What are the symptoms of an irritated nipple? How to avoid this, and how to treat it?
What is a sore or irritated nipple?
The nipple commonly refers to the tip of the breast in women and men. “We speak medically of areola-nipple plate (PAM), combining the areola, which is the pigmented disc, and the nipplewhich corresponds to the opening of the nipple ducts allowing lactation. The PAM corresponds to the breast organ, not the skin.” explains it Dr Didier Bourgeoiscancer surgeon and gynecologist, president of the Henri Hartmann Breast Institute.
What we call a painful nipple or irritated can therefore concern the PAM, or the skin envelope. But in all cases, it is the colored part of the breast, and not the rest of the chest.
What are the symptoms of a sore or irritated nipple?
A sore or irritated nipple can take various forms. It may be internal pain (mastodynia), external pain, or visible irritation on the skin. The latter may appear as a rash, or red patches, similar to eczema.
The nipple can also be invaginated, for example, this means that it goes inwards. “Nipple intussusception concerns 1% of the nipples, it is most often constitutional, but it can also be an indirect sign of retraction secondary to cancer. advises Dr. Bourgeois.
What to do if you have a sore or irritated nipple?
“Any sign on the PAM must lead to a consultation, so as not to overlook cancer” advises Dr. Bourgeois. If you feel persistent pain or discomfort in the areola or nipple, you should consult your doctor as soon as possible. gynecologistor a general practitioner initially.
However, obviously not everything is a sign of cancer. But it is necessary to make a rapid diagnosis so as not to risk missing a serious pathology. This will also help you get relief from your pain quickly.
What can cause a sore or irritated nipple?
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may experience breast pain. This can, for example, be linked to poor latching of the breast by the baby, leading to the formation of crevices. Or even to a breast candidiasis.
But there are also other pathologies, apart from those linked to lactation. “Nipple pain is uncommon. explains Dr. Bourgeois. “This generally involves the irradiation of an underlying pathology, with galactophoric ectasiaor a dilation of the milk ducts.”
Milk duct ectasia occurs when the walls of the ducts are thicker than normal and the ducts can become blocked. This especially happens to women in their 40s and 50s.
Some benign breast cysts can also be very painful. In other cases, it is also hormonal variations that cause mastodynia, during pregnancy or in the premenstrual period, or premenopause.
Irritation, however, evokes different pathologies. “A nipple irritation may reveal a particular pathology, or Paget’s disease. Paget’s disease resembles an eczema-like lesion of the nipple. This pathology is often secondary to a breast cancer underlying.”
How to treat a sore or irritated nipple?
During the consultation with your doctor or gynecologist, the health professional will carry out a clinical examination of the breasts, in particular a breast palpation, as well as a detailed history to understand where the pain is coming from. If necessary, he can prescribe imaging to be done.
In the case of Paget’s disease, “it is necessary to provide, initially, a nipple biopsy, to sign the diagnosis. Then it is necessary to look for the underlying lesion by mammographya Breast ultrasound, and an MRI. This always leads to surgery, which can be limited to excision of the nipple-areola plaque, but which can go as far as a total mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction.
For other pathologies, your doctor will advise you on the procedure to follow, or will prescribe a cream that can provide relief.
Sources:
Dr Didier Bourgeois, cancer surgeon and gynecologist, president of the Henri Hartmann Breast Institute, Albert Camus Bron, Canadian Cancer Society, Vidal
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