Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland leading to suppuration. This disease affects all women from 14 to 50 years old. Most often, the disease manifests itself in nursing mothers, less often in pregnant women. In rare cases, it occurs in newborns. Mastitis mainly manifests itself in the postpartum period and during puberty. Scientists and at present cannot determine why some women are exposed to mastitis, while others do not.
Mastitis and its causes
The causative agents of mastitis are bacteria that prevail on the skin of every person (staphylococcus, E. coli, streptococcus). The causes of mastitis are a bacterial infection formed against the background of stagnation of milk or that has got through the cracks of the nipples, or other damage to the breast (scratches or abrasions). Penetrated into the mammary gland, the infection enters the connective tissue, which causes inflammation.
Basically, mastitis begins to develop after prolonged lactose (milk stagnation), which is a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria. Developing, the infection provokes inflammation and suppuration.
How is inflammation of the breast?
A woman feels a general malaise, fever, thickening, provoking redness and pain in the breast. Nipples noticeably swell and cracks form on them.
How to distinguish mastitis?
There is a classification of mastitis, which allows you to distribute the disease according to certain criteria. In the course of the inflammatory process, mastitis is divided into: purulent, serous, abscessed, infiltrative, phlegmonous and gangrenous type.
Purulent, serous and infiltrative mastitis belong to the sequential stages of the disease, starting from the development of a small compaction to the formation of a purulent process.
With abscessed mastitis, purulent inflammation spreads in the breast tissue. With prolonged illness, gangrenous mastitis occurs. In addition, newborn mastitis and postpartum mastitis are distinguished.
Signs of mastitis
Postpartum mastitis is a common occurrence caused by the development of lactose in nursing mothers. In this case, the following symptoms of mastitis appear - a noticeable tightening, redness of the chest, fever and the manifestation of general signs of intoxication. As the disease progresses, the symptoms of mastitis intensify: the chest becomes hot and swollen. When expressing and feeding, pain occurs, and purulent discharge and blood can be found in milk.
Plasma cell mastitis is a fairly rare disease, manifested against the background of cessation of lactation. Symptoms of mastitis - tissue cell infiltration, leading to hyperplasia of the excretory ducts.
Mastitis of newborns is manifested by swelling of the mammary glands. Usually, this phenomenon occurs as a result of the residual action of maternal sex hormones. If purulent inflammation occurs, surgical sanction is performed. In most cases, the symptoms of mastitis disappear after 2 days.
Diagnosis of mastitis
The doctor determines the focus of inflammation during palpation. An ultrasound examination of the breast allows you to determine the presence of inflammation and its scale. For completeness of the diagnostic picture, the doctor can take milk from the affected gland for bacteriological studies.
Mastitis treatment
It is recommended to start treatment of the disease immediately. At the first stage of the disease, warm compresses will be most effective.
Compress from fat. It is recommended to apply pieces of salty bacon to the mammary gland at night.
The compress is fast. Mix 1 table. lies. honey, unsalted butter and tar. Put the compress on your chest. But the next day, apply a compress of camphor oil. And so alternate up to 2 weeks.
Compress from coltsfoot. Apply the resulting slurry from the plant to the tumor.
If after 3 days after the compresses you did not achieve improvement, you must consult a doctor.
And the last thing that I would like to draw attention to is the preventive measures that every young mother should carry out. Do not let the baby suckle the breast for the sake of sedation, otherwise the risk of developing cracks is great enough. Strain out the remaining milk (which is especially important in the first weeks of the baby's life) and follow the rules of hygiene. Remember, with the timely detection of foci of infection, the chances of a speedy recovery are quite high.