General Information about Breasts

General Information about Breasts

Breast is the front of the chest. The same term is used in the plural
to describe the mammary glands in women. Breast development is one of
the secondary sexual characteristics that distinguish women from men.
The function of breasts is to produce milk after childbirth to feed the
baby. Each breast is an adult female contains 15 to 20 milk glands or
lobes, surrounded by fatty tissue, each of which contains a duct ending
in a lactiferous sinus, that leads to the nipple. Breasts develop in
girls at the onset of puberty in response to hormones produced by the
ovaries and the pituitary gland.
Question: Is it normal for one breast to be slightly larger than the other?Yes. The difference is partly caused by a variation in the size
of the underlying muscles that supply the shoulder. The muscles tend to
be larger on the dominant side (for example, the right side of a
right-handed person).
Question: When do the breasts produce milk?Milk production is a response to special hormones that are
produced at the end of pregnancy. The start of milk production in the
breasts coincides with the birth of the baby. Early milk is a thin
white fluid (colostrums) that differs in composition from normal breast
milk that is secreted later. Production of milk not during pregnancy
(galactorrhea) is sometimes caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland.
Treatment consists of surgical removal of the tumor.
Question: Do males ever grow female-type breasts?Such a condition (gynecomastia) may occur in adolescent boys. A
boy should be reassured that the condition will last only for 6 to 12
months. In an adult male, hormone imbalance or disease may cause female
characteristics.
Question: Is it natural for the breasts at times to feel different and change in size?Such changes accompany different stages of the menstrual cycle.
Before menstruation, the breasts may feel "tight" and congested; some
pain may be experienced, often accompanied by a tingling sensation in
the nipples. These changes settle down as soon as the menstrual period
begins. However, changes in the breasts, such as thickening and lumps,
may mean breast cancer and need to be reported to a physician
immediately. Regular, monthly self-examination of the breast can detect
cancer early.
Question: Why do some women have bigger breasts than others?Differences in breast size and shape are largely due to
inherited factors. Being overweight increases the size of the breasts
with extra fatty tissue.
Question: In addition to breast self-examination, what other procedures can be done to detect breast cancer?
Mammography of the breasts at age 35 and annually after age 40 is recommended by the American Cancer Society.