5 Reasons why your nipples are sore
Nipples hurting or experiencing some discomfort on the breast is nothing to be embarrassed about in fact you should talk to someone about it. If you’ve never experienced this, the discomfort associated with this can be sometimes unbearable.
The nipples can hurt for various reasons.
You probably have mastitis
Mastitis is a bacterial infection of the breast that often pops up in pregnant or nursing women when bacteria sneaks in via nipple cracks. If you have it, on top of nipple pain, you might experience a fever, chills, swelling, and redness.
If you’re not pregnant or breastfeeding, infection called periareolar abscesses, infection of the skin proteins that fill the ducts near the tip of the nipple can pop up. You might notice pus, nipple discharge, and general breast pain. The infection tracks under your areola and forms an abscess at the edge
Also Read: How to pack your bras while travelling
You have a yeast infection
You got that right, yeast infection doesn’t only affect the vagina but also the breast. Yeast infection of the breast largely affect breastfeeding mums.
The infection can cause itchiness leading to cracked nipples hence some pain discomfort.
Your hormones are going crazy
During both your period and pregnancy, your breasts let water leak into spaces around your milk gland cells. This creates a stiff environment for the breast cells that helps them divide to expand the milk glands to get ready for breastfeeding.
Since the nipple connects to the rest of the breast through a dozen or so milk ducts that get stretched as the breast swells, this also proves to be painful. Generally, it’s a normal occurrence.
You have a skin condition
Dry, itchy rashes on or around your nipple could signal either contact dermatitis or eczema. Contact dermatitis is an irritation or an allergic reaction that crops up if your skin comes into contact with something it doesn’t like, such as detergents, dryer sheets, fragrances, or clothing materials.
Friction from your bra
It’s important to wear a good quality sports bra to reduce movement of the breasts while running.
Look for a bra made for your go-to form of activity (running bras tend to have more support) and never wear a new sports bra on race day. If you’re in a great sports bra and still noticing issues? Covering your nipples in Vaseline can reduce friction (and thus pain).
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