WARNING: The Embarrassing Bodies website contains images of an explicit medical nature and nudity in a medical context.

Embarrassing Bodies , 9:00pm Friday 12th March 2010 on Channel 4. Catch up for free »

Conditions

Breast Abscess

Breast abcesses can be painful

Similar to abscesses that form in other areas of the body, a breast abscess can be very painful. They mainly affect women aged 18-50 and are common among those who are breastfeeding, as the nipples can become cracked, allowing bacteria to enter that can cause infection. The inflammation of the breast tissue – called mastitis – is the first stage in the development of an abscess, which has symptoms such as redness, tenderness, and painful localised swelling of the affected breast, which may also feel hot. The infection targets the fatty tissue of the breast, causing swelling just outside the milk ducts, which leads to more discomfort, such as itching, breast lump, green or pus-like nipple discharge, as well as the enlargement of the affected breast. Small abscesses can be drained with a syringe, but larger ones will require a small incision under local anaesthetic. Early treatment and a course of oral antibiotics is the best way to prevent an abscess from developing.

What the Men in White Coats Say

Comments and Questions

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

Hi, I'm 16 and my right nipple has a green bruise on it , it's been there for quite some time , yet I always thought it would go away , but it hasn't, have any ideas of what it could be?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I am 41yr old woman and for a long time 20yr + i have had a range of about 3 or 4 lumpy bits at the base of my right breast, just where the bra sits almost in the middle of my chest. These lumps dont hurt in general but if pressed they do. I did have a mamogram about 3yr ago and the nurse also did a ultrasound on them and said everythings perfectly fine - i have never been told what they are and as they are still there i am wondering if i should go for another mamogram..the lumps are probably 1cm to 1.5cm in size but due to the location they dont stick out.?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

hiyah i am 15 and my boobs or shal i asay one 36b i have one boob bigger than the other should i go to my doctor this is realy embarrassing when i go swimming i wear a bra under under my bather. do i need to go see my doctor ?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I have been Suffering with abscesses for quite sometime now. In May 2006 i had a sac removed from my right breast, but unfortunatley abscesses have come back with avengence since. I have been to my doctors many times and he gives me creams and antibiotics but within a couple of weeks of clearing they come back. I asked my doctor if he could refer me back to the hospital, but all he says is they won't do anything. Unfortunately i no longer have faith in my doctor as i feel if my last doctor could send me then why can't he. This problem is getting me down as not only is it very painful, i am unable to get intimate with anyone as it is embarassing. Could you help me





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Hi, I'm 17 and early last year i found lumps on the side of my right breast with what i can only describe as feeling like gravel. I went to the doctor about this problem twice, but was told that it was only an extra growth of breast tissue. Ever since then it has continued getting larger and there are now small lumps on the side, underneath and on top of the breast, as well as beginning to form on the left one two. I sometimes feel sharp or dull pain. Im concerned as to whether to get it checked out again or if the doctor will just say that its normal.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

im 25 and over the past 6 months one of my nipples have become discoloured, started to peel on a regular basis and is weeping a milky fluid, i did go the doctors a couple of months ago but he said it could just be a change with age





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

i am 15 years old and i am a 32a, my breast havent yet started to fully develop. i dont like it as all my friends are like 32c and 34d. it really gets me down and i dont know what to do. if this normal? :/





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Hi my breasts are alittle tender at the moment and if I squeeze the nipple I get a green sticky discharge.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I am 25 and I have a solid lump inside my right nipple its not sore until I mess about with it. It is white in colour and is about the size of a pea I have a child which I breast fed but have not for about 2 years is this the cause? should I be concerned about this?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

hi i am 24, and about a year ago i found a lump in my breast, i gt it checked out and was toled it was a cluster of lumps that had fluid in them, i had the fluid removed, but about 6 months after this the lump came back. should i go back to the doctors? will i have 2 keep having the fluid removed? and what would happen if i just left it? please help me. thanks.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.



Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.



Please don't swear or be rude in your questions, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting questions. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines


Important Notice

The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.


If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here


More Information

  1. Episode 11 - Back to the Clinic 3

    In Episodes - Back in the clinic the doctors are checking up on everything from u…

  2. How To Check Your Breasts

    In Videos - Dr Harper's guide to how to self check your boobs for breast cancer.

  3. Episode 3 - Rural

    In Episodes - This week's episode includes a woman leaving pieces of skin everywh…

  4. Doctor Responses : Man Boobs

    In Videos - Dr Christian answers your most frequently asked questions about man…

  5. Consultation: Gynaecomastia

    In Videos - Dr Jessen treats a man who's rapid weight loss has left him with fo…

  6. In Detail: Inverted Nipple

    In Videos - An in detail look at the operation to correct an inverted nipple

  7. Episode 1

    In Episodes - The first set of cases through the EI doors included cases of Piles…

  8. Doctor Responses: Breasts

    In Videos - Dr Pixie answers your most frequently asked questions about breasts.

  9. Episode 3 - Brighton

    In Episodes - The doctors head to Brighton with their truck-stop clinic, whilst t…

  10. Episode 2

    In Episodes - Conditions being seen by the doctors in Episode 2 included Psoriasi…

  11. Doctor Responses: Vaginal Discharge

    In Videos - Dr Pixie answers your most frequently asked questions about vaginal…

  12. Consultation: Second Adult Circumcision

    In Videos - Dr Jessen examines a patient in need of a new circumcision

  13. Dr Priya Manickavasagar

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr Priya.

  14. Dr James Russell

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr James Russell.

  15. Consultation: Breast Reduction

    In Videos - A patient comes to see Dr Harper with enormous 36JJ Breasts that ar…


More Information

Content supplied by NHS Choices

An abscess is a pus-filled hollow space that can appear on the skin or inside the body. Most abscesses form just under the skin, and are the result of a bacterial infection. The infection causes the immune system to activate white blood cells and chemicals to fight the bacteria. Read More »

Be on the Show

Have you been inspired by the patients in the current series to seek help for your problem? Apply to be on the show here >