Mastitis

We have selected the following expert medical opinion based on its clarity, reliability and accuracy. Credits: Sourced from the website Patient UK, authored by Dr Colin Tidy, reviewed by Dr Hannah Gronow (see below). Please refer to your own medical practitioner for a final perspective, assessment or evaluation.

What is mastitis?

Mastitis is a painful condition of the breast, which becomes red, hot and sore (inflamed). Sometimes it becomes infected.

Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast, usually caused by a build-up of milk within the breast in women who are breastfeeding.

It can be either:

• Non-infectious: when the build-up of milk irritates the breast tissue, making it become red, hot and swollen (inflamed).
• Infectious: when the build-up of milk becomes infected and the infection spreads to the breast tissue. The infection is caused by germs (bacteria) which may have come from the skin.

If non-infectious mastitis is not treated, it can become infectious mastitis. You can't tell which type of mastitis it is from looking at it, and the treatment is the same.

Who gets mastitis?

You are most likely to develop mastitis if you are a woman who is breastfeeding. It is sometimes called 'puerperal mastitis' or 'lactational mastitis'. It typically develops within the first few weeks of breast-feeding.

Mastitis sometimes occurs in women who are not breastfeeding (non-lactational mastitis). Germs (bacteria) get into the milk ducts of the breast to cause the infection. This may be through a crack or sore in the nipple or from a nipple piercing, but it can happen when you don't have any problems with your nipples. Smoking can be a trigger because nicotine damages the ducts in your breasts.

The rest of this information just deals with non-lactational mastitis.

What are the symptoms of mastitis?

Mastitis causes an area of hardness, pain, redness and swelling in the breast and makes you feel generally unwell. It often starts in a wedge-shaped section of breast. It usually occurs in one breast only.

You also develop a high temperature (fever) and feel like you are coming down with flu. Other symptoms might include muscle pains, headaches and feeling tired and low.

How can I treat mastitis?

If you are not breastfeeding, mastitis may need to be treated with a course of an antibiotic. However, a mild case may get better without any medical treatment. 

The following measures may help to treat your mastitis without the need for antibiotics:

• Avoid tight-fitting bras
• Try to eat well and drink plenty of fluids

However, if your symptoms become worse you should see a doctor. After talking to you and examining you, they may prescribe an antibiotic. They may suggest that you wait 24 hours before starting the antibiotics, if your symptoms are mild or have only just begun. The mastitis will usually clear within a few days of starting the antibiotic.

Are there any possible complications?

Occasionally, an abscess may form inside an infected section of breast. An abscess is a collection of pus that causes a firm, red, tender lump. This is thought to happen to between about 3 and 7 women with mastitis, out of every 100. If this happens to you, you will need to go to hospital for treatment.

The pus can be seen with an ultrasound scan. If the skin over the abscess is not broken, the pus can be drained with a needle and syringe by a doctor. If the skin is broken (or very thin) the doctor may need to make a small cut to let the pus drain out.

About the author

Dr Colin Tidy

MBBS, MRCGP, MRCP, DCH

Dr Colin Tidy qualified as a doctor in 1983 and he has been writing for Patient since 2004. Dr Tidy has 25 years’ experience as a General Practitioner. He now works as a GP in Oxfordshire, with a special interest in teaching doctors and nurses, as well as medical students.  In addition to writing many leaflets and articles for Patient, Dr Tidy has also contributed to medical journals and written a number of educational articles for General Practitioner magazines.

Dr Hannah Gronow

MB ChB

Hannah qualified in 1997. She joined EMIS (patient.info) as a peer reviewer in August 2006. Currently a part time salaried GP in Paignton and moving to a practice in Brixham in 2018. Hannah is about to start a diploma in psychotherapy. Her interests include oncology and pharmacology.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are you a healthcare practitioner who enjoys patient education, interaction and communication?

If so, we invite you to criticise, contribute to or help improve our content. We find that many practicing doctors who regularly communicate with patients develop novel and often highly effective ways to convey complex medical information in a simplified, accurate and compassionate manner.

MedSquirrel is a shared knowledge, collective intelligence digital platform developed to share medical expertise between doctors and patients. We support collaboration, as opposed to competition, between all members of the healthcare profession and are striving towards the provision of peer reviewed, accurate and simplified medical information to patients. Please share your unique communication style, experience and insights with a wider audience of patients, as well as your colleagues, by contributing to our digital platform.

Your contribution will be credited to you and your name, practice and field of interest will be made visible to the world. (Contact us via the orange feed-back button on the right).