Breast itch is one of those things that you don’t normally think about. If something itches, you usual scratch it–it’s normal, right? Especially, if you’ve been out all day and you’ve been sweating, you take off your bra and scratch where it itches.
But, there are some medical conditions that need a little bit more looking into because itching is a symptom of them. It may not seem like much, but if you are having breast itch and are consistently itchy for days at a time, you may have one of these conditions:
1. You may have a yeast infection under your breasts
When you think of yeast infection you think of yeast infections with your vagina. And you wouldn’t be wrong, since they can certainly afflict vaginas and cause all sorts of symptoms like unusual discharge and swelling. But yeast infections are actually pretty common under the breasts too.
Yeast cells are technically considered a fungus. When too much Candida is present in an area of your body, the balance of healthy bacteria and microflora in your body is off-balance. That’s why the symptoms of infection begin to appear. This type of infection is called candidiasis, or a yeast infection. It can happen because of an overgrowth of existing yeast or an infection you become exposed to.
Moisture can get trapped under your breasts, creating an environment that’s perfect for yeast to grow, which can result in breast itch.
2. In very rare cases, it could be a sign of cancer
If your breast itch, it’s much more likely that it’s due to one of the above reasons and not breast cancer. With that said, there’s a small chance it could be inflammatory breast cancer, a rare form of the disease that invades your skin’s dermis (the layer of skin that lies beneath your epidermis, the outer layer of skin), creating an inflammatory response.
Inflammatory breast cancer is a very aggressive and fast-growing breast cancer in which cancer cells infiltrate the skin and lymph vessels of the breast. It often produces no distinct tumor or lump that can be felt and isolated within the breast. But when the lymph vessels become blocked by the breast cancer cells, symptoms begin to appear. Inflammatory breast cancer also usually has other symptoms including a rash; orange-peel skin; and red, inflamed skin that’s hot to the touch.
Thrush is another yeast-like reaction. Thrush is a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of yeast-like organisms called Candida albicans or ‘candida’.These organisms like warmth and moisture and are normal inhabitants of the skin, mouth, gut and vagina.
Certain conditions encourage them to multiply excessively and this may cause a candida infection, with possible symptoms of pain, itching, or other irritation. A breastfeeding mother with a thrush infection of the nipple, areola and/or breast can experience pain in these areas both during and between feeds. Besides the normal allergic reactions to possibly the underwire or fabric in your bra, you could be itching if the bra doesn’t fit right. But there is one more health issue that you should look into…