In most cases there is an inflammation of the mammary gland during lactation. Breast skin then becomes red, inflamed and hot, herself a breast - unusually dense and painful. The appearance of these symptoms are due to the fact that the milk does not penetrate into the ducts and into the adjacent tissue of the breast. Inflammation of the breast can be accompanied by symptoms such as chills, headache, body temperature above 38, 5 C, physical exhaustion. Such a breach occurs in one out of ten breast-feeding women. Fortunately, the inflammation can be quickly cured, but there is a high probability of recurrence. In addition, inflammation of the mammary gland is completely safe for the newborn.
Causes
The most common cause of inflammation of the breast is the stagnation of milk in the breast tissue. This may occur, for example if the milk produced considerably faster than the output, or if, after feeding in breast milk remains constantly.
Occasionally inflammation of the mammary gland is compounded and developed infectious mastitis. This is especially true when there are cracks in the nipples. The infection enters through the crack and into the lymphatic system of the breast.
The most common inflammation of the mammary gland develops in women who are mothers for the first time, but also when feeding the second and subsequent children from this no one is safe. Most cases of inflammation occurs in the first month of breastfeeding.
Treatment
First of all, we should not stop breastfeeding - this can only worsen the inflammation. Talk to your doctor; if the inflammation does not take place in a few days, you may need to take antibiotics.
Try to feed your baby in different positions - perhaps thanks to this chest will be less milk. After feeding, be sure to express the remaining milk.
If you feel unwell, rest as much as possible. Assign chores to family members.
Try to put to the chest cold and / or hot compresses. Hot showers can also help cope with unpleasant symptoms.
Gently massage the breast during feeding - if you feel that it helps milk quickly move through channels. However, keep in mind that the very intense movements may lead to aggravation of the symptoms.
To ease their condition, you can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen after consulting with your doctor.
Remember, if untreated, inflammation of the mammary gland can lead to the formation of an abscess, which would have to be drained using surgical methods.
If you receive antibiotics, take them as long as the doctor said, even if you feel well much earlier. Otherwise, the risk of recurrence is particularly high, in addition, the next time the same antibiotic may be ineffective.
Types of inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammation of the mammary gland (mastitis) can be acute or chronic. Acute mastitis, in turn, is divided into serous (basic), infiltrative, abscessed, flegmanozny and gangrenous. In the group of chronic mastitis distinguish purulent and purulent forms. Chronic suppurative mastitis is rare.
The causative agent of mastitis infection is often a staph alone or in conjunction with strep, and E. coli. The infection can spread from people who have pockets of infection or abscesses on the skin. From these germs spread with dust particles through care items, linen and so on. Place of introduction of infectious agents often are cracks and abrasions nipples. Less common infection from their own pockets of infection (chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis
Sinusitis - when a puncture is required
and so on) by entering into the mammary gland of pathogens via the blood or lymph.
Of infection and inflammation contributes to the weakening of postpartum women and a violation of the outflow of milk (lactostasis). The emergence lactostasis favors insufficient development of the milk ducts (especially in nulliparous women), improper structure of the nipple and breast malfunction.
Acute inflammation of the mammary gland
The initial form of acute mastitis should be distinguished from acute congestion of milk or lactostasis, which is often preceded by inflammatory processes. When lactostasis breast tense, swollen, in one or more of its lobules palpable dense formation with clear boundaries, mobile and painless. But decanted milk free, painless, racking relief. The general condition suffers a little, the temperature can be slightly increased (but more often it is normal).
With the penetration of the gland pyogenic bacteria 2-4 days develops nasalny or serous mastitis. It begins acutely with chills, fever, sharp pains in the breast. The gland is enlarged and painful to the touch. If that mastitis is not treated properly or treated (home remedies), then after 2-3 days of initial form will go into infiltrative, and all signs of the disease become more pronounced. The breast palpation is clearly defined in the tight formation with reddening and swelling of the skin over it. Just quickly, in a few days, the process moves to the purulent, the temperature is kept at high numbers, and when probing infiltrate in breast cancer appears fluctuation (fluctuation) - This indicates the presence within it of fluid (pus - abscessed form of mastitis when pus delimited capsule).
When flegmanoznom mastitis, when the pus is not demarcated from the rest of the tissue capsule, the temperature reaches the critical numbers, mammary gland increases sharply, the skin becomes edematous, shiny, reddened with a bluish tint, grow nearby (usually axillary) lymph nodes
Lymph nodes - what keeps our immune system
. Critical condition occurs when gangrenous mastitis, to tissue death: the presence of severe general condition of the skin of the breast appear bubbles filled with bloody contents and areas of dead tissue.
Chronic inflammation of the mammary gland
During the chronic suppurative mastitis it expressed mild symptoms. There is an increasing and breast tenderness, inflammation sometimes nearby lymph nodes with little (but at times and significant) temperature rise. If pockets of inflammation located superficially, the skin has redness. If the outcome was chronic acute process, it often can be seen on the skin exit site of pus (fistulas) with scanty purulent discharge.
Purulent form of chronic mastitis is often not very acute onset. There are redness, swelling and tenderness of the skin close to the nipple and areola, a small rise in temperature, increase in axillary lymph nodes
Axillary lymph nodes - signals about trouble in the mammary glands
. Symptoms pass quickly, but it remains a painful seal without clear boundaries, sometimes - retraction of the nipple and colorless discharge from him.
Treating inflammation of the breast
Treatment of acute mastitis depends on the phase of the disease. Not yet formed pus (ie not appeared fluctuation) possible anti-inflammatory treatment without surgery. Mammary gland attached to an elevated position with special bandages or bra, liquidated lactostasis (express milk, conducted physiotherapy), prescribers, would increase the breast ducts, antibiotics (after laboratory testing milk to determine the pathogens and their sensitivity to antibiotics). In some cases, infiltrate cut away novocaine solution
Novocaine - why it is so popular in medicine?
with an antibiotic in order to prevent the formation of an abscess.
If an abscess has formed, the conservative treatment fails, surgery is performed - the abscess is opened, and then treated as a festering wound.
Treatment of chronic suppurative mastitis and operational, the reason is the same operation as in the acute process. Purulent chronic mastitis treated conservatively at first, if the process is not reduced, then held sectoral resection of breast cancer - removal of infiltration along with adjacent tissue.
Galina Romanenko
