What are the causes of nipple pain in women and men? Every woman is familiar with a condition when her breast swells and hurts. As a rule, this condition precedes critical days and is the norm. More than 60% of the weaker 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 respectable age with menopause. In addition, this happens with men. So why do nipples hurt women and men?
Critical days in women
Almost every woman experiences pain in the nipple before the critical days. The mood changes like a weather vane in windy weather, and every tenth female representative complains of severe pain. The reason for this condition is a change in the hormonal background during menstruation. This condition is called mastodynia in medicine. And it is not a pathology.
The body of a healthy woman every month prepares for the conception of a child. The breast is prepared for the reproduction of milk, so the amount of estrogen increases on the 11-15th day, that is, the level of progesterone and prolactin increases. When this happens, it leads to an increase in the volume of the fat component of the breast. This is called proliferation. The chest swells, becomes larger, and this is perhaps the only plus. After all, its sensitivity also increases, so pain is felt in the nipple.
As already mentioned, this is the normal functioning of the female body, and you can not worry. A cause for concern should be the disappearance of these signs. If within a few months before menstruation any symptoms ceased to manifest themselves, that is, the chest completely stopped swelling 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 health problems. By the way, a low level of progesterone in the body can prevent a woman from becoming pregnant.
Pain relief pills and wearing a comfortable bra can help reduce natural chest pain during critical days.
Pregnancy
Some women may be aware of their interesting situation even before a pregnancy test, due to the reaction of the breast. She begins to respond very quickly to the structural reconstruction of the milk ducts, due to a hormonal explosion.
The mammary glands in a pregnant woman begin to grow rapidly, which leads to stretching in the nerve tissues, and this, in turn, leads to painful sensations in the nipples.
You should pay attention to the following factors that can affect the condition of the nipples of a woman expecting a baby:
- From the first week of pregnancy, you can see in this area the so-called Montgomery tubercles (small pimples on halos). When they begin to become inflamed, the chest may turn red and hurt a lot. In this case, you need to contact a mammologist, and not to carry out independent manipulations to reduce inflammation.
- A normal phenomenon is the release of fluid from the nipples for a woman waiting for the birth of a baby. But these can lead to dryness, irritation and cracking of the nipples, and therefore cause pain. In order not to aggravate the situation, it is necessary to avoid disturbances in the natural hydration of the skin of the breast, therefore it should not be washed often with soap.
- 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, due to the work of the hormone oxytocin, a pregnant woman begins to secrete a substance that prevents the appearance of cracks in the nipples and prepares the expectant mother for lactation. This process also affects breast sensitivity. During this period, it is especially important to adhere to the basic rules of hygiene.
Mechanical damage
Aching pain in the nipples may be due to some kind of trauma. A severe blunt shock, mechanical damage, and squeezing can be attributed to such an injury. In addition, surgery makes the breast more sensitive, and it does not matter how much time has passed since the operation.
Uncontrolled medication
The cause of discomfort in the nipple can be drugs. Medicines change the chemical processes inside the body. And in some cases, this 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, women often turn to doctors only when the pain becomes very severe, and as a result of the examination it turns out that the patients already have the latest stages of cancer. Therefore, do not ignore any change associated with the breast, condition and color of the nipples.
Wrong lifestyle
Violation of blood circulation due to bad habits can also lead to a deplorable result. Smoking and alcohol with excessive consumption provoke an increase in adipose tissue. It can also lead to chest pain.
Climax
The onset of menopause is not an easy time for a woman, which can drag on for several years. With menopause, a change in the hormonal background occurs, and this condition is preceded by three stages:
- perimenopause,
- menopause,
- postmenopause.
In this period, in addition to such psychological symptoms as emotional instability, a tendency to depression, a decrease in 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 changes, the ratio of estrogen and progesterone. This is the norm, but there are times when it indicates a health problem. And here are the cases in question:
- The change in the number of fat cells that begin to produce estrogens instead of asleep ovaries. This process can cause chest pain.
- Osteochondrosis, Titz disease, problems with the cardiovascular system. In the presence of these ailments, pain can give into 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 still mature, and therefore, fertilization can occur. Therefore, if a woman is not protected, it is likely to become 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 does not apply to precancerous diseases. Experts believe that neither nodal nor diffuse formations can develop into a cancerous tumor.
- Benign or malignant tumor. Pain in the nipples can be explained by such a serious problem as neoplasms. Today, the first stages of this pathology are treated well. Therefore, women should carefully treat the symptoms and conduct treatment on time. The sooner an ailment is discovered, the greater the chance of 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 predisposed to various diseases and pathologies. But there are still exceptions. And pain in a man’s nipple can be caused by gynecomastia.
Initially, this is benign breast hyperplasia and is rather not a disease, but a symptom that speaks of some malfunctions in the body. Gynecomastia can occur due to physiological and pathological changes.
She can affect any age category. They diagnose it with a unilateral or bilateral enlargement of the mammary gland. There are two types of disease - false and true. Sometimes even heredity can cause a disease. In the false version, this is essentially obesity of the gland. It is observed in overweight men and is due to body fat.
It appears as a small formation in the nipple area. 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 inconvenience.
Men after fifty years are subject to age-related gynecomastia. Especially representatives with excess weight. In addition, hormonal changes associated with aging can also contribute to the growth of the mammary gland. For pathological reasons, 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 hormones of the mother entering the placenta. It usually goes away for a maximum of several months. During puberty, this phenomenon can also occur. As a rule, it passes independently for two or three years.
Hyperprolactinemia and drug use
With hyperprolactinemia, prolactin production increases, and this leads to overgrowth of the mammary gland and, as a result, to aching pain in the nipples. Provoking situations here can be excessive use of steroids (tamoxifen, creatine, methane, etc.), drugs (marijuana, amphetamines) and medicines.
Other causes of pathology
Severe nipple pain in some cases can also be caused by diseases of the internal organs, for example, problems with the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, liver, problems with the kidneys and adrenal glands.
If cases with newborns and adolescents, as a rule, are not serious and go away on their own, then for pathological reasons it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the disease. And the sooner, the better to avoid the chronic form of the symptom of the disease.
Mondor's disease
A fairly rare pathology, accompanied by the described symptom, is Mondor's disease. This is cord-like phlebitis (vein disease), which is localized in the anterior surface of the chest and abdomen. Similar to breast cancer. Its causes are not fully understood, and there are various theories on this subject. The disease can be idiopathic in nature, that is, occur without cause. Some experts believe that pathology may occur due to constant skin irritation on the chest or due to trauma.
Thus, there are many causes of pain in the nipples of the breast in both sexes. Symptoms are similar in many cases. Meanwhile, some reasons are so serious that they can lead to death, so you should not ignore your condition and, in particular, changes associated with the chest. You should immediately go to the doctor.