Nipple Discharge: When Should I Worry?

A clear, yellow, or light green discharge may also signal fibrocystic changes, a.k.a. fibrocystic disease. About half of all women experience this bothersome condition at some time in their lives. Characterized mainly by breast tenderness and lumps, women with fibrocystic disease often undergo biopsies, and most are benign.

A white discharge may also be the result of an abscess caused by bacteria, which can enter the breast through a cracked nipple. Your breast may ooze pus, and it may become swollen and inflamed. Anytime your breast looks infected, see a doctor.

“My breasts ooze when I squeeze them.”
If you’re experiencing nipple discharge in both breasts at once, it’s almost certainly due to something other than breast cancer, which nearly always occurs in one breast at a time. Also, whether your breasts ooze on their own, or only when you squeeze them, is not an indication of anything other than that breasts are much more likely to ooze if you squeeze them. Sometimes, relieving nipple discharge is a matter of simply leaving your breasts alone!

One final word: If you’re worried about breast cancer, and nipple discharge is your only symptom (unless it’s a bloody discharge), you can probably stop panicking. But you’re not off the hook: it’s important to get ALL breast changes checked by a doctor if they last longer than a week or so. Do be concerned; don’t be stressed.