What is the area around the nipple called?

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So, if you notice that...

1. You are gaining weight

After puberty, breasts grow as the rest of the body grows. Why does my weight increase? You may eat more, exercise less, sleep little, or live under stress. Plus or minus a kilogram is natural. If you gain more weight, your risk of getting cancer increases.

2. You are expecting your period, have started taking oral contraceptives or are pregnant

Hormones affect breast size. If both breasts are enlarged, there is nothing to worry about.

3. You are losing weight

Breasts are made up of fat, so if you are losing weight, they will be the first body part you notice. If your weight and breasts are decreasing for no apparent reason, you should see a doctor. After all, it could be hyperthyroidism or another disease.

4. New menstrual cycle

If the breasts increase before menstruation, it means that after it the swelling will go away and they will decrease. There is no reason to worry.

ONE BREAST IS BIGGER THAN THE OTHER

5. Nothing special

Breasts are not symmetrical, so if they have always been different sizes and shapes, that's okay.

If the shape of one breast is changing, it's time to get checked for breast cancer.

IRRITATION TO THE SKIN UNDER THE BREASTS

This happens when your bra wires are made of nickel, the soap didn't wash off after swimming, or you wore a sweater that irritates your skin. Hydrocortisone ointment will help you. If the irritation does not go away after a few days, see a doctor.

8. Intertriginous dermatitis

Or diaper rash. Very often in summer the skin under the breasts becomes chafed and inflamed. An antibiotic, steroid or hydrocortisone ointment will relieve the irritation, and a properly fitted bra will support your breasts and prevent recurrence.

9. The linen is no longer fresh.

Infrequent washing actually preserves the laundry, but bacteria or fungi can settle in it. The skin under the breasts sweats a lot and this is very beneficial for them.

YOU HAVE NOTICEABLE STRETCH MARKS

10. Your weight is fluctuating.

As your weight fluctuates, your breasts grow and shrink. This causes stretch marks. This often happens after pregnancy and in women with thin, inelastic skin.

VERY DARK OR LIGHT NIPPLES

11. Nothing special

No, it's not cancer. Each woman's nipples are colored differently. The main thing is that it is symmetrical.

VERY LARGE OR SMALL NIPPLES

12. Nothing special

Our bodies are simply different. If they are symmetrical, there is no problem.

BUBBLES ON AREOLAS

13. Nothing special

Breasts are intended for feeding babies. These tubercles are the exits of the milk ducts. Sometimes they get a little bigger, so if there are small bumps surrounding your nipple, you're fine.

ONE LARGE BUMPLE ON THE AREOLA

14. Benign cyst or malignant neoplasm

Get tested as soon as possible to find out if there is any cause for concern.

HAIR AROUND THE NIPPLE

15. Polycystic ovary syndrome

If you have started to grow hair around your nipple, your testosterone levels may have increased due to PCOS. Other symptoms include acne and irregular periods. Polycystic disease can lead to infertility, so you should see a doctor.

16. Shampoo or soap residue irritates the skin.

Rinse your skin with water and apply hydrocortisone ointment.

17. Allergy to clothes

This could be a reaction to the dye in a new bra or wool sweater. Apply hydrocortisone ointment to your nipples and change your clothes.

18. A new cycle will begin soon

Sometimes hormonal changes cause itching.

19. Paget's disease

Or breast cancer, a very rare disease. Its symptoms are itchy nipples and areolas, flaky skin, a flattened nipple, and yellow or bloody nipple discharge. See a doctor immediately.

PAIN AND LAMPS IN THE CHEST

20. A new cycle will begin soon

Depending on the phase of the cycle, the structure and sensitivity of the breast may change. You should see a doctor. One consolation is that if you have bumps but no pain, then most likely it is not a tumor.

21. Too much caffeine

Caffeine causes chest pain for some people, so just start drinking less coffee, tea and soda and the problem will go away.

WHITE CLOUDY DISCHARGE FROM NIPPLES

22. Something stimulates milk production

Breasts are needed to feed babies. If the discharge looks like milk, something may be stimulating your milk production, even if you are not pregnant or caring for a small baby. The doctor will choose a medicine for you.

23. Side effect of antidepressants or antipsychotics

Some medications increase levels of prolactin, a hormone that stimulates milk production. In most cases, this is done safely, although it is unpleasant.

OTHER DISCHARGES FROM THE NIPLE

24. Benign neoplasm

Known as papilloma. You should see a doctor.

25. You're excited

If your nipples are symmetrical but firm, there is nothing to worry about. The muscles around the nipple simply contracted. This is usually related to sex.

If it's not about sex, then the simplest explanation is cold. Just stay warm.

Inverted Nipple OR Dimples in the Nipple or BREAST

Any dents could be a sign of cancer. You should see a doctor URGENTLY.

LAMP IN THE CHEST

28. Everything is fine with you

Now it’s just another phase of the cycle when the breasts become denser. This is fine. Breast lumps that could mean something serious can only be detected with a mammogram.

VEINS VISIBLE THROUGH THE SKIN

29. Risk of skin cancer

Fair skin is usually pale and translucent. If so, you are at high risk of sunburn, but as long as you don't overextend yourself and use sunscreen, there won't be any serious problems.

BREASTS LOOK LIKE ORANGES

If your smooth breasts suddenly become uneven like an orange peel, and your areolas and nipples become hard, it may be cancer. You should see a doctor URGENTLY.

31. Benign cyst

If it is round and smooth and you can move it, it may be a benign cyst filled with fluid. It's not a tumor. You should see a doctor.

Most often, pain and growths in the chest are the result of hormones. Every time you encounter them, the question arises: is it cancer or could it become cancer? Only the doctor will answer.

Mammary gland are a distinctive feature of representatives of the class of mammals. In humans, both women and men have mammary glands. They are identical in structure, differing only in the degree of development. Before puberty, the breasts of girls and boys are no different. In some endocrine system disorders, mature men may experience breast enlargement (gynecomastia) and milk secretion. The mammary gland of newborns is also able to produce secretions (the so-called newborn milk , lat. lac neonatorum ), but this is not a physiological norm.

The mammary glands of a woman are a female secondary sexual characteristic.

Mammary gland (lat. glandula mammaria or mamma) - a paired organ belonging to the type of apocrine glands of the skin.

In a mature woman, the mammary glands form two symmetrical hemispherical elevations adjacent to the anterior chest wall in the area between the third and sixth or seventh ribs. For most of its base, each gland is attached to the pectoralis major muscle (m. pectoralis major) and partially to the serratus anterior muscle (m. serratus anterior). On the outside between the mammary glands there is a depression called the sinus (sinus mammarum).

1 - chest wall;
2 - pectoral muscles;
3 - milk share;
4 - breast nipple;
5 - areola;
6 - milk duct;
7 - adipose tissue;
8 - leather

Slightly below the middle of each breast, approximately at the level of the fourth intercostal space or fifth rib, there is a small protrusion on the surface - the breast nipple (papilla mammae). As a rule, in women who have not given birth, the nipple has a cone-shaped shape, while in women who have given birth, it is cylindrical. It is surrounded by the so-called areola with a diameter of 3-5 centimeters. The pigmentation of the skin of the nipple and areola is different from the rest of the skin - it is noticeably darker. In women who have not given birth, it is pinkish or dark red; in women who have given birth, it is brownish. During pregnancy, the intensity of pigmentation increases. During sexual arousal, as well as during the ovulation phase, an increase in nipple erectility and sensitivity is observed. The erection of the nipple is caused by the contraction of the muscle fibers located inside it, and, unlike the erection of the clitoris, is not associated with blood circulation. In the areola there are a number of small rudimentary mammary glands, the so-called Montgomery glands (glandulae Montgomerii), forming small elevations around the nipple. The skin of the nipple is covered with fine wrinkles. At the top of the nipple there are small openings called milk pores (pori lactiferi), which represent the endings of the milk ducts (ducti lactiferi), coming from the tops of the milk lobes (lobi mammae). The diameter of the milk ducts is from 1.7 to 2.3 mm. Some milk ducts merge with each other, so the number of milk openings is always less than the number of ducts (usually there are from 8 to 15).

The mammary gland itself (glandula mammaria), forming the basis of the female breast and also called the body of the mammary gland (corpus mammae), is a dense body in the shape of a convex disk. This body is surrounded by a layer of fat (capsula adiposa mammae). The body of the mammary gland consists of 15-20 separate cone-shaped lobes, located radially around the breast nipple, with their apex facing it and separated from each other by layers of connective tissue. Each lobe, in turn, consists of larger and smaller lobes (lobuli mammae). Each lobule consists of alveoli with a diameter of 0.05-0.07 mm.

The blood supply to the mammary glands is carried out mainly by the internal thoracic (a. Thoracica interna) and lateral thoracic (a. Thoracica lateralis) arteries.

Breast size and shape

Breast size and shape vary from person to person. Individual differences in the size of female breasts are determined by the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer. The shape of the breast (erect or pendulous) depends on the strength and elasticity of the connective tissue capsule in which the mammary gland is enclosed. Thus, neither breast size nor shape affects a woman's ability to breastfeed. However, they are an important component of sexual attractiveness. Breast size is usually expressed in terms applied to bra sizes. The average breast size fluctuates around 80 cm in girth. Usually the left breast is slightly larger than the right.

Changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding

During the menstrual cycle, the mammary gland is subject to cyclic changes, but the greatest changes occur during pregnancy. The mammary gland usually has an average diameter of 10-12 cm and a thickness of 2-3 cm. The weight of the gland in young nulliparous women ranges from 150-200 g. Already in the second month of pregnancy, visible changes are observed. The peripapillary circle enlarges and becomes darker. Changes also occur inside the gland itself; right up to the moment of birth, the gland gradually increases in size and is internally rebuilt. During the feeding period, the weight of the mammary gland increases to 300-900 g. During pregnancy, the gland gradually begins to secrete the so-called colostrum (lat. colostrum grav >human milk (lac femininum) is a pure white or bluish-white odorless liquid with a faint sweetish taste, fat content about 4%. Human milk also contains salts and trace elements necessary for the healthy growth of the newborn. At the end of the feeding period, the iron decreases again, but usually does not reach its original (before pregnancy) size.