This feels weird... For over ten days now, when my right breast gets a little full with milk (not overly full, not engorged), I can feel a firmer area under the areola. The area seems to have a kind of long shape--it's not a ball, more like an oval or tube, if that makes sense. The size varies a bit every time. After nursing and emptying the breast, the firmness disappears and the area feels soft again.
This tends to happen in the morning, after a full night without nursing, and not during the day, when I nurse more often.
Initially I thought it was a plug, but it keeps coming back, so it doesn't seem like it's a plug. Sometimes it's a bit tender, but I'm dealing with shingles on my breast and the whole breast is therefore sore (the nerves are all irritated), so it's difficult to know what is the source of pain. Sometimes it's actually painless.
I went to the doctor for shingles and saw a PA (not a doctor). She didn't examine my breast manually, but told me that from my description it sounds like a dilated milk duct. And she said it would only be worrisome if it didn't disappear after nursing.
I'm still intrigued and slightly nervous about it though. I don't know if it has to do with the shingles (because it caused general inflammation in the area) or not, but I only noticed this after the shingles started. Wondering if anyone has any insights?...