolactin.
Because of this, nipple discharge should be evaluated simultaneously with other clinical manifestations. In addition, this alone cannot be a reason to make a diagnosis of hyperprolactinemia. Therefore, it is important to contact the breast center in time.
Causes of disease in children
The main cause of galactorrhea in adolescentsis a sharp imbalance of hormones in the body. Also, this phenomenon can be observed in children a few weeks after birth due to an increase in the level of hormones that the pituitary gland produces. This phenomenon is called "witch's milk", and it gradually passes, as the hormones begin to break down and be excreted from the body.
The second variant of galactorrhea in children is the appearance of pathology during puberty. Most often occurs at the age of 12-16 years. Fluid is also released due to hormonal imbalances. At the same time, the examination of breast tissues does not show any deviations from the norm.
The causes of galactorrhea in adolescence may be:
- child taking medications that can lead to an increase in the level of prolactin or its analogues;
- the diet of a teenager may contain too many herbs that are lactogenic;
- a tumor can form in the pituitary gland, which provokes increased production of prolactin;
- a tumor can also form in the hypothalamus, in areas that are adjacent to it;
- decreased thyroid function;
- A pathological process begins to develop in the adrenal glands, which leads to an increase in the level of cortisol;
- girls may have impaired ovarian function;
- in the kidneys there is an inflammatory process that provokes the development of kidney failure;
- liver pathologies accompanied by liver failure;
- trauma, burns orsurgery has taken place.
There are times when doctors cannot determine the real cause of the development of galactorrhea in children.
Other causes of pathology in men and women
There are a lot of reasons that can cause galactorrhea. Experts identify several main causes of galactorrhea in men and women. These include:
- Benign tumors that formed in the anterior pituitary gland. These can be adenomas, prolactinoma, metastatic tumors, sarcoidosis, histiocytosis. Of course, in men, galactorrhea is not associated with childbearing.
- Pathological formations that provoked circulatory disorders, the development of an inflammatory process. Mechanical displacement of structures could also occur as a result of a tumor in the hypothalamus or in any other limbic formation of the brain.
- Galactorrhea can develop due to an inflammatory process in the spinal cord or brain.
- Thoracic nerve stimulation may have occurred during surgery for one reason or another.
- Oncology, mastitis, burns, herpes simplex virus can provoke the appearance of the disease.
- Using hormonal contraceptives for a long time or narcotic analgesics, antihypertensives, antianginal drugs, antidepressants, tranquilizers.
If we talk about the causes of galactorrhea in men, then this can be an extremely unfavorable symptom. Most often occurs due to the developmenttumors in the pituitary gland, in the presence of prolactinoma, tumors in the testicles, or after radiation therapy. In addition, male galactorrhea can be accompanied by severe pain in the mammary glands, gynecomastia, softening of the testicles. If you do not start to treat the problem, then galactorrhea leads to a violation of erectile function, sexual desire is significantly reduced.
Galactorrhea does not pose any threat to a man only if he takes certain medications or recovers from too long a period of fasting.
Diagnosis of disease
All clinical and biochemical studies at the Mammology Center are used as diagnostic measures. Also, a study of the patient's hormonal background is carried out, an x-ray, echographic study with ductography of the mammary glands and internal organs is carried out. Magnetic resonance or computed tomography of the brain and spinal cord is done. Mandatory are consultations with a general practitioner, oncologist surgeon, endocrinologist, neurosurgeon and other highly specialized specialists. They will check estrogen levels for galactorrhea, prolactin levels, etc.
Therapy
Treatment of this disease will depend entirely on what kind of reason provoked its development. If there is a tumor, then you can not do without surgical intervention. In other situations, it may be quite enough to have a conservative method of treating galactorrhea with medicines, which will be directedfor a complete hormonal balance. If the development of galactorrhea provoked the use of drugs, then it is necessary to stop taking them, if possible, or replace them with other drugs that have the same mechanism of action, but at the same time, so that they have a different chemical composition.
If the development of galactorrhea was caused by a mechanical factor, dermatological disease, infection, pathologies of internal organs, then you must first of all eliminate them and then begin the treatment of galactorrhea directly. If the patient suffers from an idiopathic form of galactorrhea, which provokes the production of a large amount of prolactin, then the specialist prescribes dopamine receptor agonists. Such medicines include Parlodel, Bromocriptine, Levodopa.
The non-hormonal remedy "Cyclodinone" also has a dopaminergic effect, which can be obtained through the use of such a medicinal plant as sacred vitex or prutnyak. The main feature of the plant is that it stimulates D2 - dopamine receptors of pituitary lactotrophic cells. Due to this, a natural decrease in the high level of prolactin in the blood occurs. Functional hyperprolactinemia is also eliminated.
It is worth noting that the drug "Cyclodinone" normalizes the amount of sex hormones, which has a positive effect on the menstrual cycle, the manifestations of mastalgia, mastodynia decrease, premenstrual syndrome becomes less pronounced.
Treatment of galactorrhea folkmeans
Therapy of the disease with the help of folk remedies involves the use of special medicinal plants, which contain phytohormones that can lower the level of prolactin in the blood. Such remedies include infusions for ingestion of herbs of sage, periwinkle. An infusion of jasmine flowers is used externally. The juice from the stalks of Robert's geranium is used only externally as compresses. From its leaves, an infusion or decoction is made, which can be taken orally.
The most effective remedy is "French tincture", which is prepared from seeds or fresh leaves of nasturtium, with periwinkle, nettle.
Folk remedies for men
Men who suffer from a disease such as galactorrhea can take an infusion of "Adam's root" for two months. He insists on vodka or alcohol diluted with water.
Excellent help to cope with the problem of drone milk. It is taken in its pure form, three grams twice a day, or in the form of a tincture, which is considered not as effective as a natural product. Drone milk helps to increase the amount of the hormone testosterone in the body and at the same time reduce the production of prolactin.
Reception of funds offered by traditional medicine can only be started after consultation with your doctor.
If you notice that fluid has begun to stand out from the nipples of the mammary glands, you should immediately contact a specialist and undergo a full examination. This will allowexclude the development of more serious pathologies than galactorrhea. Also, the doctor will be able to accurately determine the cause of this problem and select the most effective treatment in your individual case. Traditional medicine can be an excellent aid that will allow you to quickly get rid of such an unpleasant problem that brings great discomfort.
