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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.

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On my nipple i have something that lookes like a spot and it's white, its really small but it causes no pain or discomfort at all. I don't know if its normal or not? I think it covers the small hole on the nipple but if i squeeze it nothing happens. Do you know what it could be?





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Hi there i have had a problem for some time of years now. My boobs have become saggy and my stomach is very big i am not proud of my body when i want to go out, i think the worse of my body and sometimes wishes that i didnt have such an ugly figure but i was wondering if you could help me by giving me some advice on how to sort this problem !PLEASE HELP!





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hi there i have had a lump in y breast about the size of a 2p coin for about 1&1/2 now it is hard and causes me pain the pain seems to go through the lump. i was referred to breast clinic at hospital they done scans and said it wasnt cancer it was mastitus. i suffered fro this 7 years ago after the birth of my son and have had a yellowy liquid that comes out ever since. ive had a baby 2 years ago and thats when the lump appeared? i have put on 2 & 1/2 stone in the last 9mths since it became painful esecially round my middle i have tryed diets and excerise but y weight keeps going up this really is affecting me i dont go out, iam on anti depressants and i cant put up with this anymore. weight is a big problem for me abig part of my deprression i have zero confidance and dont know what to do. my belly is really saggy and in discust i keep pulling it in discust and splitting under neath please help my weights going up its ruining my life+





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Is it too young to have a breast abscess at the age of 15? Like many of the comments above i had an itchy right nipple for a few days and then this morning it was really hurting, when looking in the mirror i noticed there was a red swelling below the nipple and it has started to become very tender. is this unusual?





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Hi there, I have been having a problem with my right nipple for a couple of weeks, and I am getting quite worried now. At first it was itching and thought this may have been down to the washing powder i was using, but thought it was strange that I wasn't getting these symptoms anywhere else on my body. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a change to the nipple, it seems to have a cluster of nodules in it and is very sore to the touch. I did think it was pregnancy to start off with as the change in appearance was where the milk would come out, but have been to the Dr's and now had 3 pregnancy tests (Home and Dr's), which have all come back negative. If someone knows any reason why I could have these symptoms then please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Mary 20 x





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Hi im a mum of 6kids which i have breast fed all ive been having prombles with my breast for about 15yrs i went to my doc and he sent me to the s.d.t clinc and then i was sent home after being told it was nothing my right breast has alot of dark green and sometime a whitish green coming out of my nipple and at the side of my nipple and my right breast is very painfull and alot bigger then my left on i sometimes cry with the pain and now i have a small pain in my left breast with a bit of white coming out of my nipple





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Hi I Have Got Two Probs I Wanna Share No.1 My Boobs Are Completly Not The Same SIZE One Is Tiny And The Other Is Big And I Hate Them I am of swimming with my frends and it is so embaresing and i always try and hide it ??? No.2 My Vagina Is Really Wierd The Inside Skin Sticks Out And I Feel like a man Please Help I am to shy to tell my mum ???





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Hi Bethany, I know that everybody always says how women's breasts are never the same size. However if they are very different and make you self conscious that is of no comfort. I myself never developed one breast as a teenager - which of course affected my day to day life massively. It is important that you can talk to someone close to you about it. It is your body and there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Especially to your Mum. I went to the doctors about it and I eventually had surgery to have an implant to even the size when I was 16. My life has changed for the better so much since - a different person now!! :D Please get in touch if you want to talk.

My breats are massive are make my back hurt alot and i am only 13 i am size 36D. I feel really uncomfortable with myself and try hiding them with lose tops HELP !!!





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to say that lumps in our breasts should be looked at it seems to me that doctors dont want to deal with our problems, i am currently pregnant and been suffering extreme pain in my left breast, it is lumpy and red, i saw two doctors in one week and they said it was normal! after suffering a further two weeks the midwife told me straight away it was an abscess, i have been pescribed antibiotics which arent working and the doctor took all day to get back to me about referral to hospital and so i have to wait another day! i just think its wrong that women arent taken seriously over this matte, when having an abscess is really painful, if the doctor had listened to me properly when i said it was really painful and exaimined me properly then i probably wouldn't have to attend hospital.





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im 17 since i was younger and started developing breasts iv continuously had small spot like lumps on my nipples that squirt out a white sumbstance when squezed and if not squeezed they eventually pop themselves. im too embaressed to go to a GP, i just want to know if there is way to get rid of them or calm it down a bit because they wont go away on there own . :(





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





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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 »

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