Warning signs behind female nipple discoloration

1. After a woman becomes pregnant, starting from the early stages of pregnancy, the color of her nipples and areolas will deepen, gradually changing from light red to dark brown. This change is mainly due to the increase in estrogen and progesterone in the body after pregnancy, and is a normal physiological change.

2. For some women, even when they are not pregnant, the color of their nipples and areolas gradually deepens from pink-brown to dark brown. A breast examination may not reveal any lesions, but this color change indicates that the woman has a "transient" increase in estrogen in her body. Perhaps after a period of time, due to self-regulation, the estrogen level returns to normal, and the color of the nipples and areola also returns to normal. This is still a normal physiological change.

Pathological changes:

1. The color of the nipples and areolas deepens, accompanied by severe itching around the nipples and areolas. During breast examination, hyperplastic lesions or cystic hyperplastic lesions may be found in both or one breast. The darkening of the color of the nipple and areola indicates an increase in the level of estrogen in the body. It is consistent with the law of disease occurrence for the breast, which is a target organ.

2. The color of the nipple and areola simply deepens to dark brown or black brown. Even small nodules may be found around the areola glands, forming protrusions. At this time, there is no lesion when examining the breasts. One should consider whether the patient has a more serious liver disease. This is because liver disease causes decreased liver function, and estrogen cannot be normally broken down in the liver, causing the nipples and areolas to darken in color, which is exactly the same as the "spider nevi" and "cinnabar palms" that appear in men with severe liver disease.

3. When a woman's ovaries suffer from certain benign tumors, the amount of estrogen secreted by the ovaries increases, which can cause the color of the nipples and areola to darken, and many small nodules may appear around the areola glands. Such patients should see a gynecologist as soon as possible to find out the cause and receive timely treatment.

In view of this, when examining the breasts, be sure to pay attention to changes in the color of the nipples and areolas. It is necessary to clarify whether the changes in the color of the nipples and areola are physiological or pathological, and make a clear diagnosis and active treatment based on the characteristics of the changes.

What is the cause of nipple water discharge?

Nipple discharge may simply be a normal function of breast function. If that is the case, then the problem of nipple water discharge can be solved by itself. Avoid nipple irritation, such as: Check for nipple leaks frequently. Because, irritation can actually perpetuate the leakage problem.

In addition to being a normal function of the breast, other causes of nipple oozing may be:

Breast engorgement: Breast engorgement is one of the most common causes of nipple discharge.

Papilloma: A papilloma is a small benign tumor that grows inside the milk ducts.

Breast leakage: Nipple discharge associated with breast leakage is usually a clear white liquid.

Injury: An air bag impact in a car accident or an impact on the breast during sports can cause nipple water.

Cysts: Nipple discharge in lactating women is usually due to cysts.

Fibrocystic changes: Fibrocystic changes in the breasts cause the breasts to become enlarged and fragile, and may exude a clear yellow or light green fluid.

Breast cancer: The chance of breast cancer causing nipple discharge is very low, but nipple discharge may also indicate intraductal breast cancer or invasive breast cancer. If your discharge is bloody, spontaneous, and only occurs in one breast, you should see your doctor immediately.

What does itchy nipples and areolas mean?

Some patients may not have any clear lumps in their breasts, but only itching and rashes in the nipples and areolas, which look like eczema. In fact, this may also be a special type of cancer, Paget's disease, which is nipple eczema-like breast cancer. So, don't ignore small changes.

Cause special vigilance

Of course, the eczema-like changes in the nipple and areola are not necessarily cancer; some of them are simply eczema. So, what kind of situations should cause special vigilance? Generally speaking, if eczematous changes occur in the nipple and areola on one side and do not heal for a long time, there is a high possibility of eczematous cancer. The main symptoms are initial itching or mild burning pain of the nipple, followed by redness of the skin of the nipple and areola, mild erosion, and yellow-brown or gray scaly crusts often attached to the surface. The skin in the affected area is rough, thickened and hard, with a clear boundary with the surrounding area. Later, the nipple on the affected side may become sunken or eroded, or a hard lump may be felt in the breast.