Breast issues in women

Breast issues in womenBy the end of puberty girls will have developed breasts of an adult size and shape which are symmetrical. However there is great variation in normal breast size. Once developed, breast size will be affected by general weight gain, or loss, and also cyclically there will be changes due to the normal hormonal changes of the monthly menstrual cycle. Slight lopsidedness is also normal and doesn't need treatment, although very occasionally adult women do have such a difference between their breasts that surgery may be available on the NHS to match them. Similarly most women are ofan average size but if a woman has extremely large breasts which are causing her problems, particularly with shoulder strain, and she doesn’t have weight issues which could be causing this, breast reduction surgery may be an option. There are also great differences in nipple size and shape. Inverted nipples are common, and don’t signify a problem unless one changes and becomes inverted (when it wasn’t previously), in which case you should see your doctor. During Pregnancy there are a variety of natural changes to the breast, including: *. Tenderness in the first trimester *. General growth of the breast tissue and nipples through pregnancy *. Darkening of the areolae *. The appearance of small whiter bumps within the areolae called Montgomery’s tubercles Towards the end of pregnancy the breastssecrete a clear, golden coloured ‘pre-milk’ called colostrum, and then once the baby is born normal milk flow will begin. Milk production outside of pregnancy is uncommon but may not be serious. Nipple stimulation occuring in people whogo jogging without wearing a firm support bra may be enough to cause milk to leak, but there are also possible serious causes so you should get your doctor to check you out. Other things that change adult female breast size include hormonal medication such as the combined oral contraceptive pill .