Although white patches on your nipples may seem strange, they often aren’t a cause for alarm.
They are frequently brought on by a clogged pore (bleb), a benign disease brought on by a buildup of dried milk in your nipple.
For more information on what can be causing white spots to emerge on your nipple and when you should consult a doctor, keep reading.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ Nipple white patches are frequently related to breastfeeding and usually disappear as your baby feeds.
✅ You can try home remedies like giving your baby more frequent feed.
✅ Try rubbing your nipples with a damp washcloth while you’re in the shower.
✅ Consult a doctor if the spots don’t disappear after a week or if you’re experiencing discomfort.
Usually, it’s a blocked pore or duct.
Milk comes out of your nipples through pores when you breastfeed your child. A clot of solidified milk can occasionally obstruct a nipple pore. A milk bleb or plugged nipple pore is what this is known as. A milk blister arises if your skin closes over the pore.
Additionally prone to clogging are the passages behind the nipple. These are referred to as milk duct obstructions or plugs. The white patch you may see on your nipple could be the result of a bleb or blister. The skin around the spot may occasionally turn red and the spot itself may be light yellow or pink.
Blisters and blebs can cause excruciating discomfort. The discomfort could be stinging or stabbing in nature. Usually, the blockage will be moved by your baby sucking on your nipple when you’re feeding him. A blockage that persists may cause mastitis, a breast infection.
Before feedings, you can gently loosen the plug with a warm, wet compress if the bleb or blister doesn’t go away when you nurse. You can prod the pore open with a sterile needle while being closely supervised by your doctor. Squeeze your breast once the orifice has opened to encourage the pore to drain.
Learn the best ways to handle and stop milk blisters in the future.
Drainage of milk
Blocked nipple pores can also result from not completely draining your breasts during feedings. You might get a plug if you frequently switch your infant to the second breast before they’ve finished feeding from the first one.
This issue can also be brought on by skipped feedings and a baby who has trouble latching on. Women who create a lot of milk are more likely than women who make a lot less milk to have blocked pores.
Increased breastfeeding frequency can aid in preventing clogged milk pores. Your baby should be placed initially on the impacted breast. Pump your breast milk if you can’t breastfeed for a few hours, like when you’re at work. After you’ve been breastfeeding for a few weeks, these blockages should stop.
Breast strain
Your breasts are compressed when you wear a tight bra, which could stop the milk flow. In comparison to bras without a wire, underwire bras are more likely to result in clogged pores.
This issue can also be brought on by wearing a tight seatbelt or infant carrier over your chest. To avoid clogged pores, stay away from tight bras and other apparel. See our advice for locating the ideal bra fit.
Pregnancy
Throughout pregnancy, the nipples change in a number of ways. Your areola, the colored portion of your nipple, may be surrounded by little lumps. Montgomery tubercles are those bumps; they are glands that secrete lubricants to lubricate your nipples and signal to your infant when it is time to eat.
These glands may expand due to hormonal changes seen during pregnancy. They are unimportant and will disappear once your hormone levels have returned to normal.
Thrush
Candida albicans is a fungus that causes thrush. If you recently took antibiotics or your child did, or if you already have vaginal thrush, you could get thrush on your nipples.
Your nipples will be red and very painful in addition to the white patches. Because thrush is so contagious, both you and your baby can get it. Your baby’s mouth will develop white, cheesy areas as a result. When trying to latch onto the breast, a baby with thrush may scream in agony.
Visit your doctor if you think you may have thrush. To treat your thrush, they can recommend oral medications as well as an antifungal cream. Additionally, your kid will require therapy with antifungal drops or gel.
While receiving treatment, wash your bras frequently and keep your breasts dry. Thrush is a fungal infection that prefers damp settings to grow.
Herpes
The herpes simplex virus can infect the breasts in addition to the mouth and genitalia. Herpes in the breast is typically transmitted to the mother by her infected newborn during breastfeeding.
Herpes causes the nipple to become red and develop little lumps filled with fluid. Scabs develop as the bumps heal. The bumps on your baby’s skin could be the same as mine.
Consult your doctor if you believe you have herpes. To get rid of the infection, you’ll need to take antiviral medication for around a week. Until the wounds have healed, pump your breast milk.
Could it be cancer?
Typically, white spots on your nipples are nothing to be concerned about. However, they hardly ever indicate cancer. A tumor that is pressing on the milk duct may be the source of the blocked pore.
Paget disease, which affects 1 to 4% of women with breast cancer, can also be indicated by bumps and other nipple abnormalities. Cancerous cells develop in the milk ducts and areola in Paget’s disease.
- Redness, scaling, and itching in the areola and nipple are some symptoms.
- yellow or blood-tinged discharge from the nipple
- peeling or crusting of the nipple skin
- a flattened nipple
Visit your doctor for an examination if your symptoms don’t go away after a week or two.
A biopsy is used to identify Paget disease in patients. A small sample of cells is taken from the nipple and transported to a lab for microscopic examination. Surgery to remove the afflicted tissue is the primary therapy for Paget’s disease.
When to go and visit the doctor
Nipple white patches are frequently related to breastfeeding and disappear as your baby feeds. If this condition doesn’t get better, you can try home remedies like giving your baby more frequent feedings or rubbing your nipples with a damp washcloth while you’re in the shower.
Consult a doctor if the spots don’t disappear after a week or if you’re in a lot of discomfort.
You should also visit a doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:-
Nipple discharge that isn’t breast milk.
You have an inverted or flattened nipple.
You have a breast lump
You have a fever
Your nipple appears crusty or scaly