Hair around the nipples

Is it normal for a women to have a few strands of hair? Went to doctor before but they say its normal.. But my Main concern is can they become pregnant? Just worry if the women cannot be pregnant due to that thing… Thank you

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

It is normal to have a few strands of hair around the nipples. This will not cause any problem to the breasts or nipples, and neither will it affect the ability for the woman to get pregnant or breastfeed.

My left nipple is hurting. I can feel a tiny lump in the nipple. Very painful. What can it be?

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

A painful lump under the nipple may be a sign of an infection or abscess under the nipple. You should see a doctor and if it is an abscess, the pus will need to be drained.  Lumps under the nipple can also be due to cysts, papillomas or fibroadenomas but these are usually not painful.

Storage of colostrum

I’m 33yrs & would like to find out if the 1st three days of breast milk(which I know is tranparent) is important for baby can be it be stored in freezer? As my baby is detected with Congenital Heart Defect and cant be fed direct from my breast.I’ll be schedule to be induced soon though due date 14Sept08.

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

Yes, the initial production of milk or colostrum, can be stored just like milk produced later. While it is theoretically possible that some of its properties may be lost, it will still provide the baby with a good amount of nutrients and antibodies.

Pulling pain in the breast

I am 44 y/o woman who went thru early menopause at age 35-40. I am on estrogen 1mg and prometrium daily. Have had cysts in breasts for years. Now, have sharp pulling – sometimes burning pain in upper left area of right breast. Hurts when I move arm or jog – feels like muscle pull – but has lasted about a month, and pain is getting worse. Have not had a recent injury or strain. Had mammogram 4 mos ago which was normal. No discharge, but had swelling under right armpit that disappeared after 3 days. Should I be concerned?

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

Pain in the breast is often due to hormonal changes and benign fibrocystic change. It is usually intermittent.  Pain is a very unlikely symptom of a serious condition such as breast cancer. However, considering that you are on hormone replacement therapy, which is associated with a slightly increased risk of breast cancer, you should have an ultrasound evaluation of the area, even if there is no lump you can feel and no discharge.

Breast secretions during pregnancy

Hi, I am 6 months pregnant & I noticed a slight amount of secretion from my both breasts. This is slight odourous like other body secretions. Do I have to worry bout this?

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

You do not need to worry.  Towards the third trimester of pregnancy, the breasts are preparing for their function of breastfeeding and sometimes there will be premature production of colostrum, which is a thin slightly yellowish fluid that is nutritious for the baby. This is likely what you are experiencing, especially since it occurs in both breasts. Your breasts are just getting ready for delivery of the baby soon.

Painful breast lump

Hi, i am 23 yrs old, experiencing sharp pain and a lump (1 cm) in my right breast below the nipple area. When i touch the lump, it is not painful but the sharp pain just comes and goes quite a few times daily. It has been a month already and the pain is getting worse. I am quite worried about it. What could it be?

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

Painful breast lumps are usually due to cysts.  A cyst is a fluid filled sac and can cause pain when the fluid within the cyst is tense or if it is infected or bleeding has occured into the cyst.  It is easily tackled by aspiration of the cyst with a small simple needle. Painful lumps can be due to other conditions such as abscess or other less common causes. You should see a doctor for an ultrasound to determine what the nature of the lump is.

Growing breasts

hi, i’m jomin 20 years old now. recently i found my breast getting bigger and i feel very uncomfortable and pain, as i don’t want my breast to grow anymore and hope to make it smaller. do you have any idea to reduce my breast? but not for any Surgery? is there got any pill to eat? thank you

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

You will need to ensure that the increased growth is not due to a tumour in the breast.  If both breasts are symmetrically large, then it is likely just hyperplastic breast tissue.  See your family doctor to make sure.  There is no pill that will stop the growth of the tissue, as this is genetically determined. The only way is surgical reduction mammoplasty when the breasts have stabilized in size.

Multiple breast lumps

Hi, I have a close friend currently living in the Philippines. She is 25 years old and she noticed a lump in her breast. Once she got it checked out, the doctors detected a total of 13 lumps. Is this an indication that there will be cancer since she has a family history of cancer, although none of them have it in the breast? The doctors in the Philippines advised her not to get a biopsy since they say that in the event that the lumps were not benign, the procedure would make the cancer spread at a faster rate. They say it’s best to just leave the lumps alone since she is still very young. Is this correct? Please advise. Thank you.

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

It is quite common for young girls or women to have multiple breast lumps and these are usually fibroadenomas, which are benign.  It is not necessary to biopsy all of them if the ultrasound shows that they are likely benign.  However, your friend should have ultrasound periodically, every 6-12 months.  If any of the lumps is increasing rapidly in size, they should be biopsied or removed for confirmation that they are benign. The biopsy will not cause any cancer present to spread at a faster rate.

Pulling sensation in the breast

I’M 50 AND RECENTLY LIFTED 2 HEAVY FLOWER POTS.(70# EACH)DAYS LATER I FELT A VERY TENDER AREA IN LEFT BREAST.STAYED SORE SO I LIFTED UP MY BREAST TO LOOK,I FELT A SMALL ROPE LIKE PULLING THAT WENT BACK UP INTO MY BREAST FROM THE CREASE.MAMMOGRAM AND ULTRASOUND BOTH NEGATIVE.THE DOCTOR I WORK FOR STILL WANTS ME TO SEE A SURGEON TO BE SAFE.COULD THIS BE A LIGAMENT OR TENDON?

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

If your symptoms are persistent then you should see a breast surgeon to be sure.  If you can feel a cord like structure over the lower part of the breast, it can be due to a thrombosed superficial vein. This will subside on its own and is harmless.  The symptoms can also be due to a muscle strain, given the history of lifting a heavy object.

Asymmetrical breasts

Hey Doc, My breast are not symmetrical since teenager. My right breast is bigger(B cup) while my left barely fit into an A cup. At times it become painful and feel very tight.Now , i’m 3 mths pregnant, and my right breast is growing while my left breast is stagnant. I’m not sure if i can breast feed my newborn. It becoming very obvious and making me upset even after i put padding into the left cup of the bra. What can i do about it?

THE BREAST DOCTORS SAY:

Mostly likely there is a developmental problem with the left breast.  It is best not to do anything now since you are pregnant.  This problem should not prevent you from successfully breastfeeding your newborn; there could however be significantly less milk from the left breast.  You may wish to consider an implant insertion for the left breast to achieve symmetry of the breasts.  This is a surgical procedure which can be done only after you have delivered and stopped breastfeeding for a few months to allow the true size of the breasts to stabilize.  You should see a plastic surgeon if you wish to have this procedure done.