Why is my breast bringing out water when I press it?
Watery nipple discharge when pressure is applied can be perfectly normal for many reasons. It's often linked to hormonal fluctuations, stimulation, or even past breastfeeding. However, it's crucial to understand that while often benign, nipple discharge can sometimes indicate underlying health issues.
- Hormonal Changes: Fluctuations in hormone levels, common during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or menopause, can stimulate the milk ducts to produce a watery fluid. This is often clear or slightly milky.
- Stimulation: Simply squeezing or rubbing the breast can trigger the release of fluid. This is a natural response and isn't cause for concern unless accompanied by other symptoms.
- Lactation (Breastfeeding): After breastfeeding, some residual milk production is common. This can manifest as a watery discharge when the breast is pressed.
- Sexual Arousal: In some individuals, sexual stimulation can result in nipple discharge.
When to Seek Medical Attention
While many cases of nipple discharge are harmless, certain characteristics warrant a visit to a doctor:
- Discharge without Stimulation: Spontaneous discharge, meaning it happens without pressing or squeezing, should be checked by a healthcare professional.
- Discolored Discharge: Yellow, green, or brown discharge is a sign that something might be wrong and requires further investigation.
- Bloody Discharge: Bloody nipple discharge is never normal and requires immediate medical attention.
- Pain or Lumps: Any pain, lumps, or other changes in the breast tissue accompanied by discharge warrant a medical evaluation.
- Discharge in Men or People Assigned Male at Birth (AMAB): Nipple discharge in AMAB individuals is always considered abnormal and necessitates a medical consultation.
The information above is for general knowledge and doesn't constitute medical advice. Always consult a doctor for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Various causes, ranging from harmless to more serious conditions such as infections or rarely, breast cancer, can lead to nipple discharge. Therefore, a medical professional should assess the individual circumstances to determine the exact cause and provide appropriate guidance. The sources cited below support this information.
References: The provided text mentions that hormones, lactation, or sexual arousal can be normal causes for nipple discharge. Abnormal causes could be from tumors, infection, or rarely, breast cancer. Multiple sources reinforce this information.
