The female body is a complex system in which everything is interconnected. Monthly cycle is the result of alternately generating various hormones, which lead to different changes. Fluctuations in mood, skin and hair condition, sexual desire, all this is the body's response to the activity of the endocrine glands.
Separately, it should be said about the female breast. This is a very sensitive organ that responds to the release of hormones and changes along with metabolism. Therefore, age-related features, diets and stresses, pregnancy, and other events significant for the body do not pass by it. The physiological response may be darkening of the nipples, as well as an increase in their sensitivity. In most cases, this is not evidence of illness. Today let's talk about the reason why the nipples may darken and whether you want this to do anything.
Natural cycle
If the nipples have darkened right before the onset of menstruation, this is due to changes in the hormonal background. This is not at all dangerous. With the onset of menstruation, the nipples will become less sensitive, return to their normal state. These are not the only symptoms. At this time, the chest usually increases in size, becomes painful. However, all this is very individual. Someone complains that walking without a bra is uncomfortable even at night. Others, on the contrary, do not feel any changes. Symptoms of PMS - it is very individual, for some it is a real torment, and for others it is a completely invisible phenomenon.
Different periods of the month
The second phase of the cycle is usually marked by soreness and swelling of the chest. The reason lies in the increased concentration of progesterone, which leads to such symptoms. Similar processes occur in the epithelial layer of the uterus. If the nipples are darkened, then this may be an individual reaction to hormonal changes. Usually in a few days their condition will return to normal. Maximum discomfort occurs on the 7th day of the second phase of the cycle.
The second point that women celebrate is ovulation. At this time, estrogen is released, which also lead to a number of necessary changes. In particular, the egg ripens and enters the fallopian tube, where it can meet with the sperm. Usually, the reaction of the breast to ovulation is not noticeable, but some women claim that their nipples have darkened. This, too, can be attributed to individual changes in the body.
The third stage, as a rule, begins in the middle of the cycle. It is characterized by a decrease in estrogen levels. Small nipples most often increase during this period. At the same time, tension in the chest intensifies. These are completely physiological symptoms that do not indicate the presence of any pathology. If tension in the chest, enlargement and darkening of the nipples are observed regularly, at about the same time, then this is considered a normal reaction of your body.
What to do to alleviate the condition?
Experts recommend reducing salt intake a week before the start of menstruation. This will ease the symptoms of PMS. When the next peak is approaching, discard lace underwire. Better to take a sports bra. For severe pain, you can take aspirin or Ibuprofen. Doctors recommend diuretics - parsley or celery, green tea. If improvement has not occurred in the next few days, then do not pull further, consult a doctor and undergo an examination.
Nipple discharge
This is a normal occurrence not only during pregnancy. Before menstruation, many women note that small crusts appear on the nipple. If the discharge appears, you need to frequently wash the breast with warm water, at the same time trying not to hurt her very much. Sometimes peeling and dryness of the nipples may occur, which is also not a pathology. This can be easily dealt with in safe ways. You can use creams against stretch marks or sea buckthorn oil.
You should be alarmed in cases where the temperature has risen sharply, and the nipples not only darkened, but also began to bleed. Constant nipple pain or its concentration in one breast are suspicious symptoms that require a doctor’s intervention.
Changes in puberty
This is the first stage when changes occur with the body of a young girl. Suddenly, the nipples become very painful, they swell slightly and rise. Most girls note that during this period even a light touch causes severe pain. At this time, it is worth starting to wear special underwear, which will reduce the contact of swollen nipples with clothing.
Pregnancy Changes
Quite often, you can determine your new interesting position not by delaying your period, but by changing the sensitivity of the chest. Here, too, every woman has a different course. Some say that long before the delay they felt that the chest began to increase. Other patients attribute this to yesterday’s pastries and weight gain, but in any case, such drastic changes should alert. Experienced women often have a worrying thought: "The nipples have darkened, is it really pregnant?" In order to find the exact answer to this question, you can take a test in a pharmacy or go for a consultation with a gynecologist.
But this is only the first news. Very soon, a woman notices that her nipples are dark. Once tender and pink, they not only change color, but also become rude. Moreover, it is easier to determine it by sight, but to feel them during this period is very difficult. Sensitivity increases so much that it can even turn into pain. Let's look at what happens to the nipples of a woman, what anatomical changes lead to such consequences.
Physiological features
From the first days when a fertilized egg takes its place in the uterus, the body begins to actively produce an important hormone - prolactin. It is he who is responsible for the preservation and further course of pregnancy. The woman's nipples at this time significantly increase in size, as well as the breast itself.
Prolactin is necessary in order to ensure successful lactation in the future. Despite the fact that so far your baby is only a few millimeters in size, the body knows well that there is not much time. Therefore, hormones cause breast tissue to change, starting from the first days of pregnancy.
Blood begins to circulate actively, as a result of which areoles rapidly increase. Even small nipples become larger. Why does a woman feel pain? Because areoles and nipples begin to grow rapidly. The skin does not have time for them, and therefore a feeling of tension and discomfort appears. To weaken it, it is recommended to lubricate the breast with a special cream from the first days. And when the pain recedes slightly, you need to start rubbing your chest daily with a towel. This will allow in the future to avoid cracking of the nipples during breastfeeding. This is a normal condition, and you should not worry about this.
Rapid changes
The size of the nipples continues to change rapidly. Of course, much depends on physiological features. For some, the areola becomes only slightly larger, while for others it stretches like a saucer. Sometimes women worry that they will remain so. No, this is a temporary phenomenon. After feeding, they will gradually begin to lighten. True, some note that the size of the nipple after pregnancy has not changed.
The main reason that little nipples increase is the expansion of the milk excretory ducts. This process occurs because the newborn should have from the first minute of his life to be able to grab the chest is easy and convenient. And why do nipples become dark? Another mechanism works here. Color change occurs due to the active work of melanin - the pigment that is produced under the influence of sex hormones. This is also normal and does not require correction. Most often, very dark nipples are also swarthy by nature women. Natural blondes and women with delicate, very fair skin indicate that they have become rather reddish.
Change continues
We examined how the nipples change during pregnancy. It remains to add only that the increase in soreness will continue until the third trimester. Now you can notice that a clear fluid leaks from the nipples. This suggests that the body is serious about the appearance of the baby and breastfeeding. It is not necessary to squeeze it out specially, since this can provoke a contraction of the uterus and lead to premature birth.
Another change is the appearance of small pimples near the nipples. It can excite the young woman, but, in fact, nothing terrible happens. Painful nipples increases, and glands, which are still hiding, and now looks out. A little time will pass, and they will again disappear without a trace.
Diseases and pathologies
The mammary glands respond to any changes that occur in the body of a woman. Therefore, if the breast has increased, the nipples have darkened, but there is no pregnancy, then you need to look for another reason. This may be a sign of some diseases. Let's list the main ones:
- Polycystic ovary. This disease causes an increase in estrogen production. As a result, the breast becomes painful, sensitive. The disease is diagnosed by the attending gynecologist.
- Uterine fibroids. This is not just a benign tumor, but a complex disease that significantly changes hormonal metabolism.
- Endometriosis With this disease, the nipples of the mammary glands also become more sensitive.
Systemic hormonal diseases
Our body responds to any changes in the secret that the endocrine glands produce. And the body will respond to any violations with a change in the tissues of the breast. Therefore, if the nipples are enlarged and darkened, this may be a symptom of a pathology. If you suspect this, you should definitely visit a mammologist. It is especially important to seek help if there are other symptoms, for example, a change in the shape of the breast, retraction of the nipple or its redness.
Inflammatory diseases
This is a fairly large group of pathologies, which is primarily characterized by redness and fever, darkening and engorgement of the nipples. Often there are discharge. Be sure to carefully examine and tell your doctor about the nature of these secretions. If blood is present in them, then we should talk about the pathology of the ducts of the mammary glands. This may be an intraductal papilloma or something even more serious. Pay attention to the appearance of the nipples. If they lost their shape and seemed to be pulled in, this may indicate the development of oncology. In any case, if you undergo a consultation with a doctor, it will not be worse.
Prevention
Statistics is inexorable. Today, one in three women seeks help in connection with suspected breast swelling. Most of them confirm the diagnosis. Fortunately, benign tumors that do not pose a danger to life and health are much more common. But they can be reborn and lead to oncology. In this case, a change in breast sensitivity may be the first symptom that will lead to a doctor in time.
The best prevention is a timely call to a qualified specialist. Even if nothing bothers you, you need to visit a doctor regularly. A healthy lifestyle, regular self-examination and consultation with a mammologist are the best way to avoid complications. Women over 40 should pay special attention to their breasts. It is at this age that the risk of developing hormonal diseases increases.
What is not worth doing?
Often women postpone visiting a doctor. And since unpleasant and painful sensations persist, they use improvised means to eliminate them. It can be painkillers or antibiotics. Often, herbs, tinctures and lotions are used. In fact, it is impossible to cure an unknown pathology with such methods. Therefore, take the time to visit the clinic.
If you are firmly convinced that the cause is not ovulation or pregnancy, then you must additionally undergo an ultrasound or mammogram. Important information is provided by a blood test for hormones. After the examination, the doctor will make a decision and prescribe treatment.
Instead of a conclusion
As you can see, the darkening and enlargement of the nipples does not always mean that the woman is pregnant. There are a number of other reasons to consider. It is no secret that it is possible to diagnose pregnancy with the help of a test with high reliability and a minimum of costs. You do not even need to go to the doctor for this. In addition, every woman knows that every month she is followed by the same sensations, including increased breast sensitivity. It is a completely different matter if you first see that the nipples have darkened and become sick. Excluding pregnancy, you need to look for the likelihood of developing inflammatory or tumor processes.