Sore Nipples

A woman's body is a biological marvel. However, this biological marvel needs a lot of care and attention to remain healthy. There are many women's health issue that lead to lot of unpleasant problems for women. Of these is a common complain of sore nipples. A majority of women have nipple issues like clear discharge, milky discharge and sometimes pain called mastalgia.

What Causes Sore Nipples
One of the most sensitive organs in a woman's body are the breasts. They are not only sensitive to external injury, but also to hormonal upheaval in the body. There are many biological processes occurring in a woman's body at different stages of her life. We shall concentrate on this process and understand the sore nipple causes.

Sore Nipples during Ovulation
As I have already mentioned in the opening lines of this write up, a woman's body is a biological marvel. After reaching puberty, a girl begins to get regular periods. This menstrual cycle occurs till the egg is not fertilized and leads to pregnancy. The process of release of the egg into the fallopian tube from the ovary is known as ovulation. The body tends to give out various signs to indicate it will start ovulating. Of these many signs is sore nipples. The breasts become tender and the nipples feel tender to touch. Sore nipples occur after about 2 weeks of ovulation and in some cases indicates pregnancy in an sexually active woman.

Sore Nipples during Pregnancy
Again I repeat, the biological marvel tends to send many signals to a woman indicating changes occurring within her. When a woman conceives, her body begins to make plenty of changes to accommodate a growing fetus. The hormonal rush due to pregnancy, causes an increase in blood flow to the breast tissues. This causes the breast and nipples to swell, feel tingly, become extremely sensitive to touch and feel sore. These sensations are similar to the ones experienced during the menstruation cycle and ovulation. The only difference is the feeling is heightened and more prominent. Tender breasts and sore nipples are one of the early signs of pregnancy experienced around 4 to 6 weeks after conceiving. This condition may last way through the first trimester in many women. The sore nipples treatment in this case is to use supportive bras like maternity bras. You can even try application of a cold compress to relieve the discomfort to some extent.

Sore Nipples due to Breastfeeding
Sore nipples due to breastfeeding is the most common complaint of new mothers. There are plenty of causes that lead to sore nipples due to breastfeeding a baby. These causes include the baby having difficulty getting a hold on your nipple. This causes the baby to keep sucking and pulling to hold on to it in the mouth. This continuous pulling causes your nipples to become sore. You need to help your baby get the nipple correctly in the mouth and feed. If your nipples are cracked or bleeding, apply a purified lanolin ointment over it. Make sure you clean your nipples before feeding your baby.

Another cause of sore nipples may be a tongue tied baby. The baby's tongue may be attached to the lower part of the mouth and thus has problems getting a hold on the nipples. This makes the baby unable to draw droughts of milk and keep pulling at your breasts. In this case, you need to visit a doctor and get your baby examined. The doctor may advise a simple procedure that helps treat a tongue-tied condition.

Thrush may also cause your breastfeeding nipples to turn sore. It is important you seek immediate treatment for thrush as it can spread to your baby. In some cases, dermatitis can also lead to inflammation and itchy nipples. You need to apply creams or lotions to reduce the soreness. Many women do not realize, but a bad fitting bra can also cause sore nipples. Too much pressure is applied on the nipples causing them to become painful and sensitive to touch. A change in bra size may prove to be useful as pregnancy causes a change in breast size. And lastly, a teething baby can cause your nipples to become sore. The gums in a baby's mouth become hard and tiny teeth appearing may help the baby bite your breast harder. This causes tender sore nipples.

Other Sore Nipples Causes
Apart from the above three, there can be other causes of sore nipples. Women on birth control pills can develop this condition. These pills contain hormones that cause sore breasts. Sometimes, some detergent remaining in your bra can cause the nipples to get irritated and become sore. A hormonal imbalance due to stress, emotional disturbance can lead to sore nipples. Apart from that rough foreplay with your partner can also lead to sore nipples.

This was all about the causes of sore nipples. If you suffer from persistent soreness of nipples and a tender breast, visit a gynecologist. The doctor will be able to diagnose your condition better and provide you with an effective treatment option.

HIV Transmission

Upon medical examination, it is found that HIV virus is present in some bodily tissues and fluids. Nevertheless, remember that not all tissues or fluids of an infected person are capable of spreading this deadly virus to another healthy person. It can be transmitted only under certain conditions. So, actually how can you get AIDS or HIV? The spreading of HIV from an infected individual takes place via specific bodily fluids, which are blood and blood products, breast milk, vaginal secretions, pre-ejaculation fluid and semen.

For HIV transmission to take place, the above mentioned bodily fluids must come in direct contact with the mucosa, open wound or damaged cell of another individual. Another route is by sharing the same syringe or injection needle with an infected person. Over here, the virus is most likely to get delivered in the bloodstream. To be more precise, transmission of HIV occurs when specific fluids containing the virus enters the body directly, or comes in contact with the mucous membrane linings of the rectum, urethra or vagina.

Female to Male HIV Transmission
During unprotected sexual intercourse, an HIV infected female transmits this deadly virus to her sexual partner. This holds true for male to female HIV transmission, in which the male partner is tested positive. Spreading occurs when the infected sexual secretions come in contact with oral, genital and mucous membranes (rectum, vagina, eyes, inside of nose) of the other partner. So, the risk of transmission between sexual partners is undoubtedly very high. While vaginal sex and anal sex carry a high risk of transmission, the risk of infection with oral sex is lesser. Having protected sex is the solution to avoid such consequences.

Mother to Child HIV Transmission
A child born to an HIV positive mother is very likely to get the infection. The virus can be transmitted to the baby during pregnancy course, childbirth or delivery and also, at the time of breastfeeding. Nevertheless, there are certain treatment medications available, which are formulated to minimize the risks of transmitting HIV from mother to child. So, infected women who are planning to become pregnant should seek stringent medical advice to avoid future complications for herself and her baby. Regarding postnatal HIV transmission from infected mother to child, the baby should not be breastfed at any cost.

In all the cases, HIV transmission also occur via any incidences, where infected blood gets into the body of another person. Say for example, transfusion of infected blood and sharing syringe or other surgical instruments with an infected person are equally responsible for virus transmission. In rare cases, health care professionals get infected with the virus, while delivering injections to HIV positive patients. Sometimes accidents do happen and the needle containing infected blood gets stuck in the fingers, or the blood enters through open wounds.

HIV Transmission: An Overview

In the United States alone, there are about 1.1 million HIV positive patients. The statistical number is expected to rise with time, as new HIV infections are reported each year. The HIV transmission probability is dependent upon two factors, number of infective HIV virions present in infected blood or body fluid, and the number of host cells available at the contact site. With new antiretroviral intervention, infected individuals are able to live a longer life.
As far as HIV transmission rates are concerned, they are reduced significantly in recent years. Public awareness programs are being taken up to make people understand about the routes of HIV transmission, and precautions to prevent the spread of HIV. Simply sharing clothes or staying under the same roof are not a concern, as this virus cannot survive outside the body and environmental transmission is not possible.