Red spots on the breast can suggest a series of conditions, including hives, rash or dermatitis. In some cases red spots are triggered by cancer. You may experience symptoms of itch or pain, or none at all. Other factors for spots consist of mastitis, mammary duct ectasia, Paget’s disease of the breast or inflammatory breast cancer.
Is it normal to have red spots on your breasts? Normally, yes. A rash can be a sign of an infection, particularly if one breast is swollen and tender, if there’s discharge, or if you have a fever. Sometimes a hair root around your nipple area can become infected. When this happens, one or more small red bumps appear.
Mastitis
A red, warm, swollen and/or painful breast — complete with chills or fever — shows a breast infection. Mastitis mainly affects women in the first couple of months of providing a baby or while she is breastfeeding.
The Mayo Clinic site states it is not necessary to stop breastfeeding due to mastitis, but cautions it might affect your energy levels, and for that reason temporary hinder your ability to care for the baby.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer is more aggressive — and less apparent to find — than any other breast cancers. Instead of making itself called a lump that is found in self evaluation, scientific exam or a mammogram, IBC causes your breast to redden, swell and become warm. The skin on the breast might develop dimples like the peel of an orange and the nipple might pull back. Lymph nodes in the arm pit and below might swell.
Those symptoms resemble mastitis — and due to the fact that IBC represents only 6 percent of breast cancers identified — it is sensible for a doctor to treat the symptoms with antibiotics prior to ordering a biopsy.
Mammary Duct Ectasia
When a milk duct dilates, that duct’s walls might thicken and it might fill with fluid. Mammary duct estasia is most likely to impact women between the ages 40 and 60. For some, the skin below the nipple might become red or sensitive, for others it may cause a discharge from the nipple and for others there may be no symptoms. Typically, this condition clears on its own. Other times, antibiotics or even surgery is required.
Paget’s Disease
This form of breast cancer is unusual, according to the Mayo Clinic site and shows up in the areola — the pigmented skin surrounding the nipple and the nipple itself. It bears no relationship to a metabolic bone disease that bears the very same name. Of the women identified with Paget’s disease of the breast, many are 50 years and older as well as have ductal breast cancer.
Speak to Your Doctor
If your breast displays anything uncommon, make an appointment with your healthcare service provider for a check-up. In the interim, the Mayo Clinic website advises a few self-care measures: don’t scratch, spread out a fragrance-free moisturizer or include warmth to the area and avoid stress.
