# Nipple Nerve **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725 "2004-03-05T17:56:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pohlcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@pohlcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohlcat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/1 "2004-03-05T17:56:09Z")
My sister told me the most disgusting story in the world. I almost passed out when I heard it. Apparently a “friend of a friend” noticed something small and white poking out of his nipple. It looked like a maggot or tapeworm. He tugged on it a bit, and more of this worm came out. Clearly, he could not stop with the pulling and like a handkerchief from a clown’s pocket, the worm grew longer. Eventually he got the idea to cut it with a scissors. Instantly he was on the ground writhing in agony, pale and sick to his stomach. She indicated to me that it was eventually discovered to be a nerve. Who diagnosed this, I know not, but that’s the verdict. Is this possible? ---
**Author:** ![Deadly\_Nightlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/2 "2004-03-05T20:06:51Z")
:eek: I have no clue how accurate this is but I found a mention at this site: [http://www.bme.freeq.com/pierce/08-nipple/A40204/nippukef.html](http://www.bme.freeq.com/pierce/08-nipple/A40204/nippukef.html) about someone cutting a nipple nerve > [@](#): > > Jason had somehow pierced deep enough and snagged one. Nerve endings come in clusters so when he cut that one it sent a shock to others which apparently created some kind of domino effect throughout his body causing him to go exorcist and pass out. ---
**Author:** ![Deadly\_Nightlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/3 "2004-03-05T20:10:15Z")
> [@Deadly Nightlight](#): > > :eek: > I have no clue how accurate this is but I found a mention at this site: > [http://www.bme.freeq.com/pierce/08-nipple/A40204/nippukef.html](http://www.bme.freeq.com/pierce/08-nipple/A40204/nippukef.html) > about someone cutting a nipple nerve I also ment to add > [@](#): > > After inserting his ring he noticed a white stringy thing hanging out his nipple. Thinking it was a loose piece of thread he grabbed some scissors from the sewing kit and snipped it. Bad Move!! that is also from that website ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/4 "2004-03-05T20:14:12Z")
No answer, I’m afraid, but I’d just like you to know that I read this thread while slurping from a cup of chicken noodle soup. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/5 "2004-03-05T20:20:11Z")
I’m skeptical, since nerves sense whatever they were intended to sense (heat, pressure, pain, etc.) through specialized receptors in their endings. Cutting a nerve in the middle somewhere shouldn’t trigger any sensation, as far as I’m aware. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/6 "2004-03-05T20:27:54Z")
I’d just like you to know that I am now 31% more uncomfortable than before I read this thread. ☹ - Adam ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/7 "2004-03-05T20:28:02Z")
I’d just like you to know that I am now 31% more uncomfortable than I was before I read this thread. ☹ - Adam ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/8 "2004-03-05T20:35:00Z")
Uh, why didn’t it hurt when he pulled on it? Sounds bogus to me. ---
**Author:** ![zlexiss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecae2f/32.png) [@zlexiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zlexiss)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/9 "2004-03-05T22:53:14Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > Uh, why didn’t it hurt when he pulled on it? > > Sounds bogus to me. Yeah, these things aren’t just coiled up inside the body waiting to be pulled on. I vote for bogus as well. Nerves are long enough to get where they need, and are pretty much fixed in place through all the branching they do and connective tissue. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/10 "2004-03-05T23:07:34Z")
> [@pohlcat](#): > > Apparently a **“friend of a friend”** noticed something small and white poking out of his nipple. There’s you first clue. Classic source of an urban legend. ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nipple-nerve/232725/11 "2004-03-06T04:04:57Z")
I suspect this is an urban legend, too. However, it’s possible for foreign matter to poke _into_ the porous nipple tissue without hurting, or in fact doing any damage at all (if removed before it introduced infection). I used to groom dogs. Some kinds of dogs have very wiry hair. I’d get those bits of hair in my skin everywhere, like splinters. In the webbing between fingers, now, that hurt. But I’d have to literally examine my chest for bits too, because those wouldn’t hurt - removing them wouldn’t hurt either. It’s one of the things I don’t miss about grooming. I could imagine a scenario in which a foreign object (cat hair? Dog hair?) got into the nipple far enough to be thought coming from inside. Pulling it out wouldn’t hurt, but cutting/pinching/accidentally nicking one’s self would hurt a lot!