Nipple swelling is very common at times when hormonal fluctuations occur, such as during pregnancy, lactation or during the menstrual period, this is not a concern, as it is a symptom that eventually goes away.
However, in some cases, such as pain and discomfort, it may be necessary to consult a doctor, in order to perform the treatment as quickly as possible, to avoid complications.
Some causes may include
Breast ductal ectasia is the expansion of a lectile canal under the nipple, which fills with fluid, which can become clogged or blocked and cause mastitis. Some of the symptoms that may occur are release of fluid through the nipple, sensitivity to touch, redness, swelling or nipple reversal.
What to do: Breast duct surgery may not require treatment and will heal on its own. However, if this doesn’t happen, your doctor may administer antibiotics or even recommend surgery.
Mastitis is characterized by inflammation of the breast with symptoms such as pain, swelling or redness, which can progress to infection and cause fever and chills.
Mastitis is more common in breastfeeding women, especially during the baby’s first three months, due to obstruction of the carcases through which milk passes or bacteria entering the baby’s mouth. However, it can also occur in men or at any other stage of a woman’s life due to the penetration of bacteria into the breast in the event of a nipple injury, for example.
What to do: Treatment of mastitis should be done with rest, water intake, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs and, in case of infection, your doctor may administer antibiotics. Learn more about the treatment of mastitis.
The nipple may also swell and become irritated by easy-to-resolve factors, such as friction caused by lactation, physical activity, or sexual activity, for example.
What to do: To prevent the nipple from becoming brittle, the person may use a petroleum jelly or zinc oxide ointment, before and after physical exercise and after sexual activity.
For breastfeeding mothers, this problem can be solved by applying a drop of milk to the nipple after each intake or an ointment of lanolin. If the pain is too severe, the mother can pump the milk manually or with a breast pump and give the baby a bottle until the nipple improves or heals completely. There are also breast-feeding nipples that reduce the pain caused by the baby’s suction.
The swollen nipple may be the result of a condition called contact dermatitis, which consists of an overreaction skin reaction to a particular substance or object, which causes symptoms such as redness and itching, swelling and flaking.
What to do: Treatment should be done avoiding contact with the irritant substance, washing the area with cold and abundant water and, in some cases, the doctor may also recommend applying a corticosteroid cream to the area, until symptoms improve. In addition, it may be appropriate to take an antihistamine to control symptoms more effectively.
In addition to these causes, nipples may also swell in other situations, such as during menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation, which may be related to hormonal changes.