Mammary glands are a hormonally dependent organ. It reflects the general health of a woman. Breast cancer is one of the leading pathologies that can occur at absolutely different ages in women. Sometimes this ailment can begin with minor secretions from the mammary glands, they remind women of colostrum, before the monthly they often increase or change their character to a bloody, yellow or brown secret. What is this liquid, what are the reasons for its appearance? When should I seek medical help?
Causes of
Discharges from the nipples can appear in women for absolutely different reasons and testify both to the normal course of the process and the pathological one. Ideally, the appearance of any fluid is allowed only during pregnancy, and its products can begin already at the smallest time and during breastfeeding. In all other cases, any discharge is a deviation from the norm.
Failure and pathological process can occur both at the level of the mammary glands, and in the structures of the brain.
It is also possible to have a secret in two cases:
- on the eve of monthly 1 - 2 drops of light fluid when pressing on the nipple;
- at the time of strong sexual arousal, orgasm, while stimulating the areola area.
In case of any discharge from the mammary glands, it is necessary to undergo examination and exclude their organic nature. Treatment is appointed based on the cause.
Pregnancy
Most often, excretions appear due to the incipient conception. They can be transparent or have a light whitish hue. Independently this fluid is found rarely, often already in the third trimester, but with pressure on the nipple can appear even before the delay. This is just the case when "colostrum" is allocated before the monthly, the test is negative in most cases, since it shows a reliable result closer to 20-25 days after the alleged fertilization.
Also such a secret often occurs in women after abortion at any time, or in situations when the fetus stops developing. In the latter case, if fading occurred in the third trimester, then after the delivery of a woman in a couple of days, milk may appear. In such situations, it should always be prevented by prescribing preparations for the suppression of prolactin production, which is responsible for the production of milk.
Galactorrhea
Discharge from the nipple can also occur with an increase in the level of prolactin in the blood in the absence of pregnancy. Similar conditions can be detected with a pituitary microadenoma of the brain. Therefore, in most cases it is recommended to perform CT or MRI to exclude this situation.
The pituitary microadenoma has dimensions of several millimeters and, as a rule, does not require any treatment. The only exception is when this kind of hyperprolactinemia is the cause of infertility. Then you need to adjust the level with medication, such as bromocriptine or cabergoline.
Hyperprolactinaemia may also be functional. This can be observed in inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs, with frequent use of emergency contraception, with multiple abortions and miscarriages, etc. As a rule, after the rehabilitation of the body all the parameters come back to normal, during the monthly colostrum ceases to stand out.
Thyroid dysfunction also affects the function of the mammary glands and the pituitary gland. Therefore, often with hypothyroidism, you can find a secret when pressing on the nipple.
Some medications, such as amitriptyline antidepressant, may interfere with the pituitary, which leads to functional hyperprolactinaemia and discharge of fluid from the nipple. In most cases, the condition is normalized some time after the drug is discontinued.
Mastopathy
Mastopathy is a kind of "payoff" for women for a wrong lifestyle, alcohol abuse and smoking, regular intake of oral contraceptives, a small number of births and disregard of breastfeeding. In most cases, this pathology requires only regular examination, as this is the background for the development of other, malignant pathologies. Also, vitamin complexes and phytopreparations are prescribed, for example, "Mastodinon", etc.
The most common type is fibrocystic mastopathy. At the same time, a woman observes pains in her breast on the eve of her period, a significant increase in her size before critical days, seals of various sizes and shapes can be determined. Sometimes a secretion of a yellow, even a greenish hue, is noted, like colostrum in menstruation or in front of them.
Milk duct extrusion
This pathology in most cases occurs in women in the pre-menopausal period and during menopause. Involutive changes in the mammary glands lead to the expansion of interlobular ducts, in which the secret accumulates. Most often, women notice when pressing on the nipple a greenish, yellowish or brown discharge. They are thick and sticky. Often the area of the areola is painful, may swell, and sometimes itching. After the examination and exclusion of another pathology, anti-inflammatory therapy is prescribed, if necessary - antibacterial as well as locally warm compresses. Sometimes you have to resort to surgical treatment.
Intra-flow papilloma
This benign breast tumor, its second name - papillary cystadenoma, cystadenopapilloma. It can occur absolutely at any age: both in the pubertal period, and in the premenopausal period. There are different sizes - from a few millimeters to a couple of centimeters, localized in the ducts, more often - in the terminal sinuses. As a rule, it is manifested by regular discharge from light to dark brown color. Sometimes it looks like a colostrum after a monthly or on the eve of them. Intra-flow papilloma is very easy to injure, then a secret appears with an admixture of blood.
Mastitis
Inflammation of the ducts and tissues of the breast can be not only during breastfeeding, but also outside it. In this case, the discharge can initially be light, later becoming purulent, sometimes with an unpleasant odor. The secret appears only from one breast, it also shows local tenderness, possibly reddening of the skin above the focus of inflammation. Such conditions require surgical treatment, primarily conservative, and, if necessary, operational.
Injuries to
Often women do not give due attention to breast trauma. Often they can become a backdrop for the development of malignant diseases. Depending on the nature of the injury in the chest can form a hematoma, and after a while even come its inflammation. In this case, a secret from the nipple may appear in a variety of secrets - from light transparent and yellow discharge during infection to abundant bloody ones. In any case, you need to seek medical help.
Malignant tumors
The first thing that worries all women when there is any discharge from the mammary glands is whether it is cancer. Such vigilance is clear to everyone, but finally to say the reason for the occurrence of such conditions can only be after a complete examination.
Any malignant breasts, including Paget's cancer, can cause a secret from the nipples. And wondering if there can be colostrum at monthly intervals, and this testifies about oncology, there really can be such.
If breast tumors can not always be detected on time, then Paget's disease is a visual localization of cancer in the areola area. At the same time, the skin in this area has eczematoid changes, ulceration, various discharge from the nipples.
We recommend reading the article about ultrasound of the mammary glands. From it you will learn about the possibility of carrying out the procedure on critical days, when it is best to go for diagnosis, as well as about the technique of examining the breast.
Do I need to see a doctor
Some women are wondering if colostrum can be allocated before the month is normal, and whether it is always necessary to contact a specialist for examination. Only one in ten of the mammary gland secretions appear due to a malignant process. But sometimes frightening bloody can talk about benign pathology, and the serous secret is about cancer. That is why it is necessary in all cases to immediately contact a mammalogist, an oncologist or even a therapist, and also undergo an examination:
- breast ultrasound for women before menopause;
- during the menopause it is most informative to perform a mammogram;
- with suspicion of papilloma - mammogram with contrasting ducts.
The cytological examination of the nipple to be separated and the blood test for sex hormones( prolactin) are also mandatory.
The number of malignant breast tumors has been steadily increasing among the female population. One of the signs of cancer is the detection of any secret when pressing on the nipple. Of course, in the case when a woman had uninvested menstrual and colostrum, then first of all it is necessary to exclude pregnancy. In any doubtful situations, you should consult a mammologist for advice.