What are the causes of nipple pain in women and men? Every woman is familiar with the condition when her breasts swell and hurt. As a rule, this condition precedes critical days and is the norm. More than 60% of the fairer sex once a month experience discomfort in the chest and nipples. But it happens that the cause of these symptoms in women of childbearing age is not only the monthly game of hormones. Such manifestations are also found in ladies of venerable age with menopause. Also, this happens to men as well. So why do nipples hurt in women and men?
Critical days for women
Pain in the nipple before critical days is experienced by almost every woman. The mood changes like a weather vane in windy weather, and every tenth female representative complains of severe pain. This condition is caused by a changehormonal background during menstruation. This condition in medicine is called mastodynia. And it is not a pathology.
A he althy woman's body prepares every month to conceive a child. The breast is prepared for the reproduction of milk, therefore, on the 11-15th day, the amount of estrogen increases, that is, the level of progesterone and prolactin increases. When this happens, it leads to an increase in the volume of the fatty component of the breast. This is called proliferation. The chest swells, it becomes larger, and this is perhaps the only plus. After all, her sensitivity also increases, so there is pain in the nipple area.
As already mentioned, this is the normal functioning of the female body, and you don't have to worry. The disappearance of these signs should be cause for concern. If within a few months before menstruation, any symptoms ceased to manifest themselves, that is, the breasts completely ceased to swell, and the nipples hurt, then this is a reason to worry. This may indicate a low level of the hormone - progesterone. In this case, you need to contact a mammologist to find out at what level they are and if there are any other he alth problems. By the way, low levels of progesterone in the body can prevent a woman from getting pregnant.
Reduce natural chest pain during critical days can help painkillers and wearing a comfortable bra.
Pregnancy
Some women can guess their interesting position even before taking a pregnancy test,thanks to the reaction of the breast. She begins to react very quickly to the structural restructuring of the milk ducts, due to a hormonal explosion.
Mammary glands in a pregnant woman begin to grow rapidly, which leads to stretching in the nerve tissues, and this, in turn, leads to pain in the nipples.
You should pay attention to the following factors that may affect the condition of the nipples of a woman who is expecting a baby:
- From the first week of pregnancy, the so-called Montgomery tubercles (small pimples on the halos) can be seen in this area. When they start to become inflamed, the breasts can turn red and hurt badly. In this case, it is necessary to contact a mammologist, and not to carry out independent manipulations to reduce inflammation.
- It is normal for a woman to seep out of her nipples when she is expecting a baby. But these can lead to dry, irritated and cracked nipples, and therefore cause pain. In order not to aggravate the situation, it is necessary to avoid disrupting the natural moisture of the breast skin, so it should not be washed with soap often.
- Wrong underwear. A pregnant lady should take care of a comfortable bra. After all, the breast during pregnancy grows and changes its shape, and tight underwear can lead to discomfort and pain.
- Colostrum secretions. In the fourth month of pregnancy, due to the work of the hormone oxytocin, a substance begins to be released that prevents the appearance of cracks in the nipples and prepares the expectant mother for lactation. This process also affects the sensitivity of the breast. During this period, you should especially carefully follow the basic rules of hygiene.
Mechanical damage
Aching pain in the nipples may be due to some kind of injury. Such an injury can include a strong blunt blow, and mechanical damage, and squeezing. In addition, surgery makes the breasts more sensitive, no matter how much time has passed since the operation.
Uncontrolled medication
Drugs can be the cause of nipple discomfort. Medicines change the chemical processes within the body. And in some cases it can lead to mastalgia.
Neoplasms
The most dangerous causes of pain in the chest and nipples are malignant and benign formations. These cases require immediate medical attention. But, unfortunately, often women turn to doctors only when the pain becomes very strong, and as a result, during the examination, it turns out that the patients already have the last stages of cancer. Therefore, do not ignore any change associated with the breast, the condition and color of the nipples.
Wrong lifestyle
Impaired circulation due to bad habits can also lead to disastrous results. Smoking and alcohol with excessive use provoke an increase in adipose tissue. It can also lead to chest pains.
Climax
The onset of menopause is a difficult time for a woman, which can drag on for several years. Atmenopause, a change in the hormonal background occurs, and this state is preceded by three stages:
- perimenopause,
- menopause,
- postmenopause.
During this period, in addition to such psychological symptoms as emotional instability, a tendency to depression, low self-esteem, there are also hot flashes, discomfort during sex, sweating and pain in the mammary gland.
The last symptom during menopause occurs due to the restructuring of the body, when the level of hormones, the ratio of estrogen and progesterone changes. This is the norm, but there are cases when it indicates some kind of he alth problem. And here are the cases in question:
- Change in the number of fat cells that begin to produce estrogens instead of "sleeping" ovaries. This process can cause chest pain.
- Osteochondrosis, Tietze's disease, problems with the cardiovascular system. In the presence of these ailments, pain can be given to the chest.
- Stress. Emotional instability affects the chemical reactions that occur in the female body.
Pregnancy. Oddly enough, but this can also happen. The fact is that at the stage of perimenopause, the eggs are still maturing, respectively, fertilization can occur. Therefore, if a woman is not protected, there is a chance of becoming pregnant, and when pregnancy occurs, the breast also makes itself felt
- Mastopathy. Hormonal imbalance can cause fibrocystic disease. This disease is benign. Despite the symptoms of breast cancer, it is not a precancerous disease. Experts believe that neither nodular nor diffuse formations can develop into a cancerous tumor.
- Benign or malignant tumor. Pain in the nipples can also be explained by such a serious problem as neoplasms. Today, the first stages of this pathology are treated well. Therefore, women should be attentive to the symptoms and carry out treatment on time. The sooner the disease is detected, the greater the chances for a full recovery.
Gynecomastia in men
In general, men are less prone to nipple pain. The male breast is physiologically arranged in such a way that it is not prone to various diseases and pathologies. But still there are exceptions. And pain in the nipple in a man can be caused by gynecomastia.
Initially, this is benign breast hyperplasia and rather not a disease, but a symptom that indicates some kind of malfunction in the body. Gynecomastia can occur due to physiological and pathological changes.
It can affect any age category. It is diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral breast enlargement. There are two types of disease - false and true. Sometimes even heredity can cause disease. With a false option, this is, in fact, obesity of the gland. It occurs in overweight men and is due to body fat.
Appears as a small formation in the area of the nipple. It can be easily seen and felt. In some cases, the pathology is so pronounced that it looks like a female breast, so men may experience psychological discomfort.
Men over fifty are prone to age-related gynecomastia. Especially those who are overweight. In addition, hormonal changes associated with aging can also contribute to breast enlargement. With pathological causes, gynecomastia occurs when there is a deficiency of male hormones or when there are much more female estrogens than male androgens.
In babies
Gynecomastia of a physiological nature occurs in newborns due to the mother's hormones coming through the placenta. It usually resolves within a few months at the most. This phenomenon can also occur during puberty. Usually resolves on its own within two or three years.
Hyperprolactinemia and drug use
When hyperprolactinemia increases the production of prolactin, and this leads to the growth of the mammary gland and, as a result, to aching pain in the nipples. Provoking situations here may be the excessive use of steroids (tamoxifen, creatine, methane, etc.), drugs (marijuana, amphetamines) and drugs.
Other causes of pathology
Severe pain in the nipples in some cases can also be caused by diseases of the internal organs, for example, problems withthyroid, pituitary, liver, kidney and adrenal problems.
If cases with newborns and adolescents, as a rule, are not serious and go away on their own, then with pathological causes it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the disease. And the sooner the better to avoid the chronic form of the disease symptom.
Mondor's disease
A fairly rare pathology, accompanied by the described symptom, is Mondor's Disease. This is a cord-like phlebitis (a disease of the veins), which is localized in the anterior surface of the chest and abdomen. Similar to breast cancer. The reasons for it are not fully understood, and there are various theories in this regard. The disease can be idiopathic in nature, that is, it can occur without a cause. Some experts believe that the pathology may occur due to constant irritation of the skin on the chest or due to injury.
Thus, there are a lot of causes of pain in the nipples of the breast in both sexes. Symptoms are similar in many cases. Meanwhile, some causes are so serious that they can be fatal, so you should not ignore your condition and, in particular, changes associated with the breast. You should immediately go to the doctor.
