Though it is not common, it is not uncommon either to have inverted or flat nipples. By physical examination or by consulting a doctor one can know whether the nipples are inverted or not. About one tenth of women may have inverted or flat nipples. A nipple is called inverted or flat if it does not jut out from the breast as it normally does. The nipple may look like a slit or may have retracted into the breast tissue. Sometimes arousal, pregnancy or breastfeeding makes the retracted nipple normal. Sometimes physical methods like nipple shields or breast pumps can make them normal.
There are many causes of inverted nipples. They may be hereditary where the mother or anyone on the father’s side has a history of inverted nipples. It may run in the genes. Sometimes one nipple is inverted and the other is not. If a person is born with inverted nipples, then there is not much cause for worry except cosmetic imbalance or doubts of breast feeding a baby. But if the nipples suddenly become inverted then there can be any one of the many causes. An underlying cancer or scar tissue may cause it. Breast carcinoma is suspected if nipples become suddenly inverted. A doctor should be immediately consulted. Any change in the breasts or the nipples is a cause for concern and medical advice should be immediately sought.
There may be extra fat tissues, which are abnormally large causing the nipples to retract into them or there may be trauma causing flat nipples. Sometimes it is an abscess, which is responsible for the condition of the nipples. Another reason could be that the milk ducts or the mammary ducts get infected resulting in a change in the nipples. Mastitis or a previous surgery may also cause the nipples to retract. Scar tissue of a previous surgery may also lead to inverted nipples.
Though one cannot be a hundred percent sure of the cause of the retraction of nipples, it is always better to consult a doctor, who can come to a conclusion of the cause of the inverted nipples. If there is any inflammation or Paget’s disease, this can cause the nipples to become inverted. Paget’s disease is an uncommon type of cancer affecting the nipples causing them to invert. It begins as a soreness or redness, burning pain and itching. If this is suspected, a doctor should be consulted immediately. |
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