What causes pain in the nipple?

Breasts are a body organ unique to women. They play an important physiological and aesthetic role. However, there are many problems related to breasts. Women must take good care of their breasts. If there are any problems, they should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible. For example, some girls or women often have pain in the nipples. When many women encounter this situation, they will panic and think they have a serious illness. In fact, there are many reasons for pain in the nipples.

What causes nipple pain?

1. Pain caused by breast trauma.

2. Excessive breast size causes drooping and causes discomfort.

3. The pain is caused by pressure from an inappropriate bra, which can be relieved by changing the bra.

4. Breast cancer itself rarely causes pain. It only causes pain when the cancer worsens and invades nearby tissues such as the skin or chest wall.

5. Postpartum breast pain is mostly caused by mastitis. In addition to breast pain, there will also be fever and local lumps in the breast. This is mainly caused by blocked milk ducts and milk accumulation. Therefore, breastfeeding should be done as soon as possible after delivery to prevent excessive milk accumulation in the breasts.

6. Caused by menstruation, this kind of pain has a clear relationship with menstruation. Usually it causes breast swelling and pain two or three days before menstruation due to increased blood supply, and gradually disappears after menstruation. Due to its obvious relationship with menstruation, it usually does not cause trouble to the person concerned.

1. Prevent obesity. For women who are overweight, losing weight can help relieve breast pain.

2. Don’t eat salty food. High-salt foods can easily cause breast enlargement, and such foods should be avoided especially 7 to 10 days before menstruation.

3. Try hot compress. Hot compress is a traditional Chinese medicine treatment that can relieve breast pain by using a heat bag, hot water bottle, or hot bath. If you use alternating cold and hot compresses, the effect of eliminating breast discomfort will be better.

4. Wear a secure bra. In addition to preventing breast sagging, the more important function of a bra is to prevent further compression of the already compressed breast nerves and eliminate discomfort. Careful sisters will find that those jogging athletes wear stable bras for this health reason.

5. Avoid diuretics. Diuretics do help remove fluid from the body and can also reduce breast swelling. But this immediate relief comes at a cost. Excessive use of diuretics can lead to potassium loss, disrupt electrolyte balance, and affect glucose formation.

7. Massage your breasts frequently. Gently massaging the breasts can help return excess body fluid to the lymphatic system. When massaging, first apply soapy liquid to the breast, and rotate your fingers along the surface of the breast in a circle about the size of a coin. Then use your hands to press the breasts in and bounce them up, which is extremely helpful in preventing breast discomfort.

8. Stay away from coffee. Does caffeine cause breast discomfort? This has not been proven. However, according to medical surveys, many women with breast pain and other benign symptoms have significant improvement in their symptoms after quitting caffeine. Therefore, you have to give up coffee completely, which means you have to completely give up soda, chocolate, ice cream, tea, and caffeinated painkillers.

9. Take vitamins. The diet should contain foods rich in vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins. These vitamins help regulate the production of prostaglandin E. At the same time, eat less margarine because the hydrogenated fat in it interferes with the body's ability to convert essential fatty acids (from food) into gamma-linoleic acid (GIA), which promotes the formation of prostaglandin E and inhibits the production of prolactin.

10. Apply castor oil to your chest. Castor oil contains a substance that can enhance the function of T11 lymphocytes, which can accelerate the recovery of various infections and eliminate pain. The specific operation method is to drop castor oil on the cotton cloth folded into four layers, let it be soaked with castor oil, but not too wet to avoid dripping everywhere. Apply the cloth to your breasts, cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and then place a hot compress bag on top. Adjust the heat pack to a temperature you can tolerate and leave it on for an hour.