Mastitis


Mastitis is inflammation of tissue in one or both mammary glands inside the breast. Mastitis usually affects lactating women - women who are breastfeeding, producing milk. Hence, it is often referred to as lactation mastitis. The patient feels a hard, sore spot inside the breast. Mastitis can occur as a result of an infection or a blocked milk duct.
 

Causes:

  • Mastitis (inflammation of breast tissue) is a common benign cause of a breast mass. It is commonly seen in women after childbirth while breastfeeding. However, women with diabetes, chronic illness, AIDS, or an impaired immune system may be more susceptible to the development of mastitis.

  • About one to three percent of breastfeeding mothers develop mastitis, usually within the first few weeks after delivery. Most breast infections occur within the first or second month after delivery or at the time of weaning.

  • The most common reason for this is a problem with the way your baby latches on. If you and your baby haven't got the hang of latching on properly, milk won't be removed efficiently. Other causes of mastitis include complications during delivery and inability to breastfeed the baby soon after birth, engorgement that doesn't return to normal, feeding to a strict routine, an ill fitting bra, high level of maternal stress or fatigue or even trauma to the breast, which can all cause milk stasis leading to mastitis.

 

Chronic mastitis occurs in women who are not breastfeeding. In postmenopausal women, breast infections may be associated with chronic inflammation of the ducts below the nipple. Hormonal changes in the body can cause the milk ducts to become clogged with dead skin cells and debris. These clogged ducts make the breast more prone to bacterial infection. This type of infection tends to come back after treatment with antibiotics.

 

Symptoms:

In the vast majority of cases only one breast is affected.

 

The following signs or symptoms, which may develop rapidly, could be present (a symptom is something the patient feels or reports, while a sign is something other people, including the doctor identify):

  • An area of the breast becomes red.

  • The affected area of the breast hurts when touched.

  • The affected area feels hot when touched.

  • A burning sensation in the breast which may be there all the time, or only when breastfeeding.

  • Pus draining from the nipple.

  • Abscess: Sometimes a breast abscess can complicate mastitis. Harmless, noncancerous masses such as abscesses are more often tender and frequently feel mobile beneath the skin. The edge of the mass is usually regular and well defined.

Sometimes, the following symptoms may also be present:

  • Anxiety, feeling stressed

  • Chills

  • Elevated body temperature-  Persistent fever and no improvement of symptoms within 48-72 hours of treatment

  • Fatigue

  • General aches and pains

  • General feeling of malaise

  • Shivering

Treatment:

One of the best treatments for mastitis is continued breastfeeding to keep the milk flowing and draining from the infected tissue � it is in fact, safe for both moms and babies to continue breastfeeding even through an infection. Your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection, and you should be sure to take the entire prescription as directed.

 

Whether you start antibiotics immediately or decide to wait for 24 hours, you can help yourself by trying the following:

  • Make sure your baby is latched on properly at the breast and feeding well.

  • Try different feeding positions if they help your baby to latch on better.

  • To keep the affected breast well drained, breastfeed as often as your baby wants to.

  • Express milk by hand or with a pump, after feeds, if you feel your baby has not used the breast well.

  • Some mothers find a breast pump removes milk better than their baby, particularly if they also have sore nipples.

  • If you feel ill, rest as much as you can. It may be a good idea to let your husband or a relative take care of your baby while you catch up on much needed rest.

  • You may find that it helps to apply warmth to the affected area, such as a warm compression, or have a warm bath or shower. Some mothers find that cold compresses work better. And still others find that alternating between cool and warm compressions stimulates the breast tissue well.

  • If it helps to massage your breasts, do so very gently while your baby is feeding to help the milk to flow from them. Vigorous massage can actually make mastitis worse by pushing the "leaked" milk further into the breast tissue.

  • You can also take painkillers to help with the pain. Ibuprofen can be taken whilst breastfeeding and may help to reduce inflammation as well as pain. Paracetamol is an alternative.

  • You may also consider homeopathic medications, such as Phytolacca and Echinacea that are effective in treating mastitis. Do consult a homeopathic specialist for appropriate dosage though.

 

Untreated cases of mastitis can result in a serious abscess which may need to be treated with surgery to drain it. To avoid and treat mastitis, try to get your infant on a schedule of breastfeeding � regularly emptying your breasts will help maintain healthy breasts and a good supply of milk for your baby.

 

Prevention:

  • Allow your baby to completely empty one breast before switching to the other breast during feeding. If your baby nurses only for a few minutes on the second breast � or not at all � start breast-feeding on that breast the next time you feed your baby.

  • Make sure your baby latches on properly during feedings.

  • Change the position you use to breast-feed from one feeding to the next.

  • Finally, don't let your baby use your breast as a pacifier. Babies enjoy sucking and often find comfort in suckling at the breast even when they're not hungry.


 

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