Itching and burning of female nipples can occur for various reasons. Often such an unpleasant state is accompanied by painful sensations. However, due to the delicacy of the problem, women are not always in a hurry to consult a doctor. Female breasts are naturally sensitive, so if a nipple burns, this is not a reason to panic. Such discomfort does not always indicate pathology and may be temporary. However, in some cases, burning in the nipples is still a signal of the development of serious diseases that require consultation and professional help from a specialist. Therefore, it is necessary to understand when the discomfort is caused by the physiological characteristics of the female body, and when it indicates health problems.
Why are nipples burning?
The causes of unpleasant sensations in the area of the mammary glands can be as follows:
• early pregnancy;
• breast-feeding;
• menstrual cycle;
• non-observance of hygiene rules;
• dehydration;
• taking hormonal drugs and antidepressants;
• prolonged sexual abstinence;
• mastopathy;
• oncological diseases (Paget's disease).
It is very important that every woman pay special attention to her breasts in order to prevent probable problems in the future. When the nipple hurts and burns, only in a few cases is this a variant of the norm. This phenomenon, as a rule, occurs in the early stages of pregnancy, as well as during lactation and breastfeeding. In other cases, including the menstrual period, it is necessary to take certain measures and contact a specialist. Otherwise, the woman runs the risk of receiving a disappointing diagnosis, which can cost her life.
Burning nipples during pregnancy
As mentioned earlier, the cause of pain and burning in the nipples can be an interesting situation. During this period, the body experiences tremendous hormonal changes, the milk ducts expand, the breasts increase in size, and the production of the hormone prolactin increases. Therefore, it is not surprising that the nipples hurt and burn during pregnancy, because they were not prepared for abrupt changes. Fortunately, painful and unpleasant sensations are temporary, and by the beginning of the second trimester, as a rule, everything goes away.
Burning during lactation
During breastfeeding, the nipples undergo changes, their skin becomes rougher. If the baby is not fed properly, he will not grab the chest well and bite it. This can cause cracks, which are accompanied by pain and burning. To solve the problem, you need to accustom the baby to proper sucking, and after feeding, lubricate painful places with healing agents. For treatment purposes, you can use lanolin, ointment "Bepanten", "Solcoseryl" or sea buckthorn oil.
If not only the nipples burn after feeding, but chest pain, redness of the skin and an increase in body temperature are also noted, this may indicate an inflammatory process in the mammary gland - mastitis. Often, this disease occurs due to lactostasis and infection.
For the treatment of the initial stage of mastitis, drug therapy is used. In the case of acute purulent mastitis, it is often necessary to carry out surgery with the subsequent removal of the abscess with thick pus.
In addition, when breastfeeding, nipples often suffer from thrush. Moreover, this problem can affect not only the mother, but also the child. The fight against thrush consists in regular washing of hands before and after feeding, keeping the nipples dry and clean, and eliminating products containing sugar and yeast from the diet. If necessary, doctors prescribe antifungal drugs to treat the disease.
The nipple burns due to the menstrual cycle
The condition of the breast directly depends on the monthly cycle. Pain and burning in the mammary gland, as a rule, occur a few days before the onset of menstruation. In addition, there are cases when the nipples burn in the middle of the cycle. Such discomfort is caused by an increase in blood levels of progesterone and prolactin. These hormones tend to retain fluid and electrolytes throughout the body, including the mammary gland, and therefore unpleasant sensations appear in the chest and its volume increases. With the advent of menstruation, the level of hormones decreases and the soreness of the mammary gland disappears.
Mastopathy
There are frequent cases when nipples are sore and burning before menstruation when fibrocystic mastopathy occurs. The disease is accompanied by pathological proliferation of connective tissue in the mammary gland.
In addition to pain and burning, there are other symptoms:
1. In the chest, the presence of one or more seals.
2. There are discharge from the nipples (often transparent).
A characteristic feature of mastopathy is that the symptoms appear immediately before the critical days, and with their onset decrease or disappear altogether. However, after some time, the disease progresses, the symptoms become more pronounced and prolonged: the pain intensifies and worries not only before menstruation, but also after it.
In order to identify fibrocystic mastopathy, you can conduct an independent probing of the chest. But it’s better to trust a specialist, do an ultrasound scan and a mammogram. The disease is treated with hormonal and non-hormonal drugs. In severe cases, surgical methods are practiced.
Mastopathy can be both acquired and hereditary. Early diagnosis of the disease allows you to successfully and permanently cure it.
Hygiene
The reason that the nipple burns may be a hygienic component. For example, improperly selected bra material (synthetic composition, the presence of aggressive dyes), the use of cosmetics and personal hygiene products that cause allergies.
To eliminate the problem, it is recommended to give preference to linen made from natural materials and buy cosmetics with a minimum content of chemical components.
Paget's disease
Determining yourself why the nipples hurt and burn is not easy. The reason can be either completely harmless or extremely serious. So, a painful burning sensation in the nipple region can be a signal of such a terrible ailment as nipple cancer. In medicine, he received the name "Paget's disease."
The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that at the initial stage its symptoms are so insignificant that a woman may not attach importance to them. At an early stage, redness appears and a crust forms, so the disease is often confused with eczema. Later stages are accompanied by increased sensitivity, itching, burning, tingling, and pain in the nipples. Also, droplets of blood may stand out from them.
It is almost impossible to establish Paget's disease during examination. If suspected, the doctor prescribes a biopsy, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, a surgical operation is performed. As an adjunct treatment, radiation therapy is prescribed.
What symptoms should be addressed with pain and burning in the nipples
• The appearance of bloody, sucrose or purulent discharge.
• Change the size, shape and color of the nipple and areola.
• The formation of ulcers, erosion, cracks in the nipples and areoles.
• Soreness and swelling of the chest and around the nipple.
• The constant and increasing nature of pain.
• Pain in the armpit.
If these symptoms are detected, it is urgent to visit a gynecologist or mammologist, as they can signal a cancer of the breast.
Diagnostic Methods
To find out the cause of a painful condition in the area of the mammary gland, you should not make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment yourself. To do this, it is better to seek help from a specialized specialist who will help conduct the examination and, if necessary, prescribe the appropriate treatment.
The patient may be assigned the following diagnostic methods:
• Ultrasound of the mammary glands (allows you to detect a tumor and determine the location of its localization);
• mammography (recognizes abnormalities and nodules that are not palpable);
• MRI of the mammary glands (makes it possible to conduct the most accurate diagnosis).
The purpose of this or that examination depends on the diagnosis that the doctor will assume during the initial examination.
Do not forget that timely access to qualified help will allow you to conduct effective therapy and avoid losing valuable time in case of serious illness. For prevention, it is recommended to regularly conduct an independent examination of the breast and carry out a scheduled visit to the doctor.