What Is Mastitis?
Technically, it is inflammation of the breast (or chest) tissue that can cause symptoms of a painful infection. It can happen in both women and men who are not lactating, but it is most known, and it more frequently occurs among individuals who are actively lactating.
Causes of (Lactating) Mastitis
The main cause is inflammation due to changes in the duration and or interval of milk removal sessions. It can also be caused by ineffective milk removal due to deficit in oral motor function or an ill fitting flange. A second and less common cause is bacteria entering the breast or chest either from the surface of the skin of the person affected or from the baby’s mouth. The bacteria can enter through erosion of the tissue of the nipple or a milk duct opening.
Symptoms Of Mastitis
Symptoms can seem to appear suddenly and include: breast or chest tenderness or swelling on one or both sides, warmth of an area of the breast(s) or chest to the touch, thickening of breast or chest tissue or a lump, pain or a burning sensation continuously or while feeding the baby, redness of some of the skin on the breast(s) or chest, oftentimes in a wedge-shaped pattern, general malaise feeling (feeling like you have the flu), chills, body aches and a fever of 101F (38.3 C) or greater.
Risk Factors For Mastitis
Prolonged intervals between milk removal or shortened sessions. Oral motor dysfunction, which can be a result of the baby having tethered oral tissues, and a previous bout of mastitis both can increase the risk of developing mastitis. Improper fitting pump flanges can cause inefficient milk drainage, which can lead to inflammation that escalates to mastitis. Wearing a tight-fitting bra or putting pressure on your breast or chest when using a seat belt or carrying a heavy bag, which can cause inflammation especially if there is also a delay in milk removal. While it is less likely, sore or cracked nipples through which bacteria can enter a milk duct, but as previously noted, this type of mastitis can develop without broken skin. Additionally, factors that can cause or increase systemic inflammation, such as becoming overly tired or stressed, poor nutrition, or smoking, can all increase the risk for developing mastitis.
Complications From Mastitis
Mastitis that isn't adequately treated in a timely manner can cause a collection of pus, also known as an abscess, to develop in your breast or chest. An abscess requires timely medical attention and typically needs to be surgically drained and cultured in order to have the specific antibiotic required to treated the more serious bacterial infection.
To avoid this complication, get expert support from an experienced IBCLC as soon as you develop the earliest symptoms of mastitis. Your lactation consultant will provide you with a milk removal plan and other tools to help either stave off full blown mastitis or will help more quickly clear the infection. Your lactation consultant will refer you to your doctor for any required medical treatment.
How To Prevent Mastitis
Education and support when starting your nursing journey, even if it is not your first time lactating, are the key to prevention. Meeting with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) prenatally to make an individualized plan to get you started and scheduling an initial post-birth evaluation for you and your baby within seventy-two hours of hospital or birth center discharge can be the key to avoiding mastitis and other lactation and nursing complications. An IBCLC can expertly assess your individual health history, infant feeding goals, the baby’s latch and flange fitting to provide you with invaluable advice and tools for proper lactating, latching, and pumping techniques.
Minimize Your Risk Of Getting Mastitis
New research shows that you should not use hot compresses nor should you use hard massaging. The findings also state that lecithin of any kind can cause, add to, or prolong inflammation.
Best practices currently include cold compress for ten minutes after every milk removal session. Anti-inflammatory to resolve the inflammation and pain management to address any pain. This is NOT a prescription. This is solely educational. You must consult with your licensed medical provider before taking any supplement, OTC or prescription medication.
You can use a cold compress ten minutes on and ten minutes off for up to an hour if needed to address severe inflammation.
Effective milk drainage whether by latching your baby, hand expressing or efficiently using a pump with properly fitting flanges. Do NOT add milk removal sessions. Simply follow your normal pattern and make sure that the latch is effective and, if applicable, the flanges fit properly.
Allow your baby enough time on each side to effectively remove milk before switching to the other side or ending the feeding session.
Gently, moderate compressions or massage while the baby is latched or your are pumping can improve milk removal. Do NOT compress hard since this adds or prolongs inflammation.
Try changing the position you use to nurse your baby from one feeding to the next to see if this helps improve milk removal.
If you smoke or have other inflammatory risk factors, ask your doctor for support to stop smoking or alleviate other health conditions that cause inflammation.
Elimiate or significantly decrease inflammatory foods and improve your nutrition to help reduce inflammation.
If you already have active mastitis or have had it in the past, consulting with an experienced IBCLC can help you prevent future episodes.
Contact an IBCLC and your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms noted. This is not medical advice. All the content on this post, blog and website is for the sole purpose of providing education.
Disclaimer
The Lactation Place does not dispense medical advice nor prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. In the event that you use any of the information provided to you, The Lactation Place and all of its representatives and employees assume no responsibility for your choices.