Breast cysts can be harmless or benign but may cause pain. Seek medical advice to determine the cyst’s harm. Aspiration or surgical removal may be necessary. Preventive measures include wearing a supportive bra and reducing caffeine and salt intake.
A breast cyst is a fluid-filled sac in the breast that feels like a lump of various sizes and has the potential to cause pain, but this isn’t always the case. The cyst can be very small or the size of a golf ball, round or oval in shape, and can sometimes only be detected by a mammogram or ultrasound. Breast cysts are usually associated with breast cancer and other serious ailments, but there are many times a breast cyst can be harmless or benign. It is very important to seek the advice of a medical professional when a cyst or other abnormality is discovered to determine how harmful it is, if any.
A breast cyst lump begins as a normal milk gland that has grown in size and may be solid or filled with fluid. When breast cysts have been discovered, an ultrasound will allow a doctor to determine whether or not it is filled with fluid and whether or not it contains a tumor, which itself may or may not be benign. From there, the cyst can be aspirated, which is the process of inserting a needle to remove fluid from the cyst or to test the tissue to determine its composition. It is generally not necessary to test the fluid unless it appears that there has been bleeding into the cyst or if the size and shape of the breast cyst appears to be abnormal.
There are several steps a woman can take to prevent the occurrence of breast cysts or to lessen the discomfort of existing cysts. One of them is wearing a supportive bra to relieve some of the inflammation around the cyst tissue. Several preventive measures that you can take, not necessarily scientifically proven, are the reduction of caffeine and salt in your daily diet. Studies on the links between these elements and breast cysts are inconclusive. However, many women said they eased symptoms when they reduced their intake of these items.
Often when breast cysts are benign, the doctor will not recommend any course of action. If left alone, benign cysts can still change shape over time or even disappear. One of the main reasons for going the course of aspiration and removing fluid from the cyst is when it causes an unnecessary amount of pain or discomfort. It is when the breast cyst shows signs of blood or other troubling features, or simply when the suction is not working, that the doctor’s recommended course of action will be surgical removal of the cyst.
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