For women who aren’t breastfeeding, the sight of nipple discharge can be alarming. But if you notice discharge from your nipple, there’s no reason to panic. While nipple discharge can be serious, in most cases, it’s either normal or due to a minor condition....CONTINUE READING
1. Breast irritation
Irritation from rough clothing or a poor-fitting bra, or excess stimulation or trauma to the breasts, may cause discharge.
2. Nipple discharge is a typical part of breast function during pregnancy or breast-feeding. The milky discharge after breast-feeding usually affects both breasts and can continue for up to two or three years after stopping nursing.
3. Women who take birth control pills, high blood pressure medicine, and some tranquilizers may have this discharge because the medicine increases prolactin levels.
4. Excessive breast stimulation, medication side effects or disorders of the pituitary gland all may contribute to galactorrhea. Often, galactorrhea results from increased levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production.
5. Blood discharge can be caused by a non-cancerous tumor called a papilloma, which can irritate the tissue inside a breast duct. In rare instances, bloody discharge can be due to breast cancer.
