Obstetrics & Gynecology | Gynecology Questions OB-GYN

Changes in breast feeling?

I’ve always had little to no feeling in my nipples. However, I’ve noticed that I have practically no feeling in my lower/under boob on both breasts, and it seems like it may be spreading to the top of my breasts as well now. I’ve also noticed that my breasts are becoming extremely uneven over the years. My left breast is much bigger and hangs much lower than the right. My left areola is much bigger than my right. I know uneven breasts are a normal thing, but accompanied with numbness is concerning me. Should I be worried about this? And what could this indicate? I’m mostly worried about the extreme numbness in my breasts. I can’t even feel it when I’m touching it. Breast cancer does run in my family so I am worried.

Female | 24 years old
Complaint duration: On going for many years and getting worse with time
Medications: None

1 Answer

Hello,

Breast numbness is not uncommon in women. I understand that you are concerned about cancer given your family history. However, this would be a very uncommon cause of your symptoms, particularly if they have been ongoing for a long time. A much more common cause of these symptoms is a badly fitting brassiere that constricts your breast tissue. A good place to look is in www.healthline.com and search either here or in google under “breast numbness”. Other reasons that occur can be the addition of a new detergent or fabric softener which is a tissue irritant.

These symptoms are caused by nerve compression or irritation. You should consult either a family doctor, a neurologist, or a dermatologist to determine the cause of your symptoms.

Good luck.