worried inland empire

i have a large swollen left breast  w/some redness very tender to touch and very painful when bumped. at the top of nipple the skin is peeling and turning shiny i would really like to lance it as well it has a lump and it is very hard and also burns when hot compress is applied

[katarina777]

dear mir801. You give practically no history about your swollen breast; i.e. when this started, of it came on slowly, or suddenly, if the condition has gotten worse, if you have seen a doctor for it, and what you have been told if you did, not even your age.
Also, have you had breast cancer and been treated with radiation recently?

Without any additional information it is impossible to advise you in any way and mist of us do not play with wild guesses.

The way your nipple and the surrounding area looks; i.e. the shining and the peel, is very characteristic of a burn, and that is why I am asking if you burned yourself or had radiation.

An infection is more typically associated with swelling, (as you say you have), Pain is true with both infection and burns, and if there may be a chance you have Inflammatory Breast cancer, this is usually not very painful, but can be some.

Yet, to me this sounds perhaps most like an infection, but without any background all I really know is that this breast of yours should be looked at by a doctor, and I think practically  every person I can think of would have done so by now.

I would welcome an update if you want to give one.

Take care, Katrin

[katarina777]

After giving this some more thought, your breast condition sounds more than anything like a breast infection. In that case, the infection needs to be treated with an antibiotic and for that you need to visit a doctor. The sooner the better as otherwise your breast will become more painful, and perhaps the wound around the nipple will open and drain out the pus but maybe not properly heal? I

If it was me, I would do the doctor, and ASAP, and in order to pevent   more damage.  Kat