Sore & Painful Nipple. What Could It Be?

you may have clogged milk duct causing you soreness in your nipple too.The first sign of a clogged duct may be a small, hard lump that's sore to the touch, or a very tender spot in your breast. this might cause infection over time if not treated. in that case then you will notice redness and You might also feel achy, run down, and feverish, which could be a sign that your clogged duct has become infected.Ducts become plugged when milk fails to drain completely. This can happen because of a poorly fitted nursing bra, incomplete or skipped feedings, an illness such as a cold, or brought on by stress, or simply out of the blue. Left untreated, a plugged duct can evolve into a full-blown breast infection known as mastitis, so don't ignore the symptoms.
Nurse, nurse, nurse! Frequent nursing is crucial to completely empty the breast, for comfort and to reduce inflammation. massage the sore area frequently and firmly, starting at the top of the breast and working your way toward the nipple. Applying warm compresses before nursing can help empty the breast.you may also use herbal remedies such as echinacea, lecithin, and vitamin C. Next to nursing, the most important thing is rest.Hope this will help you but if you are not better by monday go and see your provider for evaluation.Good luck and great job breast feeding your baby this long.

I had the same thing happen to me around that time of nursing and I had mild chills. I think is was a mild case of mastitis. My doctor said to let the hot shower water hit my breast and it really did help. Also, I would put some apple cider vinegar around my nipple just in case it was yeast and then rinse it off before nursing. I started doing yoga and making sure I was taking lots of vitamin C rich foods to strenghten my immune system and it helped.
I hope that all gets well.
Take care.
E.

In addition to Maryam who gave spot on tips....make sure it does not progress to a full blown Mastitis infection... this can be very not good.

Go to your OB/GYN or call them.
My friend got a bad Mastitis infection, because she waited for it to go away on it's own... which it didn't and it got worse... then she had to take antibiotics and could not nurse for a time.

OR... you could have a yeast infection on your nipples... and if so, your baby can get Oral Thrush. BOTH are yeast infections... you need to check this as well... and if this is what it is, BOTH you and your baby needs to take medicine at the same time... to eradicate it.

Call your Doctor.
Take care,
Susan

I have to agree that I think it might be a plugged duct. You were already given excelent advice on how to treat it.
Blessings, K.

same thing happens to me! I was nursing well for 8 mo. and suddenly my nipples would burn, and sometimes the tips would turn white and get hard. It is called blanched nipples, or Rynaud's Syndrome. It is said to be a vascular issue, and can happen more frequently when it is colder weather. I am not sure if anything else is going on too. The lactation nurse said it is very rare, and to take magnesium/calcium combo with motrin and heat pads to help.

Lately- only 1 breast is burning (terribly). I think sometimes it could be a bad latch, or possibly an infection of sorts. I really haven't figured it out myself. I have found some help in applying a heated rice sock (or heating pad) on my breast. I totally know how you feel! I have to hold my breath as he latches and have actually done my lamaze breathing just to tolerate it!

Sorry, I'm not much more help, other than telling you that you're not alone! You might head to the lactation nurse just to see if she can correct/suggest anything.