Mastitis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Mastitis is inflammation of the breast, which may lead to infection. This condition is most common in women who are breast-feeding. You may notice areas of redness, hardness, soreness, or heat in your breast, and swelling of the affected milk duct. It can leave a new mother feeling very tired and run-down.

Mastitis most commonly occurs in breastfeeding women. It typically occurs within the first few weeks of breast feeding. Sometimes it occurs if you suddenly stop breastfeeding and the breasts become engorged with milk. Mastitis sometimes occurs in women who are not breastfeeding. Bacteria get into the milk ducts of the breast to cause the infection. This is often through a crack or sore in the nipple, (or from a nipple piercing), but some women without sore nipples develop mastitis.

Mastitis is an infection of the tissue of the breast that occurs most frequently during the time of breastfeeding. This infection causes pain, swelling, redness, and increased temperature of the breast. It can occur when bacteria, often from the baby's mouth, enter a milk duct through a crack in the nipple. This causes an infection and painful inflammation of the breast.

Infections of the breast are known as mastitis. Mastitis is especially common in women who are breastfeeding a baby (lactating). When the skin of the nipple (areola) is injured or cracked, such as occurs with nursing, bacteria can enter the wound and cause infections. In a breastfeeding woman, a hard area commonly thought of a "clogged milk duct" can form. Sometimes, certain treatments (see below) can prevent the painful, hard area from developing into an actual breast infection (mastitis).

Causes

Mastitis can occur when bacteria commonly found on the skin enter the nipple through small cracks. The bacteria then multiply in the fatty tissue of the breast surrounding the milk ducts (areas of the breast that produce milk), causing swelling, warmth, or pain. The swelling can press on the milk ducts and block them.

Chronic Mastitis: Women who aren't breastfeeding and may be postmenopausal can develop chronic mastitis. In this case, the milk ducts below your nipple become inflamed. Your milk ducts can become clogged with dead skin cells and other debris.

Symptoms

Infection usually produces the worst symptoms. The breast becomes red, hot, swollen and shiny and the nipple may produce pus. More general symptoms include high fever, shivers, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting.

Breast infections most commonly occur one to three months after the delivery of a baby, but they can occur in women who have not recently delivered as well as in women after menopause. Other causes of infection include chronic mastitis and a rare form of cancer called inflammatory carcinoma.

With engorgement, mastitis develops because the breasts are not emptying properly at each feed. They become swollen, lumpy, sore, leaky and tense. Superficial ducts full of milk may appear like hard cords along the surface of the breast, and both breasts may be affected.

Treatment

Antibiotic medications are usually very effective in treating a breast infection. You are encouraged to continue to breast-feed or to pump to relieve breast engorgement (from milk production) while receiving treatment.