Patient's question:
Is it normal for the nipple to secrete clear milk during masturbation?Doctor's answer:
Hello, abnormal. Careful observation and identification of the characteristics of nipple discharge are of great significance in finding the cause of the discharge. Generally speaking, milk-like discharge is often bilateral, multiple-hole, and self-discharging during non-lactation period, with a color and texture similar to skim milk, mostly caused by hypothalamic dysfunction and abnormally elevated prolactin levels in the blood; serous discharge is often squeezed out, and a few cases can also be self-discharging, frequently staining clothes wet, can be unilateral or bilateral, the discharge is thin, transparent, light yellow, brownish, or viscous, mostly caused by benign breast diseases such as hyperplasia of the breast, dilated breast duct syndrome, and intraductal papillary tumors, a few serous discharges can be caused by breast cancer; watery discharge is often unilateral, the discharge is thin and colorless like water, often caused by tumors, some scholars point out that about 50% of watery discharges may be cancerous; purulent discharge is often unilateral, self-discharging or squeezed out, mostly green or creamy yellow, viscous, purulent, may contain blood, mostly seen in inflammatory breast diseases such as dilated breast duct syndrome; bloody discharge is often unilateral, self-discharging or squeezed out, the discharge is bright red, light red, light brown, or coffee-colored, mostly caused by intraductal papillary tumors, can also be seen in breast cancer, hyperplasia of the breast, or dilated breast duct syndrome. Since malignant tumors are more likely to cause bloody discharge, clinical vigilance should be exercised for patients with bloody discharge regarding the possibility of malignant lesions. In addition, it is necessary to distinguish between true nipple discharge and false discharge. True discharge refers to the discharge from the breast duct through the nipple opening; while false discharge usually refers to inflammatory exudate in the nipple area caused by superficial erosion of the nipple or secondary infection due to breast duct fistula. The nipple discharge we refer to here generally refers to true nipple discharge. In summary, if nipple discharge occurs, regardless of the method or characteristics of the discharge, it should be taken seriously, because nipple discharge during non-lactation period is mostly a manifestation of various breast diseases.