Painful nipples can occur in many women at various moments of their lives, no matter what age they are. They may have different causes, such as puberty, PMS, menstruation, post-ovulation, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or menopause.
Although painful nipples are a quite common problem, and usually no object of concern, they may sometimes be symptoms of more serious health conditions. If you experience any nipple discharge, accompanied by a more severe and prolonged nipple pain and fever, consult your doctor to find out the cause.
Listed below are some of the most common reasons why your nipples may hurt.
Breast Development and Puberty
Breast development is one of the first signs of puberty, which is the time of growth and great hormonal changes in the girl’s body. The breast glands and the fat tissue begin to grow and the nipples start to expand and swell. These hormonal and physical changes may cause breasts and nipples to become very sensitive and painful. When first menstrual periods occur, pain can even increase.
Ovulation
Ovulation usually occurs in the middle of a woman’s menstrual cycle, although it may vary from woman to woman. Many women experience breast and nipple soreness before, during and after ovulation, due to increased levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones.
1. During ovulation, the body begins to prepare itself for possible pregnancy by enlarging the mammary glands (glands that produce milk), and this can cause breast and nipple tenderness and soreness.
2. The raise of the post-ovulation progesterone hormone instead causes water retention in the body. The main reason for this is to prepare the uterus for possible conception and pregnancy and make it ready to host the embryo. In this period the uterus, in fact, becomes full of water and food. Unfortunately, the water is retained also in breast tissues, causing them to stretch and hurt. This is the reason nipples become sore and painful.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone levels continue to increase and this also causes breasts and nipples to become more sensitive and painful.
In fact, high levels of estrogen cause breast enlargement by increasing the amount of breast tissue, while high progesterone levels make breasts fill up with water. All these changes help prepare breasts for lactation.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency are main causes of breast and nipple pain during the PMS. In this period, the progesterone levels in your body are not high enough to balance the estrogen hormones, and this may lead to many physical and psychological disorders.
Elevated levels of estrogen are, in fact, responsible for many PMS symptoms such as mood swings, bloating, cramps, headache, and breast and nipple tenderness.
Menopausal Syndrome
The menopausal syndrome is caused by wildly fluctuating hormone levels, which may lead to many physical and psychological conditions such as breast tenderness, irregular menstruation, hot flashes, headaches, weight gain, bloating, mood changes, etc.
Menopause occurs when the woman permanently stops menstruating and ovulating. In this period of her life, very little amounts of progesterone are produced in the body, while the estrogen overload is quite common. This can cause very painful breast and terribly sore nipples.
However, huge changes that occur in the woman’ body during later menopause will also lead to a significant decrease of estrogen levels, causing other physical and mental stresses that will disappear over time.
Other Factors that May Cause Your Nipples to Hurt
- Jogger’s nipple:
Continuous movement of breasts, as well as the friction of fabric against the nipples may also cause dryness and soreness of nipples. You should always wear bras with proper support!
- Breastfeeding
- Fatty acids imbalance:
An imbalance of fatty acids within cells may lead to breast tissue sensitivity and cause breast pain. In fact, fatty acids imbalances can greatly affect hormonal levels in your body, which in turn can significantly increase breast tenderness.
- Medications (contraceptives, hormone replacement drugs, and certain antidepressants)
- Pain in the heart and chest
- Stress
More serious causes:
More serious causes of nipple pain include specific health disorders such as certain inflammations and infections, and in more severe cases even Paget’s disease and cancer.
Paget’s disease of the breast, also known as Paget’s disease of the nipple, is a rare type of breast cancer that is characterized by soreness, redness, pain and itching of the nipples and the surrounding area. It is often associated with an underlying breast cancer and it rarely affects only the nipple. It is a rather rare disease, but if you however experience any of the above mentioned symptoms, you should consult your doctor immediately.
Hopefully this post has helped you learn a little bit more about possible causes of breast and nipple pain, as well as understand that it is a very common and normal problem among many women. In most cases, it is really no cause for worry. If you have any thoughts or concerns to share, please let us know in the comment section below.
30 thoughts on What Does it Mean When Your Nipples Hurt
I’m experiencing nipple pain and when I lay on my right side my left side hurts. What could this mean?
My nipples are really sore and they are brown I don’t understand ?
What might cause this because some people a scaring me by telling me that am pregnant.
Has this been happening everytime you lay down?
If not, I would consider it being growing pains every now and than. You can ask your doctor about this. My nipples have been hurting too, but not when I lay down. My nipples have become very sensitive. For example; I got punched in my nipple. Now that, would be very painful. My nipples have also thickened, which bothers me badly, but I know it’s signs of puberty. It could be signs of puberty to you also. If you ever have your period, it can grow to more pain. I’m guessing that your nipples arw thickening if you haven’t hit puberty yet.
My right boob it always been bigger, but is been like two days that my nipples been hurting mis sensible when I touch it.. Am scar what can it be??
My nipples hart all the time and so dos my belly i dont no why
Its two weeks now my nipples have been painfull and they black black in coulor
It has really bin a long tym since my breast aches and stretch.
I have visited d hospital not just once but d doctor told me that nothing was wrong but up till now i still experience d pain.
What do i do
its about two weeks after my ovulation , i hd cramps breast enlargement , nipple soreness , skin allerg , sleepness and sometime headache i don kmow why
hey my nipples hve been sore 4 a couple of weeks an they are painful when i move my clothes i was breastfeeding an now i cant coz its 2 tender an also iv got a cut on the nipple its dischrg s browny i thnk an doesnt smell very nyce what can that be
My nipple started hurting last week and they are so sore. I tried putting ice on them but they still hurt. Any advice?
Seeing puberty can also cause this,will it ever stop? Like when u stop growing..
I started menstrating two days ago and my breasts are full and my nipple brings out water am i pregnant.
Hi I’m 22 yrs old and have never experienced any pain in my nipples until recently, I don’t know what to do, plz help!
Just my nipples are very very sore to the touch and i know im not pregnant, also i dont have my period for another 2 weeks. Im curious as to what this could be. Could someone please tell me what it could be?
My nipples hurt and is bringing out water. What could be the cause?
Carolyne,have you seen a doctor?You should see one if you haven’t.I can’t explain the browny discharge but I think the doctor will.Cheers
Mu nipple started having a burning pain and now have wound on the nipple went to the hospital they said its normal what could this be please help.
hey,guys m 17 years old! my nipples started to hurt a couple ov days ago. I have been feeling the pain wen eva I touch them. is everythn f9 wid me?
I am 35 and married and not had sex for last 5 weeks. I am not having babies. But my nipples are hurting badly and on close examination I found some small boils on it. I don’t know what it is and why its paining? kindly reply
I’m 17 almost 18 years old and iv only recently started noticing that my nipples hurt every time I touch them, my partner and I have had sex without a condom as Iam on the needle for my period but have actually missed my last app for the updated needle, and have had a bit of bloching for a few days an now I don’t have my period at all. could the signs of my nipples hurting be that I’m pregnant ? /: pls help
my nipple and my whole breast hurts what do i do? i am 20
my nipples and whole breast hurt plz help me when ever I touch them or my shirt or bra touches them what do I do
I’m sixteen, turning seventeen in about a month, my nipples are really sore, no matter what whether I’m moving around alittle bit just sitting still, they hurt, even if I gently touch them and they hurt if I put on a bra, or if I adjust my clothing without wearing my bra, I’m virgin so I know I’m not pregnant, I don’t have my period not for another week and half ,I have a couple bumps close to my nipples, i’ve looked at the signs of breast cancer, but I’m not sure, and I’m scared to death of what may be wrong with me and I could use some advice ASAP, please reply to me! Please help me.
Im sixteen.. and i don’t have nipples!!! but I have a pair of normal sized boobs.. :( what should i do?
Am suppos to have seen my period two weeks ago but I stil havnt till now, and ever since den I’v been having serious pains in my neeples. I don’t knw wat dis pains ar all about…could I possibli b pregenant or some kind of infection. It realy hurts
My nipples are so sore…is there something that can help this???
Hi, I’m 15 going on 16 and my nipples have been hurting very badly for the past few hours. I haven’t had a period in about half a year and I’m a virgin so I know I’m not pregnant. Even moving around hurts them. What should I do? — Kailee
hi. just recently, i experienced the hurt on my right nipple. i am scared because this is the first time i feel this. I am 30 years old, with one child. Is there something i can use to ease the pain? like ointment or whatever?
hello, it’s me again, annabelle. Could it be possible that my nipple hurt because it is always been accidentally kicked by my one year old when we play or when he bumps his head to my chest.