Lumps in the breast during breastfeeding

During the breastfeeding period, especially in the first days and weeks, the female breast is exposed to unaccustomed strain, at times lumps form. These are usually oblong or strand-shaped. These are blocked milk ducts, a so-called milk congestion, which occurs when the baby does not drink some parts of the breast properly “empty” at the beginning.

Milk remains in the milk ducts, newly formed milk flows after, and finally a congestion with the described, palpable hardening occurs. Pain and a bulging, overheated breast are also symptomatic of a milk congestion. The symptoms should be treated by consistently emptying the breast, either by breastfeeding the baby or by pumping out the breast milk.

Quark compresses or cooling compresses also help to alleviate the symptoms. However, milk congestion should not only be treated immediately for short-term relief of the pain, but also to prevent the transition to mastitis puerperalis. Skin germs, such as the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, are the trigger for such inflammation.

Once the breast has become inflamed, the pain becomes much worse and classic signs of inflammation such as redness, overheating, swelling and fever appear. Mastitis is accompanied by a severe feeling of sickness, weakness and fatigue and must be treated with medication, antibiotics and milk-inhibiting drugs. In the worst case, the patient may have to start weaning.

Lumps in the breast after weaning

Breastfeeding promotes the natural bond between mother and child. If there are no medical obstacles, mothers can breastfeed their children for the entire first year of life.From about the seventh month of life, the child can be offered other food. Many women start weaning between the seventh and twelfth month of their baby’s life.

During this time, milk is still being produced in the mother’s breast. If the baby suddenly starts drinking less, it sometimes happens that a milk duct becomes blocked. Nodular changes, so-called milk cysts (galactoceles) develop.

Milk cysts are very similar to the lumps that develop during milk congestion, as both result from blocked milk ducts. Nodules in the breast caused by milk cysts are very sensitive to pressure and hurt. As in the case of milk congestion, a milk cyst can develop into an inflammation of the breast (mastitis), in rare cases into an accumulation of pus (abscess).

Abscesses have to be punctured or opened by the doctor, a therapy with antibiotics is also carried out in most cases. In the case of a simple milk cyst, however, it is sufficient to cool and gently massage the breast so that the lumps disappear on their own after a few days. Further measures are not necessary, so they only need to be taken if the symptoms worsen, fever and strong feeling of illness occur or the lumps become larger.

Men usually have smaller breasts than women. Nevertheless, men also have a gland, which is also affected by diseases. The cause of lumps in men’s breasts is, in addition to the diseases that also occur in women, such as mastopathy or fibroadenoma, mainly cysts or benign swelling of the mammary glands (gynecomastia).

Contrary to widespread opinion, however, there are also cases of breast cancer, i.e. malignant diseases of the mammary gland in men. Some risk factors play a prominent role here. Increased oestrogen levels, testicular diseases such as mumps, excessive consumption of alcohol, injuries and the intake of anabolic steroids are suspected of promoting the development of breast cancer.

If men find lumps in their breasts, they should have them examined by a doctor to rule out serious diseases. Diagnosis and treatment depend on the cause, but hardly differ from that of women. On the assumption that the lump in the breast is a harmless change, men tend not to go to the doctor at all or too late. If the lump is then actually breast cancer, it has often spread or affected lymph nodes. Due to this fact, the prognosis of breast cancer in men is significantly worse than in women.