Dear Dr. Kate,
My sister, who is 28 years old, has experienced some discharge from her nipples for the past few years. She isn't and never has been pregnant. What do you think could be the cause of this?
There's a long list of things that can cause nipple discharge, and the majority of the time it's nothing serious. If the discharge is from both breasts, and only occurs when she (or someone else) is stimulating her nipples, it could be due to inflammation of the ducts, and usually stops on its own when she's completely hands-off-the-boobs. If the discharge is more spontaneous-not a result of stimulation-it could be from a hormonal imbalance and her doctor can check for thyroid and pituitary dysfunction. Sometimes, certain medications can also cause nipple leakage as a side effect. If the discharge is bloody or green, it could be from a tiny papilloma in one of the milk ducts (a little growth in breast tissue that sometimes punctures a duct). But any discharge that lasts longer than a few menstrual cycles should be evaluated by a doctor.
Dear readers, has this ever happened to you? Were you nervous? What caused it?
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