Diagnosis

For many of those affected, painful, itchy or fluid-secreting nipples cause them to fear that a serious or even malignant disease could be behind it. For most patients, however, this fear is not appropriate. However, if the nipples cause intense pain that lasts for days, a doctor should always be consulted and his advice sought.

If the cause of the nipple pain is not directly obvious, a palpation of the breast is performed by the gynecologist. An X-ray examination of the breast (mammography) may also be necessary in certain cases to clarify the cause. Depending on the results of these examinations, further examinations such as the removal of tissue can be connected.

Therapy

The therapy of nipple pain depends on the cause. Nipple pain without an obvious cause should be clarified by a physician, in the best case by a gynecologist, before self-medication to prevent a serious illness from being overlooked and carried over. In case of chest or nipple pain during pregnancy, an optimally fitting nursing bra should be worn.

For breastfeeding women, the last drop of breast milk or even the baby’s saliva can provide relief for the painful nipples. In addition, the active ingredient lanolin (wool wax) or cooling compresses can also provide relief.Otherwise it is recommended to avoid too tight-fitting bras/clothing and synthetic textiles in case of irritated nipples and to use only skin-friendly personal care products. Inflammation of breast gland tissue, which is usually caused by a bacterial infection, is treated with antibiotics.

Unilateral nipple pain

If the nipple pain occurs only on one side, it can be caused by an inflammation of the mammary gland. Inflammation of the mammary gland, also known as mastitis, affects the female mammary gland in the majority of cases and only in rare cases the male mammary gland. It is usually caused by bacteria that penetrate the tissue through small cracks in the skin.

In women, a distinction is made between inflammation of the mammary gland in nursing mothers (mastitis puerperalis) and inflammation of the mammary gland outside the puerperium (mastitis non-puerperalis), which occurs rather rarely. In addition to the pain in the area of the nipple, which is usually one-sided, those affected suffer from fever, redness and overheating of the affected breast and possibly also swelling of the lymph nodes in the armpit. If an inflammation of the mammary gland is suspected, a doctor, or at best a gynaecologist, should be consulted immediately to clarify the cause and provide appropriate therapy.