The number one problem of the female body is a seal in the mammary gland. We are not talking about the fact that there is nothing more to worry about for the representatives of the weak half of humanity. Simply, noticing a nodule in the chest, many women do not pay attention to it, thinking that everything will resolve itself. Time passes, nothing changes, but it gets worse. Tip - visit a mammologist, do not leave everything as it is.
Types of seals
A small lump in the chest can be the first sign of a very serious problem or a manifestation of hormonal changes in a woman's body.
Seals in the mammary gland are varied. For all prefabricated benign formations, a name was introduced - mastopathy. And it is divided into several types:
- Lipoma. Benign tumor in adipose tissue. It happens in different sizes, is located in groups or singly. There are no pain sensations. Sometimes goes away without medical intervention.
- Abscess. Most oftenthere is such a seal in the mammary glands during breastfeeding. Reddening of the skin appears, a “pocket” is formed where pus collects. Surgery is indispensable.
- Thrombosis. There is a blockage of veins in the chest area. Consolidation appears at the point of origin of the vein. First, conservative treatment is carried out. If it didn't help - surgical intervention.
- Cyst. Appears in women aged 35 to 50 years. The reason is a hormonal failure.
- Fat necrosis. He althy cells of the body are transformed into rounded neoplasms. They are very sensitive and painful. The skin becomes bluish.
Seals can be single or double sided. It depends on whether the tumor is developing in one breast or both.
They can also be cyclic and acyclic. The mammary gland is a hormone-dependent organ. This means that its tissue can change during the cycle. Cyclic seals in the mammary gland are associated with menstruation. Such nodules do not require treatment and disappear after critical days.
Changes in the structure of breast tissue can be caused by the use of hormonal contraception. The substance contained in the preparations retains fluid in the body. This is what causes seals to form.
Causes of tumor formation
Acyclic compactions do not depend on the cycle. They can appear for various reasons:
- Injury to the chest and uterus. There is a transformation of adipose tissue. The reason is an unsuccessful fall, bruise, blow. BUTuterine trauma is provoked by abortions.
- Poor quality underwear. Bras strongly squeeze the chest, and steel bones can injure the mammary gland.
- Clogged milk duct. Occurs during lactation, with improper and incomplete pumping.
- Hormonal failure and age-related changes. Seals appear not only during menstruation, but also after them. The reason is a sharp surge of hormones.
- Thrombophlebitis. When the axillary vein is blocked, an inflammatory process occurs. The chest swells, turns red. Touching it reveals a bump.
- Associated diseases. Problems with the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, genitals can cause hardening and pain in the mammary gland.
- Sedentary lifestyle and stressful situations.
- The appearance of neoplasms in the cranial box.
- Papilloma inside the duct. With her, there is constantly discharge from the nipple.
Symptoms of the disease
If you experience any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately:
- The emergence of a large number of bumps of different sizes.
- External change of one breast.
- When you lift your hands, you can see a depression in the skin.
- Pus or bloody fluid comes out of the chest when pressed.
- There is constant pain in the area of the nodules.
- Axillary lymph nodes enlarged.
- If the breast lump is immobile, does not have clear contours.
- The skin around the nipples is rough. The nipple itself is retracted or has changed shape.
Racking pain is a symptom of breast cancer.
No need to wait for everything to work out, and when, in addition to the above signs, the following are observed:
- frequent anovular cycles;
- chronic diseases of the genitourinary system;
- second phase of the menstrual cycle is shortened.
If any of them appear, immediately contact a specialist. Only he can make the correct diagnosis.
Mastopathy symptoms
Mastopathy occurs in different periods of a woman's life. With timely treatment, it usually does not lead to cancer. There is diffuse mastopathy. With her, the pain is weak, appears a week before the critical days. But if the disease progresses, it intensifies and becomes permanent. Discharge appears from the nipples. Compaction in the mammary gland in women in this case is small. But there can be many of them, and they are located all over the chest.
With nodular mastopathy at the initial stage, pain appears before menstruation. She is dull, dull. Sometimes it can be very strong, such that you can not touch the chest. Allocations are small, but after a while their number increases. The buds are dense, their size starts in millimeters and ends in centimeters.
Cystic mastopathy is accompanied by intense pain and purulent discharge. They can be transparent or brown. The lymph nodes swell, the breast enlarges. The boundaries of the tumor are clear, it is elastic.
Some diseases and their symptoms
We list othersbreast disease:
- Mastitis. At the initial stage, this disease is pronounced brightly. The temperature rises, chills, weakness, headache appear. Chest hot, intense pain. If treatment is not started on time, the symptoms become more intense. A few days later, a lump in the mammary gland is felt and it hurts when pressed.
- Abscess. It is accompanied by high temperature, fever. The mammary gland is painful, edema appears. These symptoms disappear after the abscess appears.
- Lactostasis. It is a seal, it hurts a lot. The chest is heavy, there is a feeling of fullness. After a while, the temperature rises.
- Malignant neoplasm. There is no pain, the nipple is tight, retracted, the skin is swollen and flaky. Bloody discharge, discomfort in the lymph nodes.
Dangerous formations
The following ailments are very dangerous and can be fatal:
- Breast cancer. May appear in any area of the chest. The tumor has indistinct contours. Symptoms vary. Common are the following: nipple retracted, axillary lymph nodes inflamed, general weakness, discharge from the nipples, pain passing into the arm.
- Sarcoma. Clear, large neoplasms. They quickly increase in size.
- Lymphoma. It occurs quite rarely. The seal originates from the lymphatic tissue. Its first symptom is inflammation of the lymph nodes. This type of tumor metastasizes rapidly.
Untimely treatment of these pathologies can lead toof death. You should visit a doctor at least once a year, as some of these ailments are asymptomatic. You can only find them during a preventive examination.
Pregnancy and lactation
In order to calm the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity a little, I would like to say that 50% of breast seals in women of childbearing age is normal and does not pose any danger. So, very often bumps appear in expectant mothers and women who are breastfeeding.
As soon as the embryo began to live, a restructuring takes place in the body. Changes in the ratio of sex hormones. Increased production of estrogens, progesterone, prolactin begins. The chest is increased by 2 times. There is even an opinion that a seal that appears during pregnancy will not become cancerous. But in any case, a specialist should appear.
You may get a seal in the mammary glands and breastfeeding. There are several reasons for this:
- Some hormone levels plummet after childbirth.
- Milk appears in the breast. Improper feeding and untimely pumping can cause it to stagnate, leading to mastitis.
Some women think the nodules will resolve on their own. This is usually what happens. But still, for your peace of mind, visit a doctor.
Why do they appear
It is impossible not to mention the seal in the mammary gland before menstruation. They are most oftenharbingers of critical days, arising from a violation of the production of sex hormones. Their number varies depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. In the second period, under the influence of progesterone, the breasts become larger. It is at this moment that women feel pain in her. This condition is called mastodynia.
The second phase of the menstrual cycle is characterized by the release of a mature egg from the follicle. The body is preparing for fertilization. The production of estrogen increases, which affects the condition of the mammary glands (internal amount of adipose tissue increases).
To make this time easier, heed the following tips:
- Stay on a diet (liquid restriction, s alt). Drink less coffee, strong tea, alcohol.
- Don't overwork.
- Stay outdoors and harden up.
- Don't forget sports.
Let's talk about kids
Now let's talk about why there is a thickening of the mammary glands in girls.
This also applies to babies. The baby may have an enlarged breast, blush, sometimes there is a seal and the release of fluid from the nipples. The reason for this condition is a change in the hormonal background of the child. This condition disappears over time without medical intervention.
If we talk about older girls, then the following factors can cause a seal in her:
- Early puberty. A large amount of sex hormone begins to be produced.
- Premature thelarche. Breast enlargement to sexualmaturation. Most often, this problem occurs in girls of ten years. The causes of the disease are not fully understood, but there is an opinion that a large amount of estrogen enters the body with food.
- Violation of the functioning of the endocrine glands (pituitary, hypothalamus, adrenal glands).
- Rarely, but there is a malignant formation in the tissues of the mammary gland of a child. In this case, urgent help is needed.
Diagnosis
Proper treatment can only be prescribed if the diagnosis is correct. There are several diagnostic methods:
- Specialist consultation. The doctor examines the chest, collects an anamnesis, evaluates the reproductive function, hormonal levels. After the examination, other diagnostic measures are assigned.
- Mammography. This method uses X-rays, so women under 40 are not allowed to perform this procedure.
- Ultrasound scanning is considered the safest. Thanks to him, you can evaluate the nature and degree of blood flow not only in the organ itself, but also in the seal. There are almost no contraindications to the use of this method.
- A targeted biopsy will help to find out the nature of the formation more accurately. To do this, a small piece of tissue is taken and examined under a microscope.
Treatment and prevention
Often, the treatment of a benign formation is resorted to only if the seal has greatly increased in size or is very painful. If it is possible to do withoutmedical events, the doctor will ask you to come for an examination after a while for control.
What methods are used to treat benign seals?
Drug therapy is used if the cause of the disease is an infection or severe pain. The following drugs are prescribed:
- Painkillers (paracetamol, NSAIDs).
- Tamoxifen, Bromocriptine and others (for chest pain).
- Antibiotics for mastitis and abscesses caused by bacterial infection.
Reducing saturated fat is enough for some women to relieve pain.
For treatment, a puncture is sometimes used (pumping fluid from the seal). The procedure is carried out under ultrasound guidance. The fluid can be pumped out several times, but if the procedure does not help, the cyst is removed.
Surgery is used if the lump is painful or continues to grow. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The resulting material is sent to the laboratory.
If a malignant lump is found, then special treatment will be required.
Let's help ourselves
Do a self-examination. This procedure should be done on the seventh day after the menstrual cycle. The chest becomes less sensitive. The examination is carried out as follows:
- Stand in front of a mirror with your hands down. Carefully study the naked chest - has its shape changed,outlines.
- Then raise your hands and continue to examine the mammary glands.
- Take the nipple with your index finger and thumb, squeeze it. See if there are any highlights. If they appear, study them. There should be no impurities of pus and blood.
- Place three fingers on the outside of the chest and, making circular rotations, move to the nipple.
- Do the same examination in the supine position.
- Check armpits for swollen lymph nodes.
If you find a seal in the mammary gland and pain, immediately go to a mammologist. Only in this case, it is possible to identify breast disease and begin treatment.
Conclusion
It all depends on you, dear women. Remember, only you can notice the changes taking place in your body. Only you should monitor your he alth and visit a doctor on time. Disease is better to prevent than to cure. If a seal appears in the mammary gland of a nursing mother and does not go away for a long time after you have stopped giving your baby breast milk, immediately rush to see a doctor. Maybe your life depends on it.
