White, milky discharge squeezed from the nipple when you are not pregnant or breastfeeding is a very common, often harmless, symptom known as physiological nipple discharge or, if it is persistent, galactorrhea. It is frequently caused by harmless factors such as hormonal changes, medications, or overstimulation of the breast.
Galactorrhea is a milky discharge from both nipples, when a person is not breastfeeding. This is often due to an increase in the hormone prolactin, which makes milk. This condition may occur if you take sedatives or marijuana. Or it can be caused by high doses of estrogen.
In most cases, nipple discharge in women happens due to hormones, a blocked milk duct or a noncancerous lump or tumor. Nipple discharge in men is almost always abnormal.
Thick or sticky discharge that is green, greenish brown or reddish brown may be caused by a non-cancerous condition called mammary duct ectasia. Yellow and foul-smelling pus may be caused by a breast infection. Milky white discharge from both breasts may be caused by some medicines or endocrine gland problems.
Nipple discharge is common and is not usually anything to worry about. Discharge can vary in colour and can be white, green or black. There are a number of milk ducts that open up on to the surface of the nipple. These milk ducts contain fluid and this fluid can sometimes come out of the milk ducts.
Nipple discharge can cause a fluid or any other liquid to come out of your nipples. The fluid may come out of your nipples when you squeeze them, or it may even seep out on its own. In most cases, nipple discharges are not a serious cause of concern, but in some cases, they may even result in breast cancer.
A milk bleb is a small dot (white, clear or yellow) that can form on the surface of your nipple. You may have one dot on just one nipple or multiple dots on one or both nipples. You might hear your healthcare provider refer to these dots as nipple blebs or simply, blebs. Some people call them milk blisters.
Normal nipple discharge more commonly occurs in both nipples and is often released when the nipples are compressed or squeezed. Some women who are concerned about breast secretions may actually cause it to worsen.
Galactorrhea is a condition that causes your breasts to leak milk when you aren't pregnant or haven't recently given birth. While it may be embarrassing, it's not a life-threatening condition and goes away with treatment.
The only change in advice is that you should not squeeze your nipples looking for discharge. Aggressive squeezing can result in injury and needless worry because sometimes discharge in that circumstance is normal. “The discharge that is worrisome is discharge that comes without squeezing,” Steele says.
Hormonal causes
Galactorrhoea is milky nipple discharge not related to pregnancy or breast feeding. It is caused by the abnormal production of a hormone called prolactin. This can be caused by diseases of glands elsewhere in the body which control hormone secretion, such as the pituitary and thyroid glands.
Swollen Montgomery glands
Every person has Montgomery glands, though they are more apparent in some than others. These glands secrete oil to help keep the skin lubricated. At times, this secretion may resemble the pus that comes from a pimple.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if: Your breasts continue to leak milk. The leakage looks bloody. You stop having menstrual periods, or your periods become irregular.
Common causes of a nipple discharge
Usually, the cause is a benign disorder of the milk ducts, such as the following: A benign tumor in a milk duct (intraductal papilloma) Dilated milk ducts (mammary duct ectasia) Fibrocystic changes, including pain, cysts, and general lumpiness.
Galactorrhea (say "guh-lak-tuh-REE-uh") happens when a teen's breasts make milk but she is not pregnant. The milk may leak from one or both breasts. Sometimes milk leaks only when the breast is touched. At other times, milk leaks without any touching.
Galactorrhea
If you're past menopause and you have nipple discharge that happens on its own, is clear or bloody and from a single duct in one breast only, see your healthcare professional right away. In the meantime, don't massage your nipples or handle your breasts, even to check for discharge.
Nipple discharge is any fluid that leaks from one or both nipples. It is normal during pregnancy and when breastfeeding. Some women may experience a milky white discharge from the nipples for up to three years after breastfeeding, which is usually normal.
How to Clean Your Nipples Regularly
It may be tempting to squeeze them, especially if they have yellow or white heads, but resist the urge. It can introduce bacteria that may lead to infection. You can wash Montgomery glands along with the rest of your nipple with soap and warm water, but avoid harsh cleansers.
If the spot isn't causing pain or problems with breastfeeding, you don't need to treat it—it may go away on its own. If it is painful, try these gentle tips, being very gentle with your nipple to avoid causing more damage. Don't pick at or scrape the white spot. Keep breastfeeding your baby.
Too much breast handling, medicine side effects or conditions of the pituitary gland may add to galactorrhea. Often, higher levels of the hormone involved in making breast milk, called prolactin, cause galactorrhea. Sometimes, the cause of galactorrhea can't be found. The condition may clear up on its own.
Galactorrhea is milk production from the breast unrelated to pregnancy or lactation. Milk production one year after cessation of breastfeeding is non-lactational and is considered galactorrhea. Various hormones including prolactin, estrogens, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) can affect the production of milk.
Symptoms and Causes
Chronic stress may contribute to galactorrhea by affecting hormonal balance (particularly cortisol and prolactin levels). Are there any risk factors for developing galactorrhea? Risk factors for galactorrhea may include certain medications, hormonal imbalances, pituitary gland tumors, and thyroid disorders.