Cracked nipples not pregnant
Nipple Problems: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatments
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Read more about our vetting process.Nipple problems
Illnesses or irritants in your environment can cause nipple problems. These problems, including those involving the milk ducts, can occur in men and women. This article addresses nipple problems in both sexes but not in women who are breast-feeding or who have just had a baby.
Many nipple problems have nothing to do with breast cancer, but they could indicate a serious underlying condition. Always see a doctor if you have nipple discharge and you aren’t pregnant or breast-feeding. The Mayo Clinic defines nipple discharge as any fluid that comes out of the nipple. It can appear:
- milky
- clear
- yellow
- green
- bloody
Other types of nipple problems include:
- irritation
- soreness
- cracking
- bleeding
- swelling
- changing shape
You might see discharge, such as pus or a white, watery fluid. You may also feel pain, itchiness, or swelling in your nipples. See your doctor right away if you have any discharge at all or discomfort that lasts for more than a few days.
You may also notice changes in the shape of your nipple or areola, which is the skin around your nipple. These changes may include puckering or dimpling of the skin. Always discuss changes like this with your doctor.
In women, hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle can cause monthly discomfort that lasts for a few days. You should talk to your doctor if it bothers you.
There are a variety of circumstances that could lead to nipple problems, including:
- pregnancy
- infections
- small, benign, or noncancerous, tumors
- hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid
- ectasia, which is a widening of the milk ducts
- a pituitary gland tumor
- Paget’s disease of the breast
- an injury to the breast tissue
Your nipples can become irritated, sore, or even cracked due to friction. Running and sexual activity are sometimes causes of temporary nipple problems due to vigorous rubbing.
A severe blow to your breast or unusual pressure on the chest can also cause nipple discharge.
Newborn babies sometimes have discharge from their nipples. This is because they absorb their mother’s hormones as she prepares for breast-feeding. Another name for nipple discharge in babies is “witch’s milk.” Doctors don’t consider this a dangerous condition. It should go away promptly.
Your doctor will examine your nipple and areola. They’ll ask you:
- about medicines you’re taking
- about any changes in your diet
- whether you might be pregnant
- about any recent exercise or activity that could have irritated your nipples
Ductography
If you have nipple discharge, your doctor may perform a test to find out how many of the ducts that bring fluid to your nipples are involved. This is called a ductography. During a ductography, your doctor injects dye into the ducts in your breasts and then takes an X-ray to monitor the ducts’ function.
Mammogram
Your doctor may want you to have a mammogram. A mammogram is an imaging test that records an image of the tissues inside your breast.
This exam can reveal if there’s a growth inside of your breast causing the problem.
Skin biopsy
If your doctor thinks you may have Paget’s disease, which is a rare breast cancer, they may order a skin biopsy. This will involve removing a tiny piece of skin from your breast for examination.
Other tests your doctor might order include:
- a prolactin level blood test
- a thyroid hormone test
- a CT scan
- an MRI scan
The treatment for your nipple problem will depend on its cause.
Infection
Your doctor will treat an infection of the nipple with the appropriate medicine. For example, a bacterial infection will require antibiotics. If you have a fungal infection, such as candidiasis, your doctor will prescribe an antifungal medicine. You can take these medicines by mouth or apply them to your skin.
Small, benign tumor
A noncancerous tumor doesn’t need removal, but your doctor may schedule you for regular checkups to monitor its growth.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. This can upset the normal balance of chemical reactions in the body. Replacing the missing hormones with a prescription medicine can treat hypothyroidism.
Ectasia
Ectasia, or swollen milk ducts, usually goes away on its own. If you continue to experience it, you should ask your doctor about surgery to remove the swollen milk ducts. If ectasia causes a bacterial infection in your nipples, your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic.
Pituitary tumor
The pituitary tumor known as a prolactinoma is usually benign, and it might not require treatment. Because of its location in your head, these tumors can press on the nerves that lead to your eyes, causing vision problems if they grow too large. In that case, surgery is necessary to remove them.
Two medicines, bromocriptine and cabergoline, can treat pituitary tumors by reducing the amount of prolactin in your system.
If the tumor doesn’t respond to medication or continues to grow, radiation treatments may be necessary.
Paget’s disease of the breast
The treatment for this cancer depends on whether tumors reside elsewhere in the breast besides the nipple. If there are no other tumors present, treatment includes surgery to remove the nipple and areola, followed by a series of radiation treatments on the whole breast. If your doctor finds other tumors, you may need a mastectomy to remove the entire breast.
You can prevent some nipple problems. Speak to your doctor about the medications you’re taking and if nipple problems may be a side effect. Your doctor may be able to suggest an alternative medication.
Shop for sports bras
You can prevent nipple problems when you exercise by wearing properly fitting clothes. Women should wear a well-fitting sports bra during exercise such as running and horseback riding. Men who do the same should consider wearing a snug undershirt.
There are also products available to help prevent chafing. You can apply them to your nipples before exercise.
Cracked Nipples Symptoms, Causes & Common Questions
Understand your cracked nipples symptoms, including 2 causes & common questions.
8 most common causes
Breast Pain
Breast Abscess
Contact Dermatitis
Illustration of a doctor beside a bedridden patient.Mastitis (breast infection)
Illustration of a doctor beside a bedridden patient.Breastfeeding Complications
Illustration of various health care options.Physiologic breast discharge
Illustration of a doctor beside a bedridden patient.Plugged breast duct
Illustration of a health care worker swabbing an individual.High prolactin hormone level
Cracked nipples quiz
Take a quiz to find out what's causing your cracked nipples.
Take cracked nipples quiz
Cracked nipples symptoms
Anyone, either male or female, can experience cracked nipples.
The areola, the area of skin surrounding the nipple, and the nipple, are more delicate and prone to injury than most of the skin on the rest of the body. Cracked nipples can be caused by breastfeeding, chafing, or underlying skin conditions.
Common characteristics of cracked nipples
Cracked nipples may be described by:
- Splitting skin that oozes: The tissue of the areolas may split, bleed, or ooze.
- Pain: The area around the nipple may be tender, if not outright painful.
- Cracks might peel or become crusted over
Cracked nipples causes
The following details may help you better understand your symptoms. See a lactation specialist if you continue to have trouble breastfeeding, or a physician if your cracked nipples persist for other reasons.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt. While it may not be comfortable, there is something wrong if breastfeeding is considered painful.
Pain commonly occurs with either improper positioning of the baby on the breast or a poor latch. It may be difficult to properly position infants with torticollis, a stiff, painful neck, sometimes the result of difficult labor or birth. Babies with ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) may not be able to latch properly.
Friction-related causes
Friction can cause nipples to become chafed and cracked. Runners refer to this as "jogger's nipple," surfers call it "surfer's nipple," and divers call it "wetsuit rub." Any athletic (or sexual) activity which involves constant friction on the nipples can cause them to crack.
Other skin conditions
Dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and allergic reactions are all conditions that can cause skin rashes. If the rash is over the nipples, the skin of can become dry, scaly, and split. These cracks may bleed or become infected and start oozing.
2 cracked nipples conditions
The list below shows results from the use of our quiz by Buoy users who experienced cracked nipples.
This list does not constitute medical advice and may not accurately represent what you have.
Plugged breast duct
If you're making milk faster than it's getting expressed, it can get backed up in the duct. When this happens, the tissue around the duct may become swollen and inflamed and press on the duct, causing a blockage.
You can safely treat this condition on your own by continuing nursing and draining your breast as much as possible after each feeding. If you develops a fever or significant discomfort, contact your physician.
Physiologic breast discharge
Physiologic breast discharge is any fluid that comes out of the nipple area in your breast.
You should visit your primary care physician to evaluate the discharge and discuss treatment options.
Non-specific breast pain
Nonspecific breast pain, also called mastalgia or mastodynia, refers to tenderness or pain in the breast with no obvious cause. It almost always proves to have a benign (non-cancerous) cause.
Breast pain is most common in women aged 35 to 50 and still experiencing menstruation. Fibrocystic changes are common in this age group, where tiny, fluid-filled sacs form within breast tissue and might be felt as small, tender, but non-cancerous lumps.
Birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, caffeine, and soy can cause breast tenderness in women of any age. A breast infection can cause painful lumps.
A medical provider should be seen, in order to rule out any serious condition and get treatment for the discomfort.
Diagnosis is made through patient history; physical examination; mammogram or breast ultrasound; and sometimes biopsy.
A breast infection will be treated with antibiotics. Large, painful cysts may have the fluid drained or be surgically removed. Lifestyle improvements regarding diet and exercise are often helpful, as well as adjustments to birth control pills or hormone therapy.
Cracked nipples quiz
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High prolactin hormone level
Hyperprolactinemia means the pituitary gland secretes too much prolactin, the hormone responsible for producing milk in a new mother. The condition can appear in both women and men.
It can be caused by pregnancy; by an ovulatory disorder; by some psychiatric medications; or by a prolactin-secreting tumor of the pituitary (prolactinoma.)
Women with other reproductive disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS,) are most susceptible. Hyperprolactinemia is also seen in those with hypothyroidism and chronic renal failure. Many patients on hemodialysis have elevated prolactin levels.
Symptoms in both women and men include reduced libido (sex drive) and infertility. Men may show breast enlargement and women may develop breast milk.
If not treated, hyperprolactinemia can result in loss of bone density in both women and men.
Diagnosis is made through blood testing to measure hormone levels, and sometimes MRI of the pituitary gland underneath the brain.
Treatment may include "watchful waiting," or a period spent observing the symptoms to see if they change; drug therapy; or surgery.
Breast infection (mastitis)
Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness of the breast. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding (lactation mastitis), although sometimes this condition can occur in women who aren't breast-feeding.
You should visit your primary care physician to confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment options, such as antibiotics.
Rarity: Uncommon
Top Symptoms: fatigue, nausea, breast pain, signs of breast inflammation like redness, swelling or fever, fever
Symptoms that always occur with breast infection (mastitis): breast pain, signs of breast inflammation like redness, swelling or fever
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Breast abscess
Breast abscess is a complication of mastitis, which is an inflammation of the breast tissue.
An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms within the breast, usually just under the skin.
Most susceptible are women who are breastfeeding. Bacteria can be transferred into the milk ducts from the skin or from the infant's mouth. Women not breastfeeding can be infected through a sore nipple or from a nipple piercing.
If a milk duct is blocked through trauma, compression, or incomplete emptying, bacteria can gain a foothold and an abscess can form.
The abscess forms a hot, reddened, painful lump in the breast. There will be flu-like symptoms of fever, chills, fatigue, and body aches.
Diagnosis is made through physical examination and sometimes a milk sample.
Treatment is with antibiotics along with rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers. Unless otherwise directed by the medical provider, it is safe to continue nursing the baby. If the abscess persists, it may be drained under local anesthesia with a needle and syringe.
Allergic contact dermatitis of the chest
Allergic contact dermatitis means the skin has touched something that provoked an allergic reaction, causing inflammation and irritation.
"Contact" means the allergic reaction came from touching something, not from consuming something. The first exposure to the substance sensitizes the immune system, and then the second exposure actually causes the symptoms.
The most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis are:
- Nickel, a metal often used in belt buckles, the buttons on pants, and jewelry, including piercing jewelry.
- Poison ivy.
- Various types of perfumes, including those founds in soaps, fabric softeners, and detergents.
- Of course, there are many more.
Symptoms include red, itching, scaling, flaking skin that may be painful due to the irritation and inflammation.
Diagnosis is made through first avoiding contact with any suspected substance, to see if the dermatitis clears. Patch testing can be done if the results are not certain.
Treatment involves fully avoiding the allergy-provoking substance and using topical steroid cream as prescribed. Cool compresses and calamine lotion can help to ease the discomfort.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: chest redness, chest itch, scabbed area of the chest
Symptoms that always occur with allergic contact dermatitis of the chest: chest redness
Urgency: Self-treatment
Cracked nipples treatments and relief
If the cause of your cracked nipples is related to breastfeeding or friction, treatment can begin at home and will likely be effective.
When to see a doctor
If your difficulty breastfeeding persists, you should reach out to your physician or a lactation specialist. If the severity of your symptoms worsens or persists, you should consult your physician as well.
Tips for proper latching
With breastfeeding, positioning the baby properly on the breast is essential to preventing and treating cracked nipples. There are many ways to hold a baby while breastfeeding. In all holds, the baby needs to be close, with their ear, shoulder, and hip aligned.
Recognizing a poor latch is a learning process. Some indications of a proper latch include the following.
- The baby's nose is almost touching the breast
- The baby's lips are flared open: Think fish lips, instead of tucked in or over the gums.
- Painless: While there might be discomfort, there should not be any nipple or breast pain.
- Good coverage: The baby's mouth covers about a half inch of the areola, not just the nipple itself.
At-home treatments for breastfeeding
Treatments to address cracked nipples from breastfeeding include the following.
- Apply topical lanolin
- Apply colostrum or breast milk to the injured area
- Keep the nipples open to air
- Adjust: Rotate the baby's position on the breast to take the pressure off the cracked area.
- Pump by hand: Temporarily pump or express breast milk by hand.
- Start each feed on the uninjured breast
- Pain medication: Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), the preferred NSAID while breastfeeding, for pain.
At-home treatments to reduce friction
"Jogger's nipple," is most likely to happen during winter or other dry weather conditions. Surfers and divers experience wetsuit rub from the constant friction of a wetsuit or surfboard against the chest. If your nipples are severely cracked, you may need to avoid similar activities temporarily. Antiseptic creams (such as Neosporin) can facilitate healing. All Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO), made up of betamethasone, miconazole, and mupirocin, is available by prescription. To avoid friction-related cracked nipples you can also try to:
- Avoid wearing clothing made of coarse material
- Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing
- Wear a supportive bra made of soft material
- Apply a balm or a topical, waterproof emollient prior to activities
- Wear nipple covers or cover nipples with band-aids
When it is an emergency
Seek immediate treatment or call 911 for the following.
- Symptoms of infection: Such as a pus-like discharge from the crack in the nipple
- Your breast is red: Especially if the skin takes on a texture similar to an orange peel
- The condition does not respond to home remedies
- Fever
- Your breast becomes hard or painful
Cracked nipples quiz
Take a quiz to find out what's causing your cracked nipples.
Take cracked nipples quiz
FAQs about cracked nipples
Here are some frequently asked questions about cracked nipples.
Why do I have cracked nippled while breastfeeding?
Nipple injury usually is due to incorrect breastfeeding technique, particularly poor position or latch-on. Other factors may include harsh breast cleansing, use of potentially irritating products, and biting by an older infant. In addition, skin conditions such as dermatitis as well as bacterial or fungal infections are more common in women who are breastfeeding or lactating.
Any of these conditions can lead to cracked, painful, or bleeding nipples.
Why I do have cracked nipples with pus?
If you have cracked nipples with pus, it is very likely that you have an infection in the breast tissue or milk ducts. Women who are lactating or breastfeeding are at higher risk for infection of the nipple or breast, but anyone can get a breast infection. The presence of pus suggests a bacterial infection, which is also common among women who are breastfeeding or lactating. Cracking of the nipples may be a symptom of the infection. It is also possible that the nipples were cracked from breastfeeding or other trauma, and then became secondarily infected.
What do cracked nipples mean when I'm not breastfeeding?
Chafing is a common cause of cracked or bleeding nipples in men, especially men who participate in endurance sports. Chafing of the nipple can occur with women as well. Other possible causes of cracked nipples include benign conditions of the breast, such as eczema, dermatitis caused by contact irritation, and nipple adenoma.
However, cracked nipples can also be a sign of breast cancer (Paget disease of the breast) or skin cancers (such as squamous carcinoma of the epidermis, basal cell carcinoma, and superficial spreading malignant melanoma).
Can I still breastfeed with cracked nipples?
Most doctors recommend continuing to breastfeed with cracked nipples, as long as the pain is tolerable. If one nipple is cracked, it is possible to breastfeed on the other side to give the cracked nipple a chance to heal. It is also possible to pump breast milk while the nipples heal, and then continue breastfeeding. Typically, cracked nipples during lactation and breastfeeding indicate there is a problem with infant positioning or latch. Education on proper positioning and attachment of the infant may be the best intervention for alleviating nipple pain.
Can cracked nipples become infected?
Yes. The protective barrier of the skin is disrupted as nipples become cracked, which increases the susceptibility to infection.
It is common for women who are lactating or breastfeeding to experience cracked nipples from improper positioning, improper latch, or possible trauma from biting in older infants. Bacteria in the infant's mouth can then enter the breast tissue and cause an infection. It is also possible for women who are not breastfeeding or men to experience cracked nipples that then become secondarily infected. If you suspect you have a nipple infection, seek medical treatment.
Questions your doctor may ask about cracked nipples
- Have you been feeling more tired than usual, lethargic or fatigued despite sleeping a normal amount?
- Did you suffer from any complications during pregnancy or childbirth?
- When did you have your most recent child?
- Are you currently pregnant?
Self-diagnose with our free Buoy Assistant if you answer yes on any of these questions.
Jeffrey M. Rothschild, MD, MPH.
Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Dr.
Rothschild has been a faculty member at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He currently practices as a hospitalist at Newton Wellesley Hospital. In 1978, Dr. Rothschild received his MD at the Medical College of Wisconsin and trained in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in critical care medicine. He also received an MP...
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Cracked nipples, causes and treatment
Cracked nipples are a common condition that many mothers experience while breastfeeding. This usually shows up as a pink line where the breasts meet during feeding.
What cracked nipples look like
Causes of cracked nipples
Cracked nipples usually result from breastfeeding or using a breast pump and are associated with wearing tight clothing. Cracked nipples can cause pain and irritation, which can make it difficult to continue breastfeeding or expressing milk.
Most women who have had saggy breasts for years have cracked nipples when they start breastfeeding. Some other common causes include improper breast latching, inflammation due to a yeast infection or mastitis, medications (especially those containing penicillin), and nipple piercings.
How to quickly heal cracked nipples
There are many ways to heal cracked nipples. These include products such as ointments, creams, and cold compresses.
For the treatment of cracked nipples, you can get acquainted with "Purelan" - a cream for the treatment of cracked nipples.
The most important thing is to make sure the nipple is dry and clean before applying any product to it. It is important that you use the correct type of ointment and cream for your skin type. Lastly, don't forget to take care of your cracked nipples because they will get worse over time if not properly cared for.
What to do if cracked nipples don't heal
Cracked nipples can be painful, uncomfortable and difficult to treat. But there are some things you can do at home to help relieve pain while you wait to see your doctor or treatment plan.
Try to keep your nipples clean and dry by scrubbing them with a washcloth containing baby powder or breast milk. Avoid using soap because it will aggravate inflamed skin. Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), if needed. Use nipple shields - these are silicone pads that feel like an inner bra and often help heal cracked nipples without surgery.
