Why do I have milk when I squeeze my breast but not pregnant?

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asked Feb 14, 2024 in Womans Health by asmithy112 (2,180 points)
Why do I have milk when I squeeze my breast but not pregnant?

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answered Dec 16, 2024 by Gracy (149,380 points)
When you have milk when you squeeze your breast but you're not pregnant it often means that you have a hormonal imbalance, where your body is producing too much prolactin.

Prolactin is the hormone that is responsible for the production of breast milk.

Too much prolactin can be caused by stress, certain medications, excessive nipple stimulation or pituitary gland issues.

When your breast is bringing out water when you press it is most commonly caused by nipple discharge which is a normal physiological process.

The breasts can bring out water when you pressure from hormonal changes, pressure on the breast or stimulation and is not a cause for any concern.

As long as the nipple discharge is clear or milky white and only occurs when you press the breast or squeeze it then it's nothing to worry about.

But if the nipple discharge is bloody or you have any pain, lumps or other unusual symptoms you should see your doctor.

The reason why white stuff comes out of your nipples when you squeeze them can be due to lactation, hormones or sexual arousal.

White nipple discharge is normal in most cases and nothing to worry about.

Nipple discharge in women or people assigned female at birth is normal.

However nipple discharge is always considered to be abnormal in men or people that are assigned male at birth.

Causes of nipple discharge in both women and men that are not normal are infections, breast cancer and tumors.

During pregnancy or breastfeeding it's normal for milk to leak from a woman's nipple during the pregnancy or while you're breastfeeding.

Physiological discharge is a normal part of breast function which can occur when your nipple is massaged or squeezed.

The physiological discharge can also occur after pressure on the breast like during a mammogram.

The physiological discharge is often clear, white, green, yellow or milky in color.

Swollen Montgomery glands can also cause white discharge from the breasts.

The Montgomery glands secrete oil in order to lubricate your skin and can sometimes look like pus from a pimple.

The swollen Montgomery glands can be a result of and related to breastfeeding or pregnancy.

Nipple discharge can also be a sign of other health conditions such as a breast cyst, Galactorrhea or Mammary duct ectasia.

Galactorrhea can be caused by having too much prolactin in the body.

Mammary duct ectasia usually affects women that are going through perimenopause.

Signs that the nipple discharge are from a health condition that should be checked by a doctor include.

The nipple discharge is accompanied by a lump or other nipple change, you have yellow green or brown color discharge or the nipple discharge is spontaneous, meaning that the nipple discharge appears without squeezing or stimulating the nipple.

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