Sudden discharge from the nipple may worry you. However, this is rarely due to a serious illness. Because there are glands in the breast and these glands can sometimes secrete fluid, even if you are not pregnant.
What is Nipple Discharge?
It is the discharge of fluid from the nipple without breastfeeding. Since there are many ducts in the nipple, milk may also come from some of these ducts. Discharge may come from both or only one of the breasts. The discharge may occur spontaneously or by squeezing the breast. The color of the discharge can be milky, yellow, green, bloody or brown. Its density can also be fluid or dark like water. With advancing age and an increasing number of pregnancies, the likelihood of discharge from the nipple increases.
Why Does It Happen?
Nipple discharge can also occur in completely normal people. Discharge may also occur as a result of stimulation by continuous sucking of the nipple. In the 40s and 50s, discharge may also occur as a result of enlargement of the mammary duct. Sometimes non-cancerous tissues develop in the mammary duct. These cause a bloody, dark discharge. You may feel a lump in your hand near the nipple. An increase in the hormone that produces milk in the body (prolactin) also causes milk to come from the breast. It is normally released after birth to ensure milk production. However, if there is an imbalance in this hormone, milk may also come out at other times. This can be caused by the contraceptive pill or by a tumor in the pituitary gland or thyroid gland.
Excessive blows to the rib cage can also cause light yellow or bloody discharge from the nipple. The development of an abscess in the nipple can cause inflamed, bloody discharge. This happens mostly in breastfeeding mothers when germs enter the nipple from the nipple. The breast is red, swollen and sensitive to touch. In fibrocystic diseases of the breast, a light yellow or light green discharge can be seen in the breast. In this disease, there is a mass and tenderness in the breast. It is a condition seen in half of women. Cancer can rarely be the cause of nipple discharge. Cancer tissue that develops inside or outside the milk duct can cause bloody discharge.
How is the diagnosis made?
First, your doctor will ask you questions about your nipple discharge. They will ask you about the color, the amount, whether it comes from one nipple or both nipples, whether it comes spontaneously or when you squeeze, whether you have other complaints such as fever, pain, redness, blurred vision, headache, whether you have had a blow to the breast, and about the medications you are taking. After this information and examination, further tests such as blood tests, mammography, breast ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging may be ordered to find the underlying cause. A sample of nipple discharge can also be taken and examined if necessary.
How is the treatment done?
Treatment will depend on the underlying cause. In case of infection, antibiotics will be given. If there is enlargement of the milk ducts, warm compresses and painkillers will be recommended. If there is a mass in the milk duct, it will be followed up and surgery will be performed if necessary. If there is a hormonal disorder, related medications will be given. Fibrocystic disease does not require any treatment, but follow-up with mammography is necessary. Cancer treatment will be done with surgery and if necessary, chemotherapy and radiotherapy will also be performed.
