General information
The nipple, called the nipple in medical jargon, contains the mammary gland’s excretory duct. The nipple is surrounded by the areola, which contains numerous sebaceous and scent glands. The nipple and areola stand out from the surrounding tissue due to their increased pigmentation.
Apart from their function as erogenous zone, the nipples of a man have no significant function. In women, the nipple and areola are also considered an erogenous zone. In addition, the female nipples are essential for breastfeeding a child.
“Painful nipples can occur in both women and men and can be caused by a variety of factors. Women are particularly often affected by nipple pain during pregnancy and breastfeeding. But during puberty or the menopause, painful nipples can become more frequent. Especially water retention in the mammary gland tissue causes pressure on the nipple, which causes the nipple pain.
Causes
The cause of sensitive and painful nipples can be, for example, the monthly hormonal changes in a woman’s cycle. In this case, the symptoms occur mainly shortly before the onset of menstruation. In addition to the increased sensitivity of the nipples and the pain, lumps and hardening can also occur.
These palpable changes should disappear within a few days. In addition, hormone therapy can also cause changes in a woman’s hormone balance at the beginning, resulting in a swollen and painful mammary gland and sensitive nipples. Clothing that is too tight or clothing made of irritating materials can also affect the skin in both men and women, causing sore and swollen nipples.
Especially rough fabric, a bra that does not fit perfectly or a sweaty top that rubs against the skin can irritate the sensitive tissue. In addition, a piercing in the nipple can cause nipple pain and nipple inflammation. Also an allergic reaction to body care products or detergents can cause irritated and sore skin and thus nipple pain.
A rare cause of painful nipples are liquid-filled cavities in the glandular lobules of the breast (so-called cysts), which do not represent a malignant disease and also do not increase the risk of breast cancer. If such a fluid-filled cavity ruptures, fluid can leak from the nipple. The most common benign tumor of the breast, the fibroadenoma, can also cause pain in the nipple. Signs of a malignant disease of the mammary gland are palpable lumps, retractions or protrusions of the breast, bloody discharge from the nipple or even retraction of the nipple. Pain in the nipples may also be associated with this.
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