Breast Infection :
If you have breast tenderness, redness, nipple discharge along with high fever, fatigue, itching and chills it may be due to breast infections. It is commonly seen in women with low immunity and diabetes.
An infection that occurs within the tissue of the breast is known as breast infection. Breast infection is also called as Mastitis. In breast infection breast tissues become painful and inflamed. It is a common situation faced by breast feeding women. Mastitis in common women or non breast feeding women is called periductal mastitis
What causes Breast Infections?
Breast infections are usually caused by common bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. This bacteria which is present in baby’s mouth enters mother’s milk ducts through the opening of the nipple. In infection breast becomes painful and inflamed. Mastitis is also caused when the milk is not properly removed from the breast, this type is called milk stasis. Some other causes of milk stasis are
- Baby not attached properly to the breast while feeding
- When a baby has sucking problems
- Missing feeds
Mothers can continue to breast feed their children when they have breast infection or mastitis, as the bacteria are not harmful for the baby. Mastitis can also be caused by direct trauma to the breast tissues like in sport injuries.
Mastitis in non-breastfeeding women occurs when the breast becomes infected as a result of damage to the nipple, such as a cracked or sore nipple, it is called as periductal mastitis or chronic mastitis. Non lactation mastitis is seen in women with diabetes, in women who had breast surgery, in women with weak immune system.
Symptoms of Breast Infections :
Symptoms of breast infection or mastitis include
- Abnormal swelling (one breast becomes larger than other breast)
- Breast tenderness, redness
- Breast lump (hardens your breast)
- Nipple discharge
- Pain or burning while breast feeding
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Itching
Some also experience fever, aches, chills and tiredness.
Symptoms of a breast infection may also be associated with inflammatory breast cancer, which is rare but serious disease. When abnormal cells in the breast ducts divide and multiply quickly, these cells clog the lymphatic vessels in the skin of the breast, causing red, swollen skin that is warm and painful to the touch which leads to breast cancer.
You can treat and manage the mastitis with home remedies and self care like
- By feeding your baby frequently
- Make sure you attach your baby properly to your breast while feeding
- Avoiding long gaps between feeds
- Avoid pressure on your breast
Homeopathy for Breast Infections :
Homeopathy is very useful in treating mastitis. Remedies will gives that matches the symptoms and emotional state of nursing mother. The remedies is given every few hours until the mother gets relief, and repeated if the symptoms return after initial improvement.