DTMT Network
GHAZIABAD: According to doctors at the Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad, the condition of milky nipple discharge in premenopausal women may indicate high levels of hormonal imbalance in the body. The problem is caused mainly by some malfunction in the pituitary gland that produces the hormone.

Apart from women in the reproductive age, the condition, known as galactorrhea, can affect men and infants too, say the doctors.

“Galactorrhea  is a symptom that affects nearly 24 per cent of women. A whitish or greenish discharge from both the breast nipples is the most common symptom of the disease and usually has no association with breast cancer,” says Dr. Vinita Diwakar, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad.

She stated, “Any woman who has had a baby, whether or not she breast-fed her baby, may later have galactorrhea. Too much estrogen in the body due to birth control pills or an underactive thyroid gland can also cause the condition. Nipple stimulation due to sexual activity or sports activities such as jogging, can also increase prolactin production.”

“If the breast tissue is particularly sensitive to prolactin in blood, it may cause idiopathic galactorrhea – the reason of which remains unknown,” Dr Diwakar added.

“If a woman experiences a mild idiopathic galactorrhea, a  tight breast support  may help stop the discharge by preventing stimulation of the nipples. In newborns, galactorrhea may be caused due to high maternal estrogen levels that cross the placenta and reaches the baby's blood,” says Dr Diwakar.