Galactorrhea Breast Secretion that Requires Attention

Milky secretion of the breasts of women out of breastfeeding is called galactorrhea, although this phenomenon can be classified as rare, even more so when a man is presented. What might that be?

If you hear that a woman has milk secretion from the nipples will not cause surprise if you know a mother is breastfeeding her child and feeds in this way, but the phenomenon can occur in mothers who have never been, older women, very young or who are not breastfeeding.

The problem is called galactorrhea and will always be reason to suffer who seek medical attention, in order to establish its origin and thus determine the course of treatment. Thus, we first need to look among the possible causes of various diseases, which are generally gynecological, including hormonal imbalances, which happen in most cases by ingestion of some contraceptives.

Galactorrhea also be presented for consumption of drugs with specific properties in the central nervous system (brain and bone marrow) and in the treatment of depression (antidepressants), high blood pressure (antihypertensives) and epilepsy (anticolvulsivantes), mainly.

Particularly in the brain injury may be another cause, such as vessels and veins malformations (aneurysms), inflammation or severe shock. Also, tumors in the brain area may affect directly the functioning of the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus (nerve structure located above the previous one), a fact reflected in the overproduction of the hormone prolactin, which together with other named oxytocin are actively involved in the generation of milk during lactation, it is noteworthy that in the normal way men and women (outside the period of breastfeeding) meet prolactin levels from 0 to 20, coming up in the nursing mother to 30 .

Finally, cause galactorrhea, although to a lesser extent, constant stress, anxiety and strenuous physical exertion.

Bad company
Addition of milk secretion as a distinctive feature, this condition may be accompanied by:
* Headache.
* Constipation.
* Dry skin.
* Excessive sleepiness.
* Double or blurred vision.

On the other hand, galactorrhea usually a physical abnormalities that come together to give rise to the call Forbes Albright syndrome, the others being amenorrhea (lack of regular menstrual periods) and anovulation (no ovulation).

The diagnosis of galactorrhea will be done in the first instance the gynecologist (a specialist doctor in the health of women) and based on detailed medical history and blood tests with determination of some hormones that are involved in mammary secretion, such as thyroid and prolactin.

In all cases cytologic examination should be performed (cell) of milky, as not all are synonymous with galactorrhea, in other words, no infectious processes in the nipples or into the breast that can produce almost transparent liquid unpleasant odor.

Thus, to dismiss a question of infection, the gynecologist has the opportunity to request specific studies of the breast, the most common:
* Galactography. Is injected through the nipple a contrast agent, allowing it to take X-ray abnormalities.
* Ultrasound. Also called sonography, to appreciate internal tissues via high frequency sound waves that send images to a monitor.

However, for optimal diagnosis, especially if you suspect a malfunction of the pituitary, one should not dismiss the involvement of the endocrinologist (a specialist in the functioning of the glands of the body), who asked tomography of the skull to confirm the presence of tumors, its size and location. After the above treatment may be determined to follow, which will always be customized?

Do men also?

Although in rare cases, galactorrhea can occur in men who have suffered brain damage as described above, but mainly by tumors affecting the pituitary gland.

Men should meet the same tests than women to find the cause of the condition and from that following a treatment, it is worth mentioning that the tumors are operated if its diameter is greater than 10 millimeters, but smaller ones are used drugs to undo them.

It is important to understand that this problem has far greater impact on women due to the action of estrogens (female hormones), so if the reviews found an imbalance in hormone production, the doctor will prescribe medication to regulate the levels.

Finally, we mention that if the production of milky fluid is no departure from the nipple to be clogged, your other problems arise called mastitis, characterized by generating pain, redness, hardness and increase of temperature and size in the affected breast (rare Once there is a blockage in both).

In response, the doctor will break and help drain excess fluid through breast massage or warm compresses and then cold (15 minutes each), on the one hand it helps heat the milk to flow and reduces cold swelling.

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