Red patch on areola - freaking out!!

[JValentine]

Good evening,

36F, not pregnant, overweight, non smoker.

In the shower today I noticed a red patch on the outer of my right areola.

I am very fair and do get these small collection of broken capillaries sometimes which go after a few days but they are on the breast and have never been on areola before. This is flat and red.

However this patch is on the areola itself and I stupidly googled and now I'm terrified of cancer. My father is battling terminal cancer and I am very scared.

It is not itchy, raised, no lumps deep or underneath. Its just a bit red 2cm long by 1cm wide. Just looks like a reddening of the skin.

We are all poorly with a cough and cold if that makes any difference.

I have attached a photo, I apologise it is not great. The redness is to the top right of areola as you look at it.

Any advice or reassurance would be incredible. We've had a horrid Christmas and now I have something else to worry about!

Thanks xxx

It's probably nothing, 90% of lumps are harmless and inflammatory breast cancer of which skin changes are a symptom is even rarer.

However, I'd probably try to make an appointment with my GP just to get it checked out.

Hello there,

Thanks for your reply. I had to call them today for antibiotics for my son's chest infection. I'll call tomorrow if it's no better. Thanks x

Stupidly done more Googling (I have a history of health anxiety) and seen a picture that said rash around nipple is a sign of cancer.

I'm never going to be able to sleep tonight.

When you Google though, you're dismissing all the search results telling you about the harmless possibilities that are more likely.

If you already have health anxiety and you're going through a very stressful and distressing time with your family's health, no amount of reassurance is going to reassure you - and the most frightening possibilities will be the ones that feel most real because they tap into your existing emotional state.

Speak to GP tomorrow, but tonight no good will come of convincing yourself you're dying. How did you cope with your anxious feelings in the past? Do you have any strategies you can deploy to look after yourself tonight?

Hello,

Thanks for your reply.

Previously I would tell myself that everything I have ever worried about has never been cancer. And that I am not to Google.

We haven't left the house for 8 days, feeling very low with all the illness I am just letting it consume me :(

Husband says it looks paler than this morning. So that's something. If it wasn't on the nipple I would be ok. But as its on the edge that can be a sign of you know what. But very rarely I know.

Maybe I burnt it with my cup of coffee!

I was just hoping someone had had it before and could say oh, it went in couple days, was nothing etc.

Deep breaths, I am praying I wake up tomorrow and its gone!

Thanks for responding x

I'm not sure if this helps or not - but my mum died from cancer, and I have been where you are of absolutely convincing myself that the slightest twinge or bruise or pimple meant I was about to die from cancer too. There were times where I was completely inconsolable with fear.

It was a reflection of the fear and grief I was feeling about my mum. Watching someone you love dying from cancer is frightening and that fear spreads into other parts of your life. It sort of gets overlaid onto everything else so that even things you wouldn't normally worry about or notice become really scary.

I remember one occasion going to the GP distraught because I'd convinced myself I was already dying and beyond help - it turned out to be a muscle strain caused by an injury I hadn't noticed occurring because I was so stressed. Luckily my GP knew my circumstances and recognised both the cause of the pain and the cause of my intense fear in response to it.

I hope you will have a similar outcome.

I know that isn't the same specific change as you've noticed to your body, but I thought perhaps it might help you feel a little less alone with what you're feeling tonight.

It's positive that it seems to be improving - and you maybe did injure yourself without noticing (especially with the stress you're under, you might not be very tuned into your body right now to notice at the time it happened). It is usually easier to notice improvements over the course of a few days. Observing over that slightly longer period of a few days can be more reassuring than constantly checking every few minutes or hours.

Do you have anything you can watch to distract yourself - favourite film perhaps? Maybe cuddle yourself up with a soft blanket for a bit of comfort? I sometimes Google nature videos when I'm feeling low and that can be soothing.

Get medical advice but try not to torment yourself. I am really sorry about your father.

Thank you so very much for your kind reply.

You are so right.

The fear has totally permeated me and everything I do and every decision I make.

My poor dad has got his lung cancer under control but now has aggressive liver tumours and will start more toxic chemo next week.

I am just destroyed by it.

I quit my full time job in September due to stress of dad and how toxic the job was. And I just seem to be taking hit after hit and cannot keep my head above water.

Hence me reacting abnormally to this.

I have been checking it every ten minutes or so. I will try to stretch the time, maybe try to look just once before bed then look tomorrow. I seen pagets cancer of the nipple and it certainly doesn't look like that.

You have made me feel like I'm not alone, I'm very grateful for that, thank you ❤

I will get my husband off the xbox and sit with him. He is my soother 😊

You have a lovely evening x

Oh what an absolutely horrendous time you've been having. No wonder you're struggling.

That sounds like a good plan - both stretching out the time between checking and nabbing your husband to sit with you.

If you need any extra distractions, this is one of the nature video clips I quite liked:

I hope you manage to get some peace and rest this evening.

Thank you so very much. 💖

I will report back tomorrow !

I am touched by your kindness. A total stranger. Thank you x

@user15364596354862 your replies to this lady are so beautiful and supportive

@JValentine I’m sending you strength and calming vibes I hope your DH is off the Xbox and soothing you perfectly

Thank you Nongatron!

I actually cried a little I was so touched by this lovely person 😭

I had similar. Dermatologist said it was bit of eczema, try hydrocortisone. And it went away. Hope that helps!

I would put a ruler under it and take a photo as well. This helps you and gp see any changes over time. Any chance it’s where a bra rubs you?

@MirrorSignal1

I had similar. Dermatologist said it was bit of eczema, try hydrocortisone. And it went away. Hope that helps!

Same with me. I thought about Pagets but it turned out to be nothing.

Mirrorsignal1

Thank you! I just found some hydrocortisone and slapped it on! Fingers crossed!

Haggisfish3

Thanks, I have done that and will use a ruler too!

Episcomama

Thank you, I am praying it goes with the hydrocortisone!

Good morning ladies,

I am delighted to let you know that the redness has disappeared!

Today will be a much better day!

Thank you to all who responded, it helped me so much ❤

Have a lovely New year!

X

Actually, I can see it a bit again.

It was gone this morning but now I can see it. Its certainly less then yesterday.

So strange!

That sounds like things are much better today, even if it's not quite been the perfect 'nothing to see here' scenario. And you do sound a bit brighter for it.

I did think of you this morning and hoped you would have a better day, so I'm really glad to see your posts. I'm glad too that we were able to support you a little bit last night.

Here's to hoping tomorrow it has gone properly!

@JValentine persevere with the hydrocortisone, I just had a terrifying rash on my breast caused by biopsy cold spray/bandage according to the consultant I saw (but spent a week thinking it was inflammatory breast cancer), and it took a week of hydrocortisone applied twice a day for it to disappear completely. Rashes can be stubborn bastards! The consultant said rashes can occur on the breast just as they occur anywhere else on the body, and not to panic just because Google throws up a few scary diagnoses to gain site hits.

Hugs to you, I know the feeling of panic and despair only too well x

Hello both!

Well it has dissapeared today properly lol!

Thanks again user for being so kind. You really really helped me. ❤

Thanks sickofworry - exactly that, if it was anywhere else on my body I wouldn't have given a hoot!

Thanks for replying xxx Happy New Year!

Yay! (you are very welcome, I am just glad I could help.)

Happy New Year to you! x