Some causes of nipple pain can be treated at home with over-the-counter (OTC) products such as hydrocortisone ointment. But if you have a nipple infection, you should see your doctor. You may need to be treated with antibiotics.
Research shows warm, moist heat is soothing for sore nipples and can help your skin heal faster. To use moist heat, run a clean washcloth or cloth diaper under warm (not hot) water, squeeze out the extra water and place it directly over your nipple.
Male nipple play is becoming increasingly popular, and it makes sense: male nipples have hundreds of nerve endings, which make them extremely sensitive and therefore sexually stimulating, explains Dr. Laitman. Men have the same glands, nerves, and surrounding tissues that women do.
In men, breast pain is most commonly caused by a condition called "gynecomastia" (guy-nuh-koh-MAS-tee-uh). This refers to an increase in the amount of breast gland tissue that's caused by an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and testosterone. Gynecomastia can affect one or both breasts, sometimes unevenly.
In most cases, sore nipples are caused by hormonal changes from pregnancy or menstruation, allergies or friction from clothing. In rare cases, it can be a sign of a serious disease like breast cancer. Your healthcare provider should evaluate any pain that's accompanied by discharge or lumps as soon as possible.
Low testosterone levels can sometimes result in gynecomastia — a form of breast growth that affects men. Gynecomastia can cause your nipples to become swollen or tender.
Shortly after ovulation, estrogen levels drop, and progesterone levels rise. In some people, these shifts in progesterone may trigger breast pain or sore nipples. If a person becomes pregnant, progesterone levels will continue to rise. This causes breast tissue changes that can make the nipples or breasts sore.
Women who are not breastfeeding can also get mastitis, as can men.
Gynecomastia caused by hormone changes during puberty is relatively common. In most cases, the swollen breast tissue will go away without treatment within six months to two years.
Xylocaine 5% Ointment can be used to help reduce the pain of sore or tender nipples and can be applied on a small piece of gauze – but the ointment must be washed away before next the feed.
Nipple pain is common in the early days of breastfeeding. This is because your nipples are not used to breastfeeding. The pain lasts for a short time, usually around 1 week. Soreness that continues throughout the breastfeed, or lasts for more than 1 week of breastfeeding, is not normal.
Tips for soothing sore nipples
Products like Vaseline or lanolin can help with dry or cracked nipples (although there's little evidence to show what really works well). After each feed, let your nipples dry before getting dressed – change your breast pads after every feed.
See your doctor if the pain doesn't improve or you notice any of these signs: Severe swelling. A lump in the breast. Redness and warmth, which could indicate an infection.
When a boy is going through puberty, or when an older man's body makes less testosterone, the balance of the two hormones changes. Sometimes when that happens, a higher percentage of estrogen causes male breast tissue to swell.
What makes a man lactate? Most cases of male galactorrhea are caused by high levels of a hormone called prolactin. Prolactin is the human hormone that stimulates milk production. Everyone has a small amount of prolactin in their blood, but it is not usually enough to lead to milk production.
Why can't men lactate? Men do have the anatomy necessary for lactation (nipples, mammary glands, and pituitary glands). What they don't have are the prolactin levels necessary to stimulate the mammary glands to produce milk. Their mammary tissue also doesn't develop at puberty like it does in females.
Your breast tissue is sensitive to hormones. In the perimenopause, oestrogen and progesterone hormones spike up and down unpredictably. It's these hormone changes that give us symptoms of tenderness.
Swollen or tender breasts: High levels of estrogen in the body can make one's breast more tender and swollen especially around the nipples and front area. This happens because our breasts are sensitive to hormone changes.
It's only at puberty, under the influence of hormones, when they begin to change. The nipples of both enlarge but female nipples enlarge more. At the same time, the ducts of the male breasts shrink while female breasts enlarge and remodel. By adulthood, male nipples are smaller and less variable than female ones.
For women, sore nipples are common during periods, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Any pain in your nipples can make you wonder if you have breast cancer. It's rare for it to be the main symptom of the disease, but you should still see your doctor to have nipple pain checked out if it doesn't go away.