Sore to touch nipples- why and how to deal with it

Last updated on March 22nd, 2024 at 01:10 am

In this article, we aim to cover the reasons why some women or girls can sometimes experience nipple pain or stinging.  

Are your nipples sore to touch, aching and pointy? Is there anything that you can do about it? We understand that when the boobs hurt, it can cause much discomfort, and our nipples become sore to touch.

Now the answer to the question on deal with sore to touch nipple.

The breasts will likely become painful at their initial development stage. We have different stages of breast development. A sign that shows a small lump underneath the nipple. This is called breast bud. You can find breast buds in both genders. This is a common occurrence during puberty. According to medical experts with years of expereince, It’s a normal thing to experience breast tenderness that is frequent during your period. You should worry about it especially when you are pregnant. This breast pain might continue during the first trimester as hormone production ramps up

Girls will develop a hurting breast pain at the start of their period cycle. This is the time their bodies release more hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone.

These are noticeable changes which might lead to premenstrual syndrome or PMS. 

The fluids around the breast area push the breast tissue, which expands, and when the nerves are stretched, the breasts become tender.

Having a tender Breast might signal the early signs of pregnancy. 

Causes of sore to touch nipple

1. surface friction on the skin

According to top publications in this medical journal¹, when there is a rubbing of two surfaces against each other, your nipples might become sore. This is known as friction. Now, imagine that you are planning on attending a graduation ceremony or any similar event. You have taken your bath and are getting ready to leave; you get the bra that you picked from your selection at home, but after wearing your bra, it doesn’t fit. It seems that your breast bust has gotten larger. Then, in order to meet up, you carefully packed your breasts inside the bra cup. At first, everything seems ok. When you get to the event, sit for 20 minutes. You now realize that you could have changed your bra to be a fitting one. As the meeting progresses, your breast is rubbing against your bra. And the pressure from your dressing as you move pushes everything back. This can cause nipple pain, and your boobs might hurt you.

2. Infected skin

As discussed in the initial points, when there is unexpected friction and tightening up there, it might cause some form of injury, or your Nipples become hurt and cracked or bleed, which exposes you to a high risk of cancer. According to this article, experts believe that 

when you are producing milk or breastfeeding a child, you are at risk.

Experts believe that there is an increased likelihood of contracting yeast infection of your nipples; this is also known as  Candida albicans, which arises whenever there is damage around the surrounding tissue.

It causes the nipples to be bright pink or reddish and flaky.

3. An allergy

When your nipple feels painful or gets irritated, the skin becomes flaky, and blisters may continue to occur. This is a sign of an allergic reaction, for example, eczema.

Products such as laundry detergent or soap, shaving cream, or a perfume

Other examples of allergic reactions are a red skin patch near the nipple and areola, with regular itching. There is a possibility of a rash

4. Sexual contact

Unusual contact during sexual activity. Sex is supposed to be pleasurable. Many have never thought of it being a cause of pain. Now, there are Sexual that do not cause breast throbbing or pain. Whenever your breast hurts after being with someone, this might be due to the handling or friction during the activity. It is actually a temporal thing, so there is no cause to worry unless the breast becomes saggy. 

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5. cancer diseases

When we notice an unusual breast sensation or pain, it is better to go for an adequate checkup. Cancer patients go through nipple soreness or pain. Although research has suggested that Paget’s disease, which rarely occurs in women, might be responsible for nipple-like tumors in the breast

• yellowish or pink discharge
• sense a tingling feeling
• reddish, flaky, crusty, or scaly skin around the nipple and areola

You can diagnose this by checking for any cells badly affected by it. 

6. bras and breastfeeding

Does bra affect milk supply

Medical research has identified Breastfeeding as one of the causes of nipples becoming sore or hurting when touched.

Nursing mothers require a good nursing bra and your nursing bra should support your activity but not too tight. There shouldn’t be any marks on your skin as you want to avoid a tight bra. A tight bra might cause plugged milk ducts, or a reduction in milk supply.

For a breastfeeding mother, your baby’s latching onto the breast repeatedly might affect it. Try to ensure that your babies will latch deeper so the nipple can be closer to the throat. When you are using a breast pump, you might start feeling throbbing or burning pain due to the lack of suction activity or an unfit nipple shield. This can be corrected by making minor adjustments to the breast pump to a good setting or getting another nipple pump shield that is more comfortable.

Next, we have teething babies. It’s not uncommon for babies to bite the breast during feeding or latching. This will definitely cause a great deal of discomfort or pain. If you are breastfeeding your child and they have started developing their first set of teeth, be careful to avoid biting. 

Sometimes, babies behave unusually. They can press down the breast while Breastfeeding. When a baby presses too hard when holding the breast or nipple, this might limit the flow of blood to the nipple. This results in vasospasm and is a painful situation which might cause the nipple to become white.

So, we have outlined some of the vital reasons medically proven about your nipples develop stinging pain.

Also a dirty bra might be responsible for this condition. You need to dry your breast using a dry cloth after taking the shower.

non-cyclical breast pain happens when your breast hurts and you aren’t on your period.

There are many probable causes and the nature of this pain is that its unstable and likely happens to women after menopause.  

The pain can be in one or both breasts and can affect the whole breast or a specific area. Weh you notice a burning or prickling pain along with a feeling of tightness.

Non-cyclical breast pain often goes away by itself over time. This happens in about half the women who experience it.

Nipple infections

Sore nipples and shooting pain in the breast that develops after a period of comfortable feeding are most likely caused by a bacterial infection (Staphylococcus aureus or ‘staph’), thrush infection (Candida albicans) or both

Nipple tenderness may last for somedays when you start breastfeeding and will go away after some days but usually having a peak of five days.

Nipples are part of a woman’s breast bust, which might become sore to touch or make you feel nipple pain. You might be wondering why this happens. Firstly, a woman’s body is very sensitive to a number of things and activities. For example, when walking down the road and you bump into someone by accident, if your upper part of the body is involved, you will feel pain. If it affects your breast, you will experience nipple pain. Nipple soreness, nipple pain and eroticism are similar terms. This pain might have been caused unintentionally. 

• Increased mileage when jogging — this usually happens to Long-distance runners. When you start working out, there is more Chafing and irritation as you train yourself for endurance. A good sports bra will definitely be of help.  
• Taking New drugs —the body might react to the intake of new drugs. And some drugs have a number of side effects. Suppose you are on a drug treatment. Find out if its side effect might be responsible for your nipple pain.
• Eczema — This skin disease is popular among many individuals. It causes dry, itchy, and scaly patched skin. A history of eczema might be the reason why your nipples are sore to touch. 

What Can I Do to Relieve the pain?

When you start having your period, any nipple throbbing pain should disappear on its own. However, you can get involved in the following. 

Eating well and developing a regular interest in workout routines will be helpful at this point. If you eat lots of salty foods, reduce the amount of salt you take. You can try a caffeine-free soda or any herbal tea. When you feel stressed, a gentle Snuggle on a nice couch might be useful. You can also take your mind off the pain by playing indoor games. 

Sources:

References

The Royal Women’s Hospital: “Breast & nipple thrush,” “Breast soreness.”

KidsHealth: “Breastfeeding FAQs: Pain and Discomfort.”

NHS: “Breastfeeding and thrush.”

Mayo Clinic: “Dermatitis.”

1. Goyal A. Breast pain. BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:0812.
2. Office on Women’s Health (OWH). Stages of pregnancy.
3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Breastfeeding challenges.
4. OSHA Office on Women’s Health. Birth control methods.
5. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Breast pain.
6. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Common benign lumps.
7. Vasei N, Shishegar A, Ghalkhani F, Darvishi M. Fat necrosis in the Breast: A systematic review of clinical. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2019;18(1):139
8. Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School. Breast pain: Not just a premenopausal complaint.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8948776/ ↩︎