Galactorrhea

Also known as hyperlactation, galactorrhea is a rare condition wherein a grayish or white liquid is discharged from the breast. Galactorrhea by itself is not a disease, but it surely is a sign of an underlying problem like hormonal imbalance, tumor, etc. Any fluid discharge from the breast after menopausal stage in women could indicate breast cancer. However, the discharge related with breast cancer will be from one breast only. In galactorrhea, generally both breasts are involved. Presence of blood in the fluid discharged from the breast could be indicative of a benign growth in the breast tissue itself.

Galactorrhea cause

• Birth control pills
  
• Hypothyroidism
  
• A non-cancerous pituitary tumor or any other disorder of the pituitary gland
  
• Medications like antidepressants, few tranquilizers, high blood pressure drugs and hormonal supplements
  
• Chronic kidney disease
  
• Spinal cord surgery or tumor
  

• Persistent or sporadic milky type of discharge, the discharge has no blood
  
• Unexpected milk leak or manually expressed nipple discharge
  
• One or both breasts get affected
  
• Irregular menstrual periods or no menstrual periods
  
• Headaches and/or vision problems
  
• Acne
  
• Increased hair growth on chin or chest
  

Diagnostic tools such as ultrasound, mammography and MRI to check for tumor are used.