What is galactorrhea?

4 May 2021

It is a condition in which one or both breasts secrete milk and there is no relation to lactation, but the levels of prolactin, which is the hormone that stimulates milk production, are high, often causing the nipples to leak when touched or by themselves. It occurs in both women and men, and rarely in babies.

Although in some cases the cause of galactorrhea is unknown, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

Antidepressants.
Antipsychotics.
Blood pressure control drugs.
Drug intake.
Chronic kidney disease.
Excess stress.
Hypothyroidism.
Chest or spinal cord injuries.
Birth control pills.
Overstimulation of the breasts.
Pituitary disorder.

Signs and symptoms Galactorrhea

The symptoms are:

Milky white discharge that comes continuously from one or both nipples.
Acne.
Appearance of hair on the chin or chest.
Decreased sexual desire.
Headache.
Erectile dysfunction.
Irregular menstrual periods.
Eyesight problems.

Diagnosis and treatment Galactorrhea

Once your gynecologist analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination of the breasts to examine if there are no nodules and will request:

Blood tests to know your hormone levels.
Fluid sample to be analyzed.
Ultrasound and/or mammogram to rule out cancer.
Pregnancy test.
MRI to determine if there is no tumor or abnormality in the pituitary gland.

The treatment indicated for galactorrhea will depend on the cause, but it usually includes the intake of medications, surgery, or the suspension for a certain period of a medication that you are taking and is the cause of the condition. Sometimes no treatment is required, as galactorrhea may go away on its own, but it is important to:

Avoid stimulating your breasts or touching your nipples during sex.
Avoid wearing very tight clothing or clothing that irritates your skin.
Do not perform breast self-exams more than once a month.
Use bra pads to absorb the milky discharge.

Comprehensive women’s health is our priority at the Women’s Center, so we offer services focused on women in all their chronological stages with the highest standards of care to improve their quality of life, through a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services. It has three specialized units:

Obstetrics Center
Gynecology Center
Gynecology in adolescence

Reasons to choose our Women’s Center:

Multidisciplinary team: we have obstetrician gynecologists and specialized nurses who provide gynecological and prenatal care.
Personalized and humane care: our services are designed to meet your individual needs and preferences, ensuring that you receive humane care that allows you to have a healthy life.
Better treatment options: reducing hospitalization times, a quicker and less painful recovery, and taking care of the aesthetic appearance of our patients.
Robot surgery: we have a great technological development that allows us to perform more precise surgical procedures using robotic instruments and an endoscopic video camera.
Comfortable facilities with state-of-the-art technology: in case of requiring special care, we have facilities fully equipped with the latest technological advances.

Related centers and departments Galactorrhea

Women’s Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

fesemi.org
topdoctors.es
mayoclinic.org
medlineplus.gov
msdmanuals.com
cun.es
medigraphic.com
Torres AL, Ramírez RT, Puerto LJA. Mama supernumeraria axilar. Presentación de un caso y revisión de la literatura. Finlay. 2018;8(1):75-79.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is galactorrhea?

Signs and symptoms Galactorrhea

Diagnosis and treatment Galactorrhea

Related centers and departments Galactorrhea

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Galactorrhea