Mastitis may occur because of sore or cracked nipples, latch problems, plugged ducts, oversupply, yeast infections, or milk not draining well.
Occasionally a damaged nipple can become infected, resulting in inflammation, redness, swelling and oozing pus. A cracked nipple increases the risk of mastitis (breast infection) developing. Bleeding commonly occurs when nipples are cracked.
Risk factors for mastitis include: Previous bout of mastitis while breast-feeding. Sore or cracked nipples — although mastitis can develop without broken skin. Wearing a tightfitting bra or putting pressure on your breast when using a seat belt or carrying a heavy bag, which may restrict milk flow.
There are also certain risk factors that may make you more likely to develop plugged ducts and mastitis: history of mastitis while nursing. cracked skin on the nipples. inadequate diet.
You may be able to breastfeed with cracked or bleeding nipples – but if this becomes too painful, you may need to stop breastfeeding and pump for a few days (or possibly longer) to let your nipples heal. Exclusive pumping is one way to give yourself a break.
Some causes of cracked or bleeding nipples include: Baby isn't latching properly. If your baby does not have your entire nipple and part of your breast in their mouth, they are not latching properly. Changing his or her position while nursing can help improve latching, which will allow your nipples to heal.
Check if you have mastitis
a swollen area on your breast that may feel hot and painful to touch – the area may become red but this can be harder to see if you have darker skin. a wedge-shaped breast lump or a hard area on your breast. a burning pain in your breast that might be constant or only when you breastfeed.
“Anyone who has had trauma or chafing to the nipple that creates an open environment from the outside to the ducts, including a nipple piercing, can develop mastitis and inflammation of the breast,” Dr. Simpson says. Anyone who smokes or has diabetes can be especially prone to breast infections, she adds.
It usually occurs in the first two to three weeks of nursing but can happen at any stage in lactation. Compared to a plugged duct, mastitis comes on quickly and causes more widespread, systemic symptoms. Mastitis usually only affects one breast, though it can happen in both.
Itching. Nipple discharge (may contain pus) Swelling, tenderness, and warmth in breast tissue. Skin redness, most often in wedge shape.
Apply gentle over-the-counter creams and ointments.
Applying small amounts of Lanolin, Purslane cream, diluted peppermint oil or Menthol essence on your nipples can soothe nipple pain from fissures and encourage healing. Wipe off any antiseptic creams or lotions before you nurse.
Superficial and recent soreness may clear in a matter of hours or days. However, long-established and profound wounds may require a up to 2 or 3 weeks to be entirely resolved even after the cause of the soreness has been eliminated.
Mastitis most commonly occurs during the first six to 12 weeks of breastfeeding. But men, as well as women who aren't breastfeeding, also get mastitis.
It's most common in breastfeeding women, usually within the first six weeks after giving birth. Up to a third of women breastfeeding may develop mastitis, compared with 5-9 per cent of women who have not recently been pregnant.
Deficiencies of either vitamin E or Se have been associated with increased incidence and severity of IMI, increased clinical mastitis cases, and higher somatic cell counts (SCC) in individual cows and bulk tank milk. Somatic cell counts are a primary indicator of mastitis and milk quality in dairy herds.
Your doctor can diagnose mastitis based on a physical exam. The fever and chills give it away, as does a red, wedge-shaped area on the breast that points toward the nipple.
While mastitis can occur as a result of a clogged milk duct that isn't unclogged, it can also come on very suddenly without much warning.
While mastitis is almost never an emergency, left untreated it can lead to a breast abscess, which is a collection of pus in a hollow area in the breast. Your doctor may need to drain the abscess.
This mild pain is common, and it should go away as you nurse your baby. Sore nipples can develop for many reasons including a poor breastfeeding latch, not using a breast pump correctly, or an infection. Then, once you have them, sore nipples can lead to a difficult let-down, a low breast milk supply, or early weaning.
Don't Pump Excessively
Continuing to pump for longer than the recommended maximum time can lead to sore nipples and breasts, as well as to overstimulation and oversupply.
Cracked nipples are characterized by red, irritated, and scabbed skin on or around the nipple. Using gentle creams and avoiding harsh soaps, chemicals, and tight clothing can help treat and prevent nipple cracking.