Itching and burning of female nipples can appear for various reasons. Often, such an unpleasant condition is accompanied by painful sensations. However, due to the delicacy of the problem, women are not always in a hurry to see a doctor. The female breast is naturally highly sensitive, so if the nipple is on fire, this is not a reason to panic. Such discomfort does not always indicate pathology and may be temporary. However, in some cases, burning in the nipples is still a signal of the development of serious diseases that require consultation and professional help from a specialist. Therefore, it is necessary to understand when discomfort is caused by the physiology of the female body, and when it indicates he alth problems.
Why do nipples burn
The causes of discomfort in the area of the mammary glands may be as follows:
• early pregnancy;
• breastfeedingfeeding;
• menstrual cycle;
• poor hygiene;
• dehydration;
• taking hormonal drugs and antidepressants;
• prolonged sexual abstinence;
• mastopathy;
• cancer (Paget's disease).
It is very important that every woman pay special attention to her breasts in order to prevent possible problems in the future. When the nipple hurts and burns, only in a few cases is this a variant of the norm. This phenomenon usually occurs in early pregnancy, as well as during lactation and breastfeeding. In other cases, including the menstrual period, it is necessary to take certain measures and contact a specialist. Otherwise, a woman risks getting a disappointing diagnosis that could cost her life.
Nipple burning during pregnancy
As mentioned earlier, the cause of pain and burning in the nipples can be an interesting position. During this period, the body experiences a colossal hormonal restructuring, the milk ducts expand, the breasts increase in size, and the production of the hormone prolactin increases. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that nipples hurt and burn during pregnancy, because they were not prepared for drastic changes. Fortunately, painful and unpleasant sensations are temporary, and by the beginning of the second trimester, everything, as a rule, passes.
Burning during lactation
During breastfeeding nipplesundergo changes, their skin becomes rougher. If the baby is not fed properly, he will not grasp the breast well and bite it. This can cause cracks, which are accompanied by pain and burning. To solve the problem, you need to accustom the baby to proper sucking, and after feeding, lubricate painful places with healing agents. For treatment purposes, you can use lanolin, Bepanten ointment, Solcoseryl or sea buckthorn oil.
If not only the nipples burn after feeding, but there is also pain in the chest, redness of the skin and fever, this may indicate an inflammatory process in the mammary gland - mastitis. Often this disease occurs due to lactostasis and infection.
For the treatment of the initial stage of mastitis, drug therapy is used. In the case of acute purulent mastitis, surgery is often necessary, followed by removal of an abscess with thick pus.
In addition, when breastfeeding, nipples often suffer from thrush. Moreover, this problem can affect not only the mother, but also the child. The fight against thrush is to regularly wash your hands before and after feeding, keep your nipples dry and clean, and avoid foods containing sugar and yeast from your diet. If necessary, doctors prescribe antifungal drugs to treat the disease.
Nipple burning due to menstrual cycle
The condition of the breast directly depends on the monthly cycle. Pain and burning in the breastgland, as a rule, occur a few days before the onset of menstruation. In addition, it is not uncommon for nipples to burn in the middle of a cycle. Such discomfort is due to an increase in the level of progesterone and prolactin in the blood. These hormones tend to retain fluid and electrolytes throughout the body, including the mammary gland, and as a result, discomfort appears in the chest and its volume increases. With the onset of menstruation, hormone levels drop and breast tenderness disappears.
Mastopathy
It is not uncommon for nipples to hurt and burn before menstruation when fibrocystic mastopathy occurs. The disease is accompanied by a pathological proliferation of connective tissue in the mammary gland.
In addition to pain and burning, there are other symptoms:
1. There is one or more lumps in the chest.
2. There is discharge from the nipples (often clear).
A characteristic feature of mastopathy is that the symptoms appear immediately before the critical days, and with their onset they decrease or disappear altogether. However, after some time the disease progresses, the symptoms become more pronounced and prolonged: the pain intensifies and disturbs not only before menstruation, but also after it.
In order to identify fibrocystic mastopathy, you can conduct an independent probing of the breast. But it’s better to trust a specialist, do an ultrasound and mammography. The disease is treated with the help of hormonal and non-hormonaldrugs. In severe cases, surgical methods are practiced.
Mastopathy can be both acquired and hereditary. Early diagnosis of the disease allows you to successfully and irrevocably cure it.
Poor hygiene
The reason that the nipple burns may be a hygienic component. For example, improperly selected bra material (synthetic composition, the presence of aggressive dyes), the use of cosmetics and personal hygiene products that cause allergies.
To fix the problem, it is recommended to give preference to underwear made from natural materials and buy cosmetics with a minimum content of chemical components.
Paget's disease
It is not easy to determine for yourself why nipples hurt and burn. The reason can be both completely harmless and extremely serious. So, a painful burning sensation in the nipple area can be a signal of such a terrible disease as nipple cancer. In medicine, he received the name "Paget's disease".
The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that at the initial stage its symptoms are expressed so slightly that a woman may not attach importance to them. At an early stage, redness appears and a crust forms, so the disease is often confused with eczema. Later stages are accompanied by increased sensitivity, itching, burning, tingling and pain in the nipples. They may also exude blood droplets.
It is almost impossible to establish Paget's disease during examination. AtIf suspected, the doctor prescribes a biopsy, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, a surgical operation is performed. Radiation therapy is prescribed as an adjunct treatment.
What symptoms should I pay attention to for pain and burning in the nipples
• The appearance of bloody, sanious or purulent discharge.
• Changing the size, shape and color of the nipple and areola.
• Formation of ulcers, erosions, cracks on the nipples and areolas.
• Soreness and swelling of the breast and around the nipple.
• Constant and growing pattern of pain.
• Pain in the armpit.
If these symptoms are detected, it is urgent to visit a gynecologist or mammologist, as they may signal breast cancer.
Diagnostic Methods
To find out the cause of a painful condition in the breast area, you should not make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment yourself. To do this, it is better to seek help from a specialist who will help you conduct an examination and, if necessary, prescribe appropriate treatment.
The following diagnostic methods can be prescribed for the patient:
• Ultrasound of the mammary glands (allows you to detect a tumor and determine its location);
• mammography (recognizes irregularities and nodules that are not palpable);
• Breast MRI (provides the most accurate diagnosis).
The appointment of a particular examination depends on the diagnosis that will besuggest a doctor during the initial examination.
Do not forget that the timely appeal for qualified help will allow for effective therapy and avoid wasting precious time in case of serious illness. For prevention, it is recommended to conduct regular self-examination of the breast and make a scheduled visit to the doctor.
