The common causes of hard lumps in the areola are papilloma and breast hyperplasia, as to whether it is serious or not depends on the specific condition of the patient. If it is a papilloma in the milk ducts, you can go to a professional hospital for excision surgery, which will only open a small incision in the areola to take out the lesion, and it will not be too painful. If it is a lump in the breast caused by breast hyperplasia, it can be treated by taking medication under the guidance of a doctor, such as lactic acid. There are also women with hard lumps in the areola caused by incorrect breastfeeding during breastfeeding, which is considered to be due to the failure to empty the remaining milk in time after breastfeeding, resulting in blockage of the mammary glands, as well as symptoms such as swelling and pain in the breasts. It is recommended to use hot towels to apply hot compresses or go to a professional maternal and child institution to unblock the lumps in time, or go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination of the mammary glands, so as to find out the disease and treat it in time.