There are three main types of problems that may affect the nipple: retraction into the breast tissue (nipple inversion), disorders affecting the skin on or around the nipple, and discharge of fluid.
Inversion may occur during puberty if the breasts do not develop properly. This is usually harmless, although it may later make breast-feeding difficult.
Inversion may also develop in older women due to aging. Cracked nipples are common during breast-feeding and may lead to mastitis (inflammation of the breasts).
Dry, flaky skin on or around the nipples is often due to eczema but may occasionally be due to a type of cancer called Paget’s disease of the nipple.
Discharge from the nipple may occur naturally in early pregnancy, and a milky discharge may persist once breast-feeding is over. A discharge in a woman who is not pregnant or breast-feeding may be due to a hormone imbalance or, rarely, a cyst under the areola.
A discharge containing pus indicates a breast abscess. A bloodstained discharge may be due to either a noncancerous breast disorder or a cancerous tumor.
Medical advice should be sought for any nipple problem to get an accurate diagnosis and, if necessary, appropriate treatment.

Othere related diseases

HYDROCELE
A hydrocele is a soft, painless swelling in the scrotum that is due to a build-up of fluid in the double-layered membrane that partially surrounds each testis. ...

KIDNEY CANCER
Most kidney cancers originate within the kidney itself; only rarely are they due to the spread of cancer from elsewhere in the body. There are often no symptoms...

KIDNEY CYSTS
Simple kidney cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in the outer layer of the kidney. They can occur singly or multiply, and one or both kidneys may be a...

KIDNEY FAILURE
In kidney failure, the kidneys do not function normally and there is a build-up of waste products and water in the body, disrupting the body’s chemical balanc...

KIDNEY INFECTION
The kidney may become infected as a result of bacterial infection entering the urinary tract through the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) a...

KIDNEY STONES
Also known as renal calculi, kidney stones may be associated with dehydration; a high-protein, low-fiber diet; certain medications; or various disorders, such a...

MASTITIS
Mastitis is inflammation of the breast tissue. It is usually due to bacteria entering the nipple during breast-feeding, but it may also be caused by changes in ...

MISCARRIAGE
Miscarriage is natural loss of a baby during the first 23 weeks of pregnancy. The majority of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and may be m...