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Thank you so much, I was so confused becuase my nipples were buring each at different times and really badly and then one was even peeling. I didn't know if that was normal or not and if I should go to the hospital becuase it burned so bad. Thank you for putting up this info that let me know its normal and to only be concerned if it persists. You have taken a burden off my mind!
Angelina, you still might want to have this checked - not because you think it's cancer, but because it hurts! And it's something new, and out of the ordinary for you. No sense putting up with this pain if you don't have to; it might be something treatable. So think about seeing a doctor, OK? Good luck - PJH
I am 23 years old and now diagnosed with breast cancer. It all started with one nipple and was originally passed off as eczema, and an eczema cream did not work. I was supposed to have a biopsy after one week, but I was too scared and didn't want to know. I tried to think it was just dry skin and would fix itself, and it continued to worsen. If you have any doubts it's better to get medical attention!
i am 18..i dont know if i should be worried but my brests started out aching now there is a wierd sensation like scratchiness and and burning on the skin as well as some peeling skin...any comments on this would be helpful.. i am worried.
I have one breast nipple that hurts. It was both at first with a tingling sensation but with the next cycle got better. But one nipple is still sore and now has an itch above the breast. There is no rash, not warm to the touch but the nipple soreness will not go away. Went to the doc, did the annual, checked the breast and said no lumps no oozing, no droop, no indentations, no rash. He said I did not have Pageats. ( I worry alot so I was up on the IBC and the Pageats stuff to ask about) Had a cycle, got better, but now it hurts again. Should I go back? My next mamo isn't until April 2010. Had one in 2009. Both still have the tingling off and on. I'm 43 and had a breast reduction 6 years ago. He also did hormone testing. I am waiting for those results. Last cycle I did not ovulate then my period came a week early. I am also have heavy periods. I wouldn't be worried if it was both nipples, but its one. I am good about annuals exams and doing mamo every year. Any advice with this? The breast itches where the bra starts where the cups are on top. Its not an intense itch but throughout the day. I have been putting Aveno lotion; it helps but the itch will not go away. Also I had been putting heating pads on them with the previous cycle and fell asleep with the pad on med/high directly on the skin. I don't know if this damaged the nipple with the nerves or what. But at the annual, he said to lay off caffene and drink more water. I've done this with the exception of coffee and choc. But its one nipple and I would think all of that would effect both.
Thanks
LJ
LJ, you are correct that usually symptoms in just one breast are more likely to be cancer than symptoms on both sides. However, all kinds of medical problems can affect one side more than another for a wide variety of reasons. There are several reasons why I think you don't need to worry at this time. You are having all kinds of hormonal fluctuations that are affecting your periods and probably your breasts as well. The problem started in both breasts and then got better. Breast cancer does not usually get better and worse the way your symptoms are. Sleeping on the heating pad may have made your irritation worse. Although inflammatory breast cancer symptoms do vary, the kind of itch I had with IBC was an itch deep in my breast not on the skin surface, and my IBC symptoms only got worse, never better. Your doctor has checked you out and sees no reason to be alarmed at this time.
Since you have a mammogram coming up in April, you will soon have an opportunity to discuss the situation again if it is not completely well. I'd suggest you keep a log of symptoms between now and then. If your rash gets worse or if you develop swelling, redness, discharge, or a lump, go back to the doctor for a re-evaluation. I hope the problem is soon better.
I have lumps, which look like mini nipples, on both breasts around each of my normal nipples. These extras can be painful and when squeezed (yes I know how weird that sounds) they have white discharge. My family doctor seems to think they're clogged milk ducts but she failed to inspire confidence. I have looked everywhere but no one seems to have posted anything about something like this. Can anyone help? Thank you so much.
They actually sound not like clogged milk ducts, but clogged oil glands. Our nipples are surrounded by tiny oil glands, which keep them soft. For some reason, it sounds like yours aren't expressing their oil. I'd definitely ask your doctor for a referral to a dermatologist about this; it sounds rather painful. Good luck - PJH
i am now 23 yrs old, when i was younger about 10 my left inverted nipple was so itchy every night, so i scratch it, after then i notice my nipple became dry cracked and detouched from other part of the nipple but i don't feel any pain and now i am worry because only small part was left and starting to dry and remove and feel some pain. I already gave birth 11months ago my problem is that is hard to pump my breast so i discontinue my breastfeeding it only takes 4 months.
Hi,
im 12 years old and i can feel a sort of hard lump under my left nipple, it's quite painful when i touch it. Could this be part of puberty ( my breasts growing awkwardly) or maybe a cancerous lump. Please reply.
Definitely puberty. Your chance of having breast cancer at age 12 is less than 1 in 1 million - only a handful of girls throughout the world, throughout scientific history, have been diagnosed with BC at age 12. Please read our message to teens; I think that'll make you feel better. And to find out what that lump is, please read our guide to breast development. Be prepared, because your breasts iwll be going through all kinds of changes in the years ahead. If the lump is painful and bothering you, best to share with your mom or the school nurse, OK? They can help you do something to reduce the pain. Good luck - PJH
Hello! I am a 24 yr old women. I have just recently noticed that my left nipple has become noticeably larger than my right. My nipples have always been pretty sensitive but lately my left one has been more so than the right...ever since I have noticed that is was larger. Its been about 2 or 3 months since I have noticed it. Its not getting much worse from what I can tell, but not going away either. Should I be concerned?
im 22 and noticed this morning that my right nipple is darker and the area around it is slightly darker and larger than on my left breast, i know that my right breast has always been slightly larger than the left, i'm just now concerned what this change means, im not due on my period and it is unlikely that i'm pregnant as i always use protection, any help on this would be appreciated.
Siena, at your age breast cancer would just be extremely unlikely. This is probably hormonal; for whatever reason, your hormones may be out of whack at the moment. Keep your eye on it; if you still have these symptoms in a month, best to see a doctor and find out what's up. Or certainly, if they worsen - if your breast seems infected (red, hot, swollen, itchy), then see a doctor ASAP. Good luck - PJH
hello,i`m a 27 year old lady. i`ve been dealing with an itchy nipple for 9 months now.it`s always the left nipple that itches. i`ve been to my doctor many times as she always says that it might be a fungal infection. tried all sorts of cream and even took a pill that is supposed to kill off any fungal infection. the thing is that i can go for days without itching but than it always returns. two months ago i had a breat ultrasound and every thing came back clear but i`m really scared that doctors are missing out on something as when i search " itchy nipple " on the web it always refers to paget`s disease.thanks for your help!!
Hi - If this were Paget's disease, it would have progressed in the past 9 months; and you'd see external signs that something was wrong - scaling, flaking, redness, something beyond itching. Since it comes and goes, it sounds hormonal; I think, to get some relief, you need to see a breast specialist. S/he could possibly do some tests and try to pin down what's causing this. Good luck - hope you get some relief soon. PJH
I'm 47 and my right nipple has been itchy for over a year. I recently had both a mammogram and an ultrasound which came back negative. I've seen a dermatologist who said she didn't see anything on the skin and gave me an antifungal cream to use. It's only been a few days but I'm not sure if I feel a difference. I'm very worried. Should I get a biopsy?
If this were cancer, it would have progressed noticeably into something much worse over the course of a year. Since all your diagnostic tests are negative, and your body isn't showing signs of cancer (growth, change), then you'd have to assume it's something else. Have you seen a breast specialist? PJH
If by "something awful" you mean cancer, then you can almost certainly stop worrying. Cancer just doesn't go on that long without getting very noticeably worse. A breast specialist is just what it sounds like - a doctor specializing in breast issues, everything from mastitis and infections to hormonal issues and cancer. They're usually found at cancer centers, simply because that's where a lot of the issues are addressed; but they do cover any kind of breast condition, not just cancer. Maybe your gynecologist could refer you? Take care- PJH
I am a 37 year old female. My left nipple has been itching along with yellow, greenish, black discharge. I have family history of breast cancer. Should I be alarmed??? I have had this problem for a couple months now. My nipple also burns and stings.
Any breast change that lasts longer than a month should be checked by a doctor. In general, nipple discharge doesn't signify breast cancer; but it still needs to be checked, and cancer ruled out. So call the doctor and make an appointment, OK? Take care- PJH
i'm a teenager and have had an itchy nipple for the past 4/5 weeks now. it started off crusty and now is just inflamed and dry with flaking bits. It covers my areola partially, but my nipple is much bigger and inflamed compared to the other.
Danielle, the chance of you having breast cancer at your age is probably less than 1 in a million, so please don't stress. But you should edefinitely see a doctor about this; you may have a localized infection, eczema, or something else that would respond well to treatment. So please don't keep watching and waiting; after 4-5 weeks, this definitely qualifies as a breast change and, like all breast changes, should be checked by a doctor. Take care - PJH
Thanks for the advice, I went to the doctors and was told it was a fungal infection and given some cream, I was told it would go away in a week with it. It's about 3/4 weeks later now, and although its better and less inflamed, it is still itchy, slightly redder than the other areola, and the nipple is bigger and inflamed. It also still can get dry and flakey. What do you reccomend I do now?
Danielle, your best bet is to call the doctor back and describe what your breast is like now, after treatment - just as you have to me. S/he should be able to suggest and implement another course of action. Don't let this linger; if it's an infection that the cream didn't quite take care of, you may need antibiotics. So, keep pursuing this with your doctor until everything's back to normal, OK? Good luck - hope whatever it is disappears soon! PJH
Hi There
I'm 28 and 6mths pregnant with my 2nd child.
Approx 2 wks ago I noticed that my right areola and nipple were slightly darker than my left. Then 2 days ago, I noticed that this nipple 'leaked' very slightly.
I did speak with the Midwife about this who mentioned that this could be because one of my breasts is ready for the new Baby to arrive and the other breast will catch up soon, however, I'm still a little worried!
Any help/advice would be gratefully received
Thanks, DB
Hi - Congratulations, mom-to-be! We're not doctors here, just well-read breast cancer survivors. I'd guess that the symptoms you describe have something to do with your pregnancy, as your midwife suggests; they sound hormonal. However, your best information would come from a doctor; so if you're worried about this, I'd suggest you call and make an appointment with your regular doctor or your gynecologist. Take care- PJH
Dear PJ,
I am 33, a professional working mom, am not pregnant and have a 13 month old daughter that I stopped giving breastmilk to at 6 months. (I exclusively pumped thanks to the hospital grade pump, as my daughter was in the NICU for 2 weeks but is fine now.) During that whole time I was on the pump i never had a nipple or breast issue.
I went to my doctor (an internist, not a gyno or breast specialist) last week as my right nipple became extremely red and hurts when touched from directly head-on. It's very sensitive and you can notice a raised red bump on the bottom part of the nipple "end". Left nipple is completely normal. I just noticed this 1.5 weeks ago and got right in to see my doctor as it hurts! The doctor said it was "only irritated" and to put Neosporin on it and a bandage to stop any further irritation from rubbing on bra/clothes and it should heal up. Also, dont touch it and put hot compresses on it (hard to do when i work, but i stand extra long in the shower :-)
Unfortunately, it hasn't gotten better, only worse and more red. Thing is, it's not "open" and hasn't oozed anything when pressed since that first day i noticed it, and when it did ooze with pressure, it was an amount the size of a pinhead with no blood. So it was almost like a mini infection had set in one of the ducts near the top or something. I've neosporined it and bandaged it, but no relief yet. How long do i let this go before i either call that doctor back, call a breast specialist, my gynocologist, or perhaps my dermotologist would be a better bet? Do you know what could be going on? I'm terrified of Paget's, which from what i gather usually occurs in tandem with an IDC, and dont know if it could be periductal mastitis or what. Thank you!
Because the redness is getting worse, not better, with the treatment the doctor suggested, it is time to call back right away. Some people are allergic to Neosporin, so that could be the reason the problem is worse. If an infection is deeper in the milk ducts, then a surface antibiotic might not be sufficient. Usually Paget's is described as looking more like eczema that an infection. It usually presents with an itchy, scaly rash.
Probably your doctor will step up efforts to find out what is going on when this first treatment didn't work. Be assertive about getting this properly diagnosed. It doesn't sound like a typical breast cancer symptom, but there is no reason to suffer continued pain. Let us know how it turns out. I hope you are soon feeling better.
Thank you for such a quick reply, PJ! I went to my internist doctor again yesterday who brought in another doctor during the same time to get her opinion. Neither had seen a red bump quite like this. They did not lance it b/c "there is no head presenting" and they weren't sure it would have drained any of that yukky stuff if they did, but possibly just blood. So, I am on 10 days of antibiotics as they are treating this as an infection. I am going back in 5 days to chart progress / response. If that doesnt work, they will refer me to the apparent best breast specialist (say that five times fast!) in my area. Both doctors agreed it wasn't Paget's given that its not scaly, and also that it is not itchy and has only been apparent for less than 2 weeks. I really appreciate your response, it is extremely helpful! ~E
PJ - Everything healed by July 1st so I'm in the clear. Of course the antibiotics had that awful unwanted side effect some women experience, but I'll take temporary inconvenience over a giant red sore nipple bump any day! I really appreciate your advice, you and my doc gave me peace of mind. Much appreciated!
I am 28. I've noticed getting an itchy right nipple as of the past few menstural cycles. Seems to mostly come before and after my menstrual cycle. Sometimes I will notice dryness around the nipple but lotion seems to fix that. No other abormalities except that sometimes I will notice a small white zit looking thing at the tip of my nipple. But it comes and goes! Have only noticed this since the weather has started getting colder. But concerned as I haven't noticed issues with my left nipple. Reading about Paget's has me truly freaked out. I don't have health insurance. Could the itchiness be related to hormones?
Usually, with cancer, the symptoms quickly change from annoying to truly concerning. If this has been appearing off and on for several menstrual cycles, without getting noticeably worse, then it could be hormonal (maybe one nipple is simply more sensitive than the other); or it could just be a random irritation of some kind, like your bra, and as your nipples become more sensitive over the course of your cycle, one starts "acting up."
At any rate, if this itching comes and goes and doesn't get worse, then it's probaby nothing to worry about. But if it comes and stays - and/or if your nipple seems infected (oozing, very itchy, painful, red), then you'd definitely want to find out what's causing it. I know it's tough without insurance; check with your hospital social workers to see if there's any program you can access for those without insurance. Good luck- PJH
I've had eczema on my right hand for most of my life; three months ago I noticed that eczema-like symptoms had spread as nickel-sized spots on my arm, face, and groin. At the same time, my left nipple became extremely itchy, flaky, and wept clear fluid. As well, it is constantly hard with a small lump in the areola on the left side of the nipple, making it noticeably larger than my right nipple. This lump is only apparent to sight and touch when the nipple is erect. There is no pain, no redness, the flakiness responds to my eczema medication, and it doesn't itch as much as it did at the beginning. I suspect that this could have been caused by new laundry detergent, but the lump in the areola and hardness of the nipple concerns me. I plan to see a doctor this week. What are your thoughts?
Hi - My initial thought is that, as a 23-year-old male, your chance of this being breast cancer is well below 1 in several millions; just under 2,000 men a year are diagnosed with breeast cancer in the U.S., and most are older. So you can see, the odds are definitely with you. Also, breast cancer wouldn't respond to eczema lotion. That said, it's worth speaking to your doctor about this lump if it doesn't disappear within a few weeks. It's always good to know what's causing any change in your health. Take care- PJH
Thank you PJ for your quick response. Even though the odds are against me having Paget's disease, someone has to get it out of all those millions. The fact that these eczema symptoms are on other parts of my body make me think that it is just eczema or some other reaction. I should have added that these symptoms occured after I bought a new brand of laundry detergent and bought some new clothes. I'll share what my doctor says on Thursday.
The doctor thinks that it is just eczema. He did find a small lump by my left nipple, but he says it is merely fatty tissue. I asked him about Paget's disease and he said that I definitely didn't show symptoms of it. He said male patients with Paget's Disease typically have a larger breast to begin with and suffer from bone loss which can be detected through blood tests. I should also add that ever since I switched laundry detergent I've noticed the eczema-like symptoms reduce every day.
JW, thanks for the update. Your doctor seems knowledgeable about male breast cancers and Paget's disease of the breast. Fatty tissue tumors are called lipomas and they feel different to trained doctors from solid tumors that need a biopsy. As I'm sure you know from your long experience with eczema, there can be many triggers for it, and it sounds like you are narrowing down to your laundry detergent as a likely culprit. I'm glad you are seeing an improvement.
JW, thanks for the update. Your doctor seems knowledgeable about male breast cancers and Paget's disease of the breast. Fatty tissue tumors are called lipomas and they feel different to trained doctors from solid tumors that need a biopsy. As I'm sure you know from your long experience with eczema, there can be many triggers for it, and it sounds like you are narrowing down to your laundry detergent as a likely culprit. I'm glad you are seeing an improvement.
JW, thanks for the update. Your doctor seems knowledgeable about male breast cancers and Paget's disease of the breast. Fatty tissue tumors are called lipomas and they feel different to trained doctors from solid tumors that need a biopsy. As I'm sure you know from your long experience with eczema, there can be many triggers for it, and it sounds like you are narrowing down to your laundry detergent as a likely culprit. I'm glad you are seeing an improvement.
hi, i'm a 17 year old female and i'm really scared because I have a visible bump on my areola of my left breast and its itchy. It's not painful. I've had it for almost three weeks now. It all started when I got a haircut at the mall and hair fell into my bra and made my boobs itchy but I wasn't able to shower until a few hours later. Later on, I noticed a bump on my areola that was kind of wrinkled looking and rough and dry. I left it alone for a week to see if it would go away but it didnt. Then, i started applying lotion and vaseline to it and the rough, dryness went away. It started peeling. For the past two weeks, it has been smooth and less itchy, but the bump is still there and it still itches occasionally, especially after I touch it(after applying lotion). I want to wait a little longer before I go to the doctor, but I was wondering if I should be concerned. Is this cancer? If not, is there any home remedies or over-the-counter medicines? It's really hard for me to take time and go to the doctors.
Luckily, at your age breast cancer is very uncommon; your chances of having it are less than 1 in a million. So odds are, this isn't cancer, but some kind of skin condition. If it gradually seems to be getting better, just keep your eye on it, and see if it continues to improve. If it doesn't - or certainly if it gets worse - then it would be a good idea to see a doctor to find out what might be causing it, and if it needs treatment. Good luck - I hope this goes away on its own soon. PJH
Hi im a 44 yr old female in oct i noticed that my nipples were leaking a yellowish /green discharge...when i looked closer at the left one i saw a red bump/spot in the center it freaked me out its shiny it doesnt leak i went to the drs she sent me straight off for a mammo and it came back all clear...she did blood work and my prolactin lvls came back high so sent me to endo which in all honesty was a waste of time as she stated she cant help me! anyways i do ache in both breast but the one with the spot hurts more like a burning hurt kwim? and now there is shotting pains in that nipple...ive been back several times to the drs and even mentioned pagets but she said no it wasnt...can you just look at it and know? ive tried creams and nothing works
Paget's usually presents with a scaly rash on the nipple, so your doctor's opinion that this is not Paget's sounds reasonable to me. With the pain in both breasts, the chances are that this is a hormonal problem even though one breast is worse than the other. However, if you want to pursue this further, it is time to see doctors at a comprehensive cancer center. I'm not sure what your time line has been with all these tests, but you might want to take a break for a month or two to see if the problem resolves itself or gets worse. If it clears up, all well and good. If you develop new symptoms, the doctors will have more information to work with to make the correct diagnosis. I hope that you are soon better.
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If a sympton like inverted nipple appears on a breast waiting a few weeks is not an option. IBC is aggressive. Three weeks can mean a lifetime to a woman. Get to a doctor. Been there and know the difference a few weeks can make.
Thanks
Point well taken. An inverted nipple that appears suddenly is something to call the doctor about without waiting. PJH