If there is a list that most annoys postpartum mothers, then "mastitis" is definitely on the list, and it will be in the upper circle.
This breast disease, which bothers most mothers, is most commonly found during lactation, especially for new mothers who are new to motherhood.
Inexperienced mothers, did not pay attention to the signs of illness in the early stages, once the abscess was seriously formed, the baby could only temporarily wean the breast milk.
So how should mothers deal with mastitis, guard the baby's "granary", and protect their health?
Early detection of signs of mastitis
It started out like a "pinprick"
The outer upper quadrant or inner upper quadrant of the breast suddenly appears swollen and painful, more obvious tenderness, the boundary of the hard block is not clear, at this time the abscess has not yet formed, the color of the breast skin is normal or slightly red, you can feel some slight heat.
During this period, there may be sudden high fever and chills, breast pain and swelling, local bright redness, and some people will feel chest tightness and headache, loss of appetite.
If the nipple is cracked, it will feel as painful as a pinprick when breastfeeding, and there may be one or two small pus spots or small cracks on the surface of the nipple.
Period of development
Persistent severe pain
If you don't pay attention to it at first, you will start to slowly necrosis of breast tissue, forming an abscess, pus will flow out of the pus through puncture, the lump will become larger and harder, and the ipsilateral armpit lymph nodes will be enlarged, of course, it will be more painful. And most of them are like pulsations, even persistent severe pain.
This period of continuous development not only makes the local skin of the breasts red and burning, but also makes the mothers feel feverish and anorexia.
After 2 to 3 days of such redness, swelling, heat and pain, the middle of the lump slowly becomes soft, red, swollen and shiny, the skin becomes thinner, and a large area of bright red begins to appear around the area like red ink.
Severe period
Pus pus bursting
The abscess matures to the point where the breast can no longer be wrapped, and it will burst on its own.
If there is no self-breaking, it can be surgically incised to drain the pus, if the drainage is smooth, the local swelling and pain will be reduced, and the wound will slowly heal after 1 month of dressing change treatment.
Of course, this period will make you feel pain to doubt life, and people will say that it will hurt more than "giving birth"!
If the pus flow after the ulcer is not smooth, the swelling is not reduced, and the body heat does not go away, if the long-term treatment does not heal, it will turn into chronic mastitis, and it will also form a milk fistula - milk and pus mixed and outflow.
Acute mastitis is mostly caused by milk stasis and bacterial infection. Therefore, in order to prevent mastitis, the most important thing is to prevent milk stasis and bacterial infection.
With mastitis, when an abscess has not yet formed, the emphasis is on unclogging the mammary glands and reducing milk stasis. On this point, you can read this article "Careless! Survived the ten levels of pain, but did not prevent this" to do a deeper understanding.
Find yourself with mastitis, if there is only swelling and pain and lumps, there is no high fever, suppuration symptoms, you can continue to breastfeed, and it is best to continue to feed, do not stop breastfeeding yourself, or may lead to milk stasis aggravation, and eventually suppuration.
If the mother takes the medicine according to the doctor's instructions during the treatment of mastitis, she should temporarily stop breastfeeding, because the medicine that the mother takes may go to the baby's body through the milk. After stopping the drug for 24 hours, the accumulated breast milk is expressed, after which the new breast milk can be given to the baby.
You mothers or women who are about to become mothers, we must prevent them in advance, and do not delay in finding early treatment.
Got mastitis, "Mom hurts, baby is out of food"! Can't ignore it.
Image source: Network
Reference: "Hello Breasts", by Zheng Puze