Treatment and prevention of mastitis at home. Traditional and non-traditional methods of treating mastitis
Mastitis is a disease mammary gland resulting from the progression inflammatory process. Most often, pathology occurs in nursing mothers, since during this period the mammary gland is most susceptible to infection. The disease also develops in women over 45 years of age.
Mastitis is dangerous because there is a risk of the inflammatory process turning into a cancerous form. Apply different methods treatment of the mammary gland depending on the stage of the disease. The advantage, of course, is given medical methods, but in some cases additional exposure to folk remedies is acceptable.
The specifics of the treatment of mastitis at home
In medicine, two types of mastitis are distinguished: postpartum (lactational) and non-lactational. The cause of the pathology is the penetration into the mammary glands of pathogenic bacteria (most often staphylococcus aureus). The infection enters through the wounds formed on the nipples.
Symptoms of the disease are noted almost immediately after the infection begins to progress. With inflammation in a woman:
Depending on the stage of the disease, symptoms may be additional features. However, the main symptoms only increase their intensity.
If mastitis is not treated, then the gangrenous form (gangrene) may gradually develop, which leads to tissue decomposition. In this case, there is a high risk of infection in the blood and spread pathological process in the body. The more advanced the disease, the more difficult it is to cure.
Treatment of mastitis at home is acceptable, but it is worth considering the risks of developing complications, so you should definitely visit a doctor. Self-diagnosis and self-treatment for inflammation of the mammary gland is not acceptable.
Traditional medicine helps to reduce the effect of the inflammatory process and the symptoms of the disease, but is not able to completely stop the development of the disease. For this reason, it is recommended to carry out treatment at home under the constant supervision of a doctor and in the absence of any contraindications to home therapy.
Contraindications include:
The most effective treatment of mastitis with folk remedies in the early stages of the disease. Subsequently ethnoscience helps to significantly reduce the intensity of symptoms.
Folk remedies are becoming increasingly popular in the fight against various diseases due to the fact that they have a natural composition. But it is worth remembering that with significant benefits home treatment in some cases, including with progressive mastitis, mandatory use is necessary medications able to cope with the infection, and not just "drown out" its manifestation.
Many of our readers actively use the well-known method based on natural ingredients, discovered by Elena Malysheva, for the treatment of mastopathy and breast formations. We definitely recommend checking it out.
Popular folk remedies for the treatment of the disease
To eliminate the symptoms of the disease and reduce the activity of the pathological process at home, you can use different techniques. The most effective way is exposure to salt, herbs and oils.
Salt
The peculiarity of the use of salt is that its internal use should be reduced, and it is better to exclude it in order to reduce the additional provocation of swelling of the tissues. But for external use, salt is ideal.
It is desirable to use sea salt, but in its absence, replacement with table salt is acceptable. Compresses are made with salt:
Apply a compress, avoiding the areola and the nipple itself. For convenience, you can make cuts on the fabric. A handkerchief is applied over the napkin. It is possible to treat inflammation of the mammary gland with this method only in the absence of wounds and cracks in the skin.
Sage
With mastitis, continuation is not desirable breastfeeding, since the influx of milk causes an exacerbation of the disease, in addition, the infection can be transmitted to the child.
Sage is a plant that can reduce lactation and inflammation. It is recommended to use this herb for infiltrative or purulent form of breast disease.
An infusion is made from sage, which must be taken orally. To prepare the infusion, you need a teaspoon of chopped herbs and a glass of boiling water. Sage is poured with water and kept for one hour, then filtered and drunk. The duration of treatment is one week. Drink the infusion three times a day, one glass.
Chamomile
Chamomile is known for its healing properties especially antibacterial. Therefore, even medical specialists it is advised to use this plant in case of spread of infection.
A compress decoction is made from chamomile, which reduces pain and relieves swelling. Preparing a decoction is very simple: 0.2 liters of boiling water pour 3 tbsp. spoons of plant flowers. The agent is infused for half an hour, after which the cotton cloth is moistened with liquid and applied to the mammary gland. Make compresses daily for a week. Within one hour it is necessary to moisten the cane three or four times.
Cabbage
One of the most popular folk remedies from mastitis is cabbage. Cabbage is used in a variety of ways. One of the most simple methods is the application of cabbage leaves to the chest.
They also make a compress from cabbage juice. In order to get juice, you need to grate fresh (young) cabbage. Let her lie down for twenty minutes, then squeeze. The resulting juice is rubbed into the mammary glands.
Cabbage juice relieves inflammation, reduces lactation and helps to soften the seals formed in the chest. It is recommended to use compresses or rubbing for several days. In the first stages of mastitis, this method helps to overcome the disease in a week.
Camphor oil
Many women use camphor oil for mastitis. It has an analgesic and antiseptic effect. There are different application methods camphor oil, for greater effect it is combined with other folk remedies:
Camphor oil has a strong warming effect, and also has contraindications (hypolactation, epilepsy), so its use is possible only after the consent of the attending physician.
Honey
Honey has been used to treat mastitis for many decades. it natural remedy has a huge amount useful properties and its impact is positive effect in the treatment of inflammation of the breast.
In order to eliminate the pathology of the mammary gland, honey is used as follows:
When treating mastitis at home, the use of pure alcohol, Vishnevsky ointment and hot decoctions of herbs should be excluded. Excessively warming agents can provoke the reproduction of the infection, which will lead to the rapid progression of the disease.
Do you still think that it is impossible to CURE MASTOPATHY forever?
From 60% of women suffer from mastopathy. The worst thing is that most women are sure that mastopathy is the norm and do not rush to the doctor ... but the risk of developing BREAST CANCER in its place is very high ... If you notice:
- aching or drawing pains in the chest area before menstruation ...
- sensations of swelling and swelling of the mammary glands. It's like your breasts are getting bigger...
- tension, seals and nodules. Feel the lymph nodes under the arm...
- nipple discharge...
- change in the shape of the breast, the skin on the nipples retracted and cracks appeared ...
- weight change...
All these symptoms may indicate the development of MASTOPATHY. But perhaps it is more correct to treat not the consequence, but the CAUSE? That is why we recommend reading the new methodology of Elena Malysheva, who found effective remedy for the treatment of MASTOPATHY and breast restoration in general.
Mastitis- This is an inflammatory process of the mammary glands, which occurs in the majority of nursing mothers and manifests itself:
temperature rise,
Chills, headache, weakness,
Pain in the mammary glands of a pulling nature,
breast enlargement, discomfort in the chest,
The formation of edema inside the breast gland with reddening of the skin over it.
As a rule, lactating women suffer from this disease, but with hormonal disorders, it also occurs in nulliparous women, and even infants. Depending on lactation and non-lactation mastitis.
Causes of mastitis
Reason 1. The most common cause of the disease is a bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which is transmitted from the nasopharynx of a newborn during breastfeeding (especially if the mother neglects the rules of hygiene). The infection begins to manifest itself when it enters the connective tissues. Then cracks, sores on the nipples are formed. If no measures are taken in a timely manner, the bacteria enter deeper tissues and then purulent inflammation of the mammary gland develops.
Reason 2. Foci of a chronic disease that are in the body (pyelonephritis; tonsillitis; "stomatogenic focus") that fall on the mammary glands can also provoke mastitis.
Reason 3. Stagnant milk. Occurs with improper or careless pumping. This is dangerous because a plug forms in the ducts, which makes feeding painful, and since there is a lot of nutrients, then it is an ideal environment for the development of bacteria.
Reason 4. Draft from an open window, overheating or hypothermia.
Reason 5. Tight bra.
Methods of dealing with mastitis: medication or treatment with folk remedies at home
The disease develops very quickly, within one to two days, so at the first sign it is necessary to start fighting the sore. So, with an unlaunched form, the treatment of mastitis with folk remedies at home can be effective. But in any case, it is worth contacting a specialist for a more accurate examination and treatment.
So serous mastitis can be cured by using drugs that relieve inflammation and inhibit the growth of bacteria. Local anesthetics are used as anesthesia. It is good to use folk remedies in combination.
The purulent form of mastitis is dealt with surgically. They also take antibiotics in the postoperative period.
Important! Treatment should begin at the first sign! In this case, mastitis is easier to cure. If you do not take action during its development, mastitis threatens to develop into breast cancer.
Recipes for the treatment of mastitis at home with folk remedies
In the treatment of mastopathy, a very good effect can be obtained by applying the knowledge accumulated among the people. If this is the initial form of a sore, it can be dealt with by curing mastitis with folk remedies at home. In more complex cases, you can get an effect using traditional medicine recipes in combination with drug treatment. But in any situation, the advice of a doctor cannot be neglected.
Dill seeds for mastitis
Dill seeds have a unique chemical composition. The trace elements and vitamins they contain can speed up the recovery of women suffering from mastitis. At the same time, sulfur, phosphorus, zinc, selenium help get rid of inflammation.
Recipe 1. A decoction of dill seeds
Ingredients:
Dill seeds - 1 tablespoon;
Water - 0.5 liters.
To prepare a decoction, the seeds must be poured with water, brought to a boil, boiled for a couple of minutes, insisted, cooled. Drink a decoction 3 times a day in small portions.
Honey for mastitis
Recipe 1. Honey compress
On the early stages development of mastopathy honey is a very effective remedy. With stagnant milk, there is nothing easier treatment mastitis at home with folk remedies than applying a compress with honey. It has an analgesic, warming effect, the pumping process becomes less painful. Apply it in the evening without expressing milk.
Important! Such a compress with stagnation of milk can be done only on the first day of the onset of the disease.
Recipe 2. Honey cake
Ingredients:
The ingredients must be taken in equal proportions, mixed. From above, insulate with polyethylene, a warm scarf. 15-20 minutes is enough for the cake to work.
Note. Instead of a cake, you can simply spread the chest with honey, cover with polyethylene, and insulate.
cabbage for mastitis
Cabbage has long been considered an excellent remedy for the treatment of various sores. Mastitis is no exception. In addition to the fact that cabbage leaves can act as an anesthetic, they also have a beneficial effect on the general condition. Being an affordable and cheap remedy, they can have an antibacterial and preventive effect.
Recipe 1. Cabbage wrap
For the procedure, you should take a fresh cabbage leaf, With inside beat him so that he starts up the juice, put a leaf on his chest inside, fasten with a bandage, but not tightly so that the blood flow in the body is not disturbed. It is better to do this procedure before going to bed, leave it overnight.
Note! Instead of a cabbage leaf, you can use a burdock or coltsfoot leaf with the same effect. But before applying, scalding with boiling water is mandatory procedure.
Herbal treatment for mastitis
Medicinal plants are often used in the treatment of many diseases. The recipes that our great-grandmothers once used received scientific justification in their time. Many herbs are applied externally, but there are those from which decoctions are prepared for internal use.
Collection of succession, motherwort and yarrow
Ingredients:
A series - 2 tbsp. l.;
Motherwort - 2 tbsp. l.;
Yarrow - 2 tbsp. l;
Boiled water - 1 l.
Collection of herbs should be poured into a thermos, insist for 1 hour. Drink one glass before meals. Such a decoction can be consumed for a long time (up to six months).
Burdock root decoction
Burdock root is used for cooking. One tablespoon should be poured with a liter of boiling water, insisted, drunk 3 times a day.
Prevention of mastopathy
A nursing mother should be attentive to the condition of the nipples. Any cracks, damage, which was not properly cared for in time, can cause mastopathy. So if you see any wounds, you should start using special pads when feeding, treat the nipples themselves with saline, sea buckthorn oil. And the easiest option is laundry soap, which can be found in every home.
It is important how the mother puts the baby to the breast. In the first weeks of a baby's life, some milk should be expressed before feeding. If milk remains in the breast after feeding, it must be expressed, and if necessary, this should also be done between feedings.
Nursing mothers need to wear special underwear. An important point is the need to avoid hypothermia, be attentive to personal hygiene.
To prevent milk from thickening in streams, you should drink enough liquid. So the body of a woman produces from 1 to 1.5 liters of milk per day, so the amount of liquid drunk should be from 2 to 2.5 liters per day. It can be water (spring, spring or filtered, yogurt, kefir milk with or without tea, compote, herbal or regular tea).
Mastitis in the old days they called it a breast. This pathology is an infectious-inflammatory process in the tissues of the mammary gland, as a rule, with a tendency to spread, which can lead to purulent destruction of the body of the gland and surrounding tissues, as well as to the generalization of infection with the development of sepsis (blood poisoning).
Distinguish between lactational (that is, associated with the production of milk glands) and non-lactational mastitis.
According to statistics, 90-95% of cases of mastitis occur in postpartum period. At the same time, 80-85% develops in the first month after childbirth.
Mastitis is the most common purulent-inflammatory complication of the postpartum period. The incidence of lactational mastitis is about 3 to 7% (according to some sources, up to 20%) of all births and has not shown a downward trend over the past few decades.
Most often, mastitis develops in lactating women after the birth of their first child. Usually, the infectious-inflammatory process affects one gland, more often the right one. The predominance of damage to the right breast is due to the fact that it is more convenient for right-handers to express the left breast, so that stagnation of milk often develops in the right.
AT recent times there has been a trend towards an increase in the number of cases of bilateral mastitis. Today, a bilateral process develops in 10% of cases of mastitis.
About 7-9% of lactational mastitis are cases of inflammation of the mammary gland in women who refuse to breastfeed; in pregnant women, this disease is relatively rare (up to 1%).
Cases of the development of lactational mastitis in newborn girls are described, at a time when an increased level of hormones from the mother's blood causes physiological swelling of the mammary glands.
About 5% of mastitis in women is not associated with pregnancy and childbirth. As a rule, non-lactational mastitis develops in women aged 15 to 60 years. In such cases, the disease proceeds less rapidly, complications in the form of a generalization of the process are extremely rare, but there is a tendency to transition to a chronically relapsing form.
Causes of mastitis
Inflammation in mastitis is caused by a purulent infection, mainly Staphylococcus aureus. This microorganism causes various suppurative processes in humans from local skin lesions (acne, boils, carbuncle, etc.) to deadly injuries internal organs(osteomyelitis, pneumonia, meningitis, etc.).Any suppurative process caused by Staphylococcus aureus can be complicated by generalization with the development of septic endocarditis, sepsis, or infectious-toxic shock.
Recently, cases of mastitis caused by the association of microorganisms have become more frequent. The most common combination of Staphylococcus aureus with gram-negative Escherichia coli (a microorganism common in the environment that normally inhabits the human intestine).
lactation mastitis
When it comes to classic postpartum lactational mastitis, the source of infection is most often latent bacteria carriers from medical personnel, relatives or neighbors in the ward (according to some reports, about 20-40% of people are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus). Infection occurs through contaminated care items, linen, etc.
In addition, a newborn infected with staphylococcus aureus can become a source of infection in mastitis, for example, with pyoderma (pustular skin lesions) or in the case of umbilical sepsis.
However, it should be noted that getting Staphylococcus aureus on the skin of the mammary gland does not always lead to the development of mastitis. For an infectious-inflammatory process to occur, it is necessary to have favorable conditions- local anatomical and systemic functional.
So, local anatomical predisposing factors include:
- rough cicatricial changes in the gland, remaining after suffering severe forms of mastitis, operations for benign neoplasms, etc.;
- congenital anatomical defects (retracted flat or lobed nipple, etc.).
- pregnancy pathology (late pregnancy, premature birth, threatened miscarriage, severe late toxicosis);
- pathology of childbirth (trauma birth canal, the first birth of a large fetus, manual separation placenta, severe blood loss during childbirth);
- postpartum fever;
- exacerbation of concomitant diseases;
- insomnia and other psychological disorders after childbirth.
Non-lactation mastitis
It develops, as a rule, against the background of a decrease in general immunity (postponed viral infections, severe concomitant diseases, severe hypothermia, physical and mental overstrain, etc.), often after microtrauma of the mammary gland.
The causative agent of non-lactational mastitis, as well as mastitis associated with pregnancy and feeding, in most cases is Staphylococcus aureus.
To understand the features of the mechanism of development of lactational and non-lactational mastitis, it is necessary to have general idea about the anatomy and physiology of the mammary glands.
Anatomy and physiology of the mammary glands
The mammary (breast) gland is an organ of the reproductive system designed to produce women's milk in the postpartum period. This secretory organ is located inside the formation called the breast.In the mammary gland, a glandular body is isolated, surrounded by well-developed subcutaneous fatty tissue. It is the development of the fat capsule that determines the shape and size of the breast.
At the most protruding place of the breast, there is no fat layer - here the nipple is located, which, as a rule, is cone-shaped, less often cylindrical or pear-shaped.
The pigmented areola forms the base of the nipple. In medicine, it is customary to divide the mammary gland into four areas - quadrants, limited by conditional mutually perpendicular lines.
This division is widely used in surgery to indicate the localization of the pathological process in the mammary gland.
The glandular body consists of 15-20 radially arranged lobes, separated from each other by a fibrous connective tissue and loose adipose tissue. The bulk of the actual glandular tissue that produces milk is located in the posterior sections of the gland, while ducts predominate in the central regions.
From the anterior surface of the body of the gland through the superficial fascia, which limits the fatty capsule of the gland, dense connective tissue strands are directed to the deep layers of the skin and to the collarbone, which are a continuation of the interlobar connective tissue stroma - the so-called Cooper's ligaments.
The main structural unit of the mammary gland is the acinus, consisting of the smallest formations of vesicles - alveoli, which open into the alveolar passages. The inner epithelial lining of the acinus produces milk during lactation.
The acini are united into lobules, from which the lactiferous ducts depart, merging radially towards the nipple, so that the individual lobules are combined into one lobe with a common collecting duct. The collecting ducts open at the top of the nipple, forming an extension - the lactiferous sinus.
Lactational mastitis is less favorable than any other purulent surgical infection, this is due to the following features of the anatomical and functional structure of the gland during lactation:
- lobed structure;
- a large number of natural cavities (alveoli and sinuses);
- developed network of milk and lymphatic ducts;
- abundance of loose adipose tissue.
So, without adequate treatment, the purulent process quickly captures the entire gland and often takes a protracted chronically relapsing course. In severe cases, purulent fusion of large areas of the gland and the development of septic complications (infectious-toxic shock, blood poisoning, septic endocarditis, etc.) are possible.
The mechanism of development of the infectious-inflammatory process
The mechanism of development of lactational and non-lactational mastitis has some differences. In 85% of cases lactational mastitis the disease develops against the background of stagnation of milk. In this case, lactostasis, as a rule, does not exceed 3-4 days.Acute lactational mastitis
With regular and complete pumping of milk, bacteria that inevitably get on the surface of the mammary gland are washed out and are not able to cause inflammation.
In cases where adequate pumping does not occur, a large number of microorganisms accumulate in the ducts, which cause lactic acid fermentation and milk clotting, as well as damage to the epithelium of the excretory ducts.
Curdled milk, together with particles of desquamated epithelium, clog the milk passages, resulting in lactostasis. Quite quickly, the amount of microflora, intensively multiplying in a confined space, reaches a critical level, and develops infectious inflammation. At this stage, secondary stagnation of lymph and venous blood occurs, which further aggravates the condition.
The inflammatory process is accompanied by severe pain, which in turn makes it difficult to express milk and aggravates the state of lactostasis, so that a vicious circle is formed: lactostasis increases inflammation, inflammation increases lactostasis.
In 15% of women, purulent mastitis develops against the background of cracked nipples. Such damage occurs due to a mismatch of a sufficiently strong negative pressure in oral cavity baby and weak elasticity of the nipple tissue. A significant role in the formation of cracks can be played by pure hygiene factors, such as, for example, prolonged contact of the nipple with a wet bra fabric. In such cases, irritation and wetting of the skin often develops.
The occurrence of cracks often forces a woman to refuse to feed the baby and carefully pumping, which causes lactostasis and the development of purulent mastitis.
To avoid damage to the nipple during feeding, it is very important to put the baby to the breast at the same time. In such cases, the correct biorhythm of milk production is established, so that the mammary glands are, as it were, prepared for feeding in advance: there is an increase in milk production, the milk ducts expand, the lobules of the gland contract - all this contributes to the easy release of milk during feeding.
With irregular feeding, the functional activity of the glands increases already in the process of feeding, as a result, individual lobules of the gland will not be completely emptied and lactostasis will occur in certain areas. In addition, with an “unfinished” breast, the child has to expend more effort during sucking, which contributes to the formation of nipple cracks.
Non-lactation mastitis
At non-lactational mastitis infection, as a rule, penetrates the gland through damaged skin due to accidental injury, thermal injury (hot water bottle, tissue burn in an accident), or mastitis develops as a complication of local pustular skin lesions. In such cases, the infection spreads through the subcutaneous adipose tissue and the fatty capsule of the gland, and the glandular tissue itself is damaged a second time.
(Non-lactational mastitis, which arose as a complication of a breast furuncle).
Symptoms and signs of mastitis
Serous stage (form) of mastitis
The initial or serous stage of mastitis is often difficult to distinguish from banal lactostasis. With milk stagnation, women complain of heaviness and tension in the affected breast, in one or more lobes a mobile, moderately painful induration with clear segmental boundaries is palpated.Expression with lactostasis is painful, but milk flows freely. The general condition of the woman is not disturbed and the body temperature remains within the normal range.
As a rule, lactostasis is a temporary phenomenon, so if within 1-2 days the compaction does not decrease in volume and persistent low-grade fever appears (an increase in body temperature to 37-38 degrees Celsius), then serous mastitis should be suspected.
In some cases, serous mastitis develops rapidly: quite unexpectedly, the temperature rises to 38-39 degrees Celsius, there are complaints about general weakness and pain in the affected part of the gland. Expression of milk is sharply painful and does not bring relief.
At this stage, the tissue of the affected part of the gland is saturated with serous fluid (hence the name of the form of inflammation), into which leukocytes (cells that fight foreign agents) enter a little later from the bloodstream.
At the stage of serous inflammation, spontaneous recovery is still possible, when the pain in the gland gradually subsides, and the seal completely resolves. However, much more often the process passes into the next - infiltrative phase.
Given the severity of the disease, doctors advise any significant breast engorgement, accompanied by an increase in body temperature, to be considered the initial stage of mastitis.
Infiltrative stage (form) of mastitis
The infiltrative stage of mastitis is characterized by the formation of a painful seal in the affected gland - an infiltrate that does not have clear boundaries. The affected mammary gland is enlarged, but the skin over the infiltrate at this stage remains unchanged (redness, local fever and swelling are absent).Elevated temperature in the serous and infiltrative stages of mastitis is associated with the flow through the damaged milk ducts into the blood of women's milk from the foci of lactostasis. Therefore, with effective treatment of lactostasis and desensitizing therapy, the temperature can be reduced to 37-37.5 degrees Celsius.
In the absence of adequate treatment, the infiltrative stage of mastitis passes into a destructive phase in 4-5 days. In this case, serous inflammation is replaced by purulent, so that the tissue of the gland resembles a sponge or honeycomb soaked in pus.
Destructive forms of mastitis or purulent mastitis
Clinically, the onset of the destructive stage of mastitis is manifested sharp deterioration general condition patients, which is associated with the flow of toxins from the focus of purulent inflammation into the blood. Body temperature rises significantly (38-40 degrees Celsius and above), weakness appears, headache, sleep worsens , appetite decreases .
The affected chest is enlarged, tense. In this case, the skin over the affected area turns red, the skin veins expand, often increase and become painful regional (axillary) lymph nodes.
Abscess mastitis characterized by the formation in the affected gland of cavities filled with pus (abscesses). In such cases, softening is felt in the infiltrate area, in 99% of patients a fluctuation symptom is positive (feeling of overflowing liquid when the affected area is felt).
(Localization of abscesses with abscess mastitis:
1. - subalveolar (near the nipple);
2. - intramammary (inside the gland);
3. - subcutaneous;
4. - retromammary (behind the gland) 
Infiltrative-abscess mastitis, as a rule, proceeds more severely than abscessing. This form is characterized by the presence of a dense infiltrate, consisting of many small abscesses of various shapes and sizes. Since the abscesses inside the infiltrate do not reach large sizes, tender induration in the affected gland may appear uniform (fluctuation symptom is positive in only 5% of patients).
In approximately half of the patients, the infiltrate occupies at least two quadrants of the gland and is located intramammary. 
Phlegmonous mastitis characterized by a total increase and severe swelling of the mammary gland. At the same time, the skin of the affected breast is tense, intensely red, in places with a cyanotic tint (bluish-red), the nipple is often retracted.
Palpation of the gland is sharply painful, most patients have a fluctuation symptom. In 60% of cases, at least 3 quadrants of the gland are involved in the process.
As a rule, disturbances in laboratory blood parameters are more pronounced: in addition to an increase in the number of leukocytes, there is a significant decrease in hemoglobin levels. Significantly impaired performance general analysis urine. 
Gangrenous mastitis develops, as a rule, due to the involvement of blood vessels in the process and the formation of blood clots in them. In such cases, as a result of a gross violation of the blood supply, necrosis of significant areas of the mammary gland occurs.
Clinically, gangrenous mastitis is manifested by an increase in the gland and the appearance on its surface of areas of tissue necrosis and blisters filled with hemorrhagic fluid (ichorus). All quadrants of the mammary gland are involved in the inflammatory process, the skin of the breast acquires a bluish-purple appearance.
The general condition of patients in such cases is severe, confusion is often observed, pulse quickens, blood pressure drops. Many laboratory indicators of blood and urine tests are violated.
Diagnosis of mastitis
If you suspect inflammation of the breast, you should seek the help of a surgeon. In relatively mild cases, nursing mothers can consult the attending physician of the antenatal clinic.As a rule, the diagnosis of mastitis does not cause any particular difficulties. The diagnosis is determined on the basis of the patient's characteristic complaints and examination data of the affected breast.
From laboratory studies, as a rule, they carry out:
- bacteriological examination of milk from both glands (qualitative and quantitation microbial bodies in 1 ml of milk);
- cytological examination of milk (calculation of the number of red blood cells in milk as markers of the inflammatory process);
- determination of milk pH, reductase activity, etc.
With abscessing and phlegmonous forms of mastitis, the infiltrate is punctured with a needle with a wide lumen, followed by bacteriological research pus.
In controversial cases, which often occur in the case of a chronic course of the process, appoint x-ray examination breast (mammography).
In addition, with chronic mastitis, one should without fail to carry out differential diagnosis with breast cancer, for this, a biopsy (sampling of suspicious material) and a histological examination are performed.
Mastitis treatment
Indications for surgery are destructive forms of infectious and inflammatory process in the mammary gland (abscessing, infiltrative-abscessing, phlegmonous and gangrenous mastitis).The diagnosis of a destructive process can be unambiguously made in the presence of foci of softening in the mammary gland and / or positive symptom fluctuations. These signs are usually combined with a violation of the general condition of the patient.
However, erased forms of destructive processes in the mammary gland are often found, and, for example, with infiltrative-abscessed mastitis, it is difficult to identify the presence of softening foci.
Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that banal lactostasis often occurs with a violation of the general condition of the patient and severe soreness of the affected breast. Meanwhile, as practice shows, the question of the need for surgical treatment should be resolved as soon as possible.
In disputed cases, to determine medical tactics, first of all, they carefully express milk from the affected breast, and then after 3-4 hours - re-examination and palpation of the infiltrate.
In cases where it was only about lactostasis, after decanting the pain subsides, the temperature decreases and the general condition of the patient improves. In the affected area, fine-grained painless lobules begin to be palpated.
If lactostasis was combined with mastitis, then even 4 hours after pumping, a dense painful infiltrate continues to be palpated, the body temperature remains high, and the condition does not improve.
Conservative treatment of mastitis is acceptable in cases where:
- the general condition of the patient is relatively satisfactory;
- the duration of the disease does not exceed three days;
- body temperature below 37.5 degrees Celsius;
- missing local symptoms purulent inflammation;
- soreness in the area of the infiltrate is moderate, the palpable infiltrate occupies no more than one quadrant of the gland;
- parameters of the general blood test are normal.
Operation for mastitis
Operations for mastitis are carried out exclusively in a hospital, under general anesthesia(usually intravenously). At the same time, there are basic principles for the treatment of purulent lactational mastitis, such as: - when choosing a surgical access (incision site), the need to preserve the function and aesthetic appearance mammary gland;
- radical surgical treatment (thorough cleansing of the opened abscess, excision and removal of non-viable tissues);
- postoperative drainage, including with the use of a drainage-washing system (long-term drip washing of the wound in the postoperative period).
Standard incisions for purulent mastitis are made in the radial direction from the nipple through the area of fluctuation or the greatest pain to the base of the gland.
With extensive destructive processes in the lower quadrants of the gland, as well as with a retromammary abscess, the incision is made under the breast.
With subalveolar abscesses located under the nipple, the incision is made parallel to the edge of the nipple.
Radical surgical treatment includes not only the removal of pus from the cavity of the focus, but also the excision of the formed abscess capsule and non-viable tissues. In the case of infiltrative-abscessing mastitis, the entire inflammatory infiltrate is removed within the boundaries of healthy tissues.
Phlegmonous and gangrenous form mastitis suggest the maximum volume of surgery, so that in the future, plastic surgery of the affected mammary gland may be necessary.
The establishment of a drainage-flushing system in the postoperative period is carried out in case of damage to more than one quadrant of the gland and / or a severe general condition of the patient.
As a rule, drip washing of the wound in the postoperative period is carried out for 5-12 days, until the general condition of the patient improves and components such as pus, fibrin, and necrotic particles disappear from the washing water.
In the postoperative period, drug therapy is carried out, aimed at removing toxins from the body and correcting the caused purulent process general violations in the body.
Antibiotics are prescribed without fail (most often intravenously or intramuscularly). In this case, as a rule, drugs from the group of cephalosporins of the first generation (cefazolin, cephalexin) are used, when Staphylococcus is combined with Escherichia coli - II generation (cefoxitin), and in case of secondary infection - III-IV generation (ceftriaxone, cefpir). In extremely severe cases, tiens are prescribed.
In destructive forms of mastitis, as a rule, doctors advise to stop lactation, since feeding a child from an operated breast is impossible, and pumping in the presence of a wound causes pain and is not always effective.
Lactation is stopped medically, that is, drugs are prescribed that stop milk secretion - bromocriptine, etc. Routine methods for stopping lactation (breast bandaging, etc.) are contraindicated.
Treatment of mastitis without surgery
Most often, patients seek medical care with symptoms of lactostasis or in the initial stages of mastitis (serous or infiltrative mastitis).In such cases, women are prescribed conservative therapy.
First of all, you should ensure the rest of the affected gland. To do this, patients are advised to limit motor activity and wear a bra or bandage that would support, but not squeeze, the sore breast.
Since the trigger for the occurrence of mastitis and the most important link further development pathology is lactostasis, a number of measures are taken to effectively empty the mammary gland.
- A woman should express milk every 3 hours (8 times a day) - first from a healthy gland, then from a sick one.
- To improve the discharge of milk, 2.0 ml of the antispasmodic drotaverine (No-shpa) is administered intramuscularly 20 minutes before pumping from the diseased gland (3 times a day for 3 days at regular intervals), 5 minutes before pumping - 0.5 ml of oxytocin, which improves milk yield.
- Since milk expression is difficult due to pain in the affected gland, retromammary novocaine blockades are performed daily, while the anesthetic novocaine is administered in combination with antibiotics. a wide range action at half the daily dose.
Since many unpleasant symptoms the initial stages of mastitis are associated with the penetration of milk into the blood, the so-called desensitizing therapy with antihistamines is carried out. At the same time, preference is given to new generation drugs (loratadine, cetirizine), since drugs of previous generations (suprastin, tavegil) can cause drowsiness in a child.
Vitamin therapy (group B vitamins and vitamin C) is prescribed to increase the body's resistance.
With positive dynamics in a day, ultrasound and UHF therapy are prescribed, which contributes to the speedy resorption of the inflammatory infiltrate and the restoration of the mammary gland.
Alternative methods of treatment of mastitis
It should be noted right away that mastitis is a surgical disease, therefore, at the first signs of an infectious and inflammatory process in the mammary gland, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe a full treatment. In cases where conservative therapy is indicated, traditional medicine is often used in the complex of medical measures.
So, for example, in the initial stages of mastitis, especially in combination with nipple cracks, it is possible to include procedures for washing the affected breast with an infusion of a mixture of chamomile flowers and yarrow grass (in a ratio of 1: 4).
To do this, 2 tablespoons of raw materials are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and infused for 20 minutes. This infusion has a disinfectant, anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic effect.
It should be remembered that in the initial stages of mastitis, in no case should warm compresses, baths, etc. be used. Warming up can provoke a suppurative process.
Prevention of mastitis
Prevention of mastitis consists, first of all, in the prevention of lactostasis, as the main mechanism for the onset and development of an infectious-inflammatory process in the mammary gland.
Such prevention includes the following activities:
- Early attachment of the baby to the breast (in the first half hour after birth).
- Development of a physiological rhythm (it is desirable to feed the baby at the same time).
- If there is a tendency to stagnation of milk, it may be advisable to carry out a circular shower 20 minutes before feeding.
- Compliance with the technology of proper expression of milk (the most effective manual method, while it is necessary Special attention be given to the outer quadrants of the gland, where milk stagnation is most often observed).
In addition, wearing a cotton bra helps prevent the occurrence of nipple cracks. In this case, it is necessary that the tissue in contact with the nipples is dry and clean.
Predisposing factors for the occurrence of mastitis include nervous and physical overexertion, so a nursing woman should monitor her mental health sleep well and eat well.
Prevention of mastitis not associated with breastfeeding consists in observing the rules of personal hygiene and timely adequate treatment. skin lesions chest.
Can I breastfeed with mastitis?
According to the latest WHO data, breastfeeding with mastitis is possible and recommended: " ...a large number of studies have shown that continued breastfeeding is generally safe for the health of the infant, even when Staph is present. aureus. Only if the mother is HIV-positive is it necessary to stop feeding the infant from the affected breast until she recovers."There are the following indications for interruption of lactation:
- severe destructive forms of the disease (phlegmonous or gangrenous mastitis, the presence of septic complications);
- appointment antibacterial agents in the treatment of pathology (when taking which it is recommended to refrain from breastfeeding)
- the presence of any reasons why a woman will not be able to return to breastfeeding in the future;
- the desire of the patient.
With serous and infiltrative forms of mastitis, doctors usually advise trying to maintain lactation. In such cases, a woman should express milk every three hours, first from a healthy, and then from a diseased breast.
Milk expressed from a healthy breast is pasteurized and then fed to a child from a bottle; it is impossible to store such milk for a long time either before pasteurization or after it. Milk from a diseased breast, where there is a purulent-septic focus, is not recommended for a baby. The reason is that with this form of mastitis, antibiotics are prescribed, when breastfeeding is prohibited or not recommended (the risks are assessed by the attending physician), and the infection contained in such a mastitis can cause severe digestive disorders in the infant and the need for treatment of the child.
Natural feeding can be restored after the complete disappearance of all symptoms of inflammation. To ensure the safety of restoring natural feeding for a child, a bacteriological analysis of milk is preliminarily performed.
What antibiotics are most commonly used for mastitis?
Mastitis refers to purulent infection Therefore, bactericidal antibiotics are used for its treatment. Unlike bacteriostatic antibiotics, such drugs act much faster, because they not only stop the reproduction of bacteria, but kill microorganisms.Today it is customary to select antibiotics, focusing on the sensitivity data of microflora to them. Material for analysis is obtained by puncture of the abscess or during surgery.
However, at the initial stages, it is difficult to take material; moreover, such an analysis takes time. Therefore, antibiotics are often prescribed prior to such a study.
At the same time, they are guided by the fact that mastitis in the majority of cases is caused by Staphylococcus aureus or the association of this microorganism with Escherichia coli.
These bacteria are sensitive to antibiotics from the groups of penicillins and cephalosporins. Lactational mastitis is a typical hospital infection, therefore it is most often caused by strains of staphylococci that are resistant to many antibiotics and secrete penicillinase.
To achieve the effect of antibiotic therapy, antibiotics resistant to penicillinase, such as oxacillin, dicloxacillin, etc., are prescribed for mastitis.
With regard to antibiotics from the group of cephalosporins, with mastitis, preference is given to drugs of the first and second generations (cefazolin, cephalexin, cefoxitin), which are most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, including against penicillin-resistant strains.
Do I need to do compresses for mastitis?
Compresses for mastitis are used only in the early stages of the disease in a complex of other therapeutic measures. Official medicine advises the use of half-alcohol dressings on the affected chest at night. Among folk methods you can use cabbage leaf with honey, grated potatoes, baked onions, burdock leaves. Such compresses can be applied both at night and between feedings.
After removing the compress, the chest should be rinsed with warm water.
However, it should be noted that the opinion of the doctors themselves regarding compresses for mastitis was divided. Many surgeons point out that warm compresses should be avoided because they can aggravate the disease.
Therefore, when the first symptoms of mastitis appear, you should consult a doctor to clarify the stage of the process and decide on the tactics of treating the disease.
What ointments can be used for mastitis?
Today, in the early stages of mastitis, some doctors advise using Vishnevsky's ointment, which helps to remove pain syndrome, improving the discharge of milk and resorption of the infiltrate. Compresses with Vishnevsky ointment are used in many maternity hospitals. However, a significant number of surgeons consider healing effect ointments for mastitis is extremely low and indicates the possibility of an adverse effect of the procedure: a more rapid development of the process due to stimulation of bacterial reproduction by elevated temperature.
Mastitis serious disease, which may lead to grave consequences. It is untimely and inadequate treatment that leads to the fact that 6-23% of women with mastitis have relapses of the disease, 5% of patients develop severe septic complications, and 1% of women die.
Inadequate therapy (insufficiently effective relief of lactostasis, irrational prescription of antibiotics, etc.) in the early stages of the disease often contributes to the transition of serous inflammation to a purulent form, when the operation and the unpleasant moments associated with it (scars on mammary gland, violation of the lactation process) are already inevitable. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid self-medication and seek help from a specialist.
Which doctor treats mastitis?
If you suspect acute lactational mastitis, you should seek help from a mammologist, gynecologist or pediatrician. For severe forms purulent forms mastitis, it is necessary to consult a surgeon.Often, women confuse the infectious and inflammatory process in the mammary gland with lactostasis, which can also be accompanied by severe pain and fever.
Lactostasis and initial forms of mastitis are treated on an outpatient basis, while purulent mastitis requires hospitalization and surgery.
With mastitis, which is not associated with childbirth and feeding the child (non-lactational mastitis), they turn to the surgeon.
Postpartum mastitis is a very common condition. Inflammation of the mammary gland affects mothers who are breastfeeding a child, and is practically not observed in women who breastfeed a baby artificially.
There is another risk group: women over 50 years old. Here, other factors are the cause of mastitis, but, as in the first case, the treatment of mastitis should begin immediately. In the initial stages, folk remedies can help. If the condition is more severe, only a doctor will help.
Mastitis symptoms. Recognizing the disease
Like any other disease, breast inflammation has a number of symptoms. Symptoms of mastitis include:
- pain when pressing on the chest;
- swelling, redness and fever of the breast;
- burning and pain during feeding;
- chills, headaches, general malaise.
The first alarm symptom- pain when pressing on the nipple
Since the disease is inflammatory character, in the absence of proper treatment, inflammation spreads throughout the body. The following symptoms of mastitis in women can be:
- a significant increase in lymph nodes;
- an even greater increase in body temperature and chest;
- discharge of pus from the nipple;
- severe increase in heart rate.
If after that the woman did not start treatment or did not go to the doctor, the symptoms become frightening:
- a palpable and very painful swelling appears inside the chest;
- all of the above symptoms appear and intensify.
Timely detection of mastitis allows you to cure it without serious effort and on your own. In advanced form, mastitis in women can only be cured by a doctor.
Ways to treat mastitis
If a woman has discovered this disease in herself, it's time to start treating it.
There are many various ways fight inflammation of the breast.
Cabbage leaf wraps
- Take a leaf of fresh cabbage, cut it so that it has a square shape.
- Using a hammer, beat it off from the inside so that the cabbage juice begins to come out.
- Place the sheet on your chest, making sure it touches the skin where it hurts.
- Wrap with a bandage and hold the compress until the morning.
- After several procedures, you will see how the symptoms of mastitis gradually disappear and all pain disappears.
shower massage
Treatment of mastitis at home using a hot shower is bearing fruit. Take a shower in warm water, while doing this, massage the sore chest. So the vessels expand, blood circulation improves, pus is washed out.
Rubbing with alcohol
Sometimes women feel better when they rub their breasts with alcohol. This must be done carefully, without touching the nipple. After 15 minutes after that, you can start feeding the baby.
Compresses with salt
Salt compresses also help relieve symptoms in women and get rid of the disease.
- Bring the water to a temperature not exceeding 50 C, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 glass of water. In a cotton cloth, cut holes for the nipples, then wet it and attach it to the chest. Try not to touch the nipples, as they are extremely sensitive.
- From above, this rag must be wrapped with a film or oilcloth and covered with warm. You need to keep such a compress until it cools down.
For many women, this method shows good results.
Dry massage
You don't need a doctor to improve circulation. Try stretching your chest with light circular motions. Don't do it through pain.
Ice
In order to relieve swelling in women, you can use ice. The action is the same as when applying cold to the "bump" or bruise. In addition, lactation is reduced.
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil, diluted in a tablespoon of a base oil (such as sunflower or olive oil), helps to relieve the disease in many women. Rub it on the chest (except the nipple) every evening at night. You will feel a noticeable improvement.
Alder infusion
Add fresh chopped alder leaves (1 teaspoon) to 1 cup of boiling water. Let it brew for 20 minutes. moisten soft tissue(preferably cotton) in the resulting infusion and apply to the chest. Even a doctor may be surprised by the results; mastitis in women goes away after several procedures.
Sage
One of the main tasks with mastitis is to reduce lactation. With this task, an infusion of sage does an excellent job. 1 teaspoon of the dried plant is poured into 1 glass hot water, after which the mixture is infused for only a few minutes and drunk hot.
Alder ointment
One of the recipes that not every doctor knows about is alder ointment.
- To do this, tear off the sticky black alder leaves, put them in a small glass jar and fill with melted petroleum jelly.
- After that, twist the jar, lower it into a pot of water and “boil” for 20 minutes over low heat. After that, take out the jar, cool it.
Now you have a wonderful remedy for breast inflammation, which you need to rub every day 2-3 times.
Despite the fact that breast inflammation is a very common and not very pleasant disease, many women suffer from breast pain. However, mastitis should not be ignored. Treatment of a disease is a prerequisite for a comfortable and prosperous life for every person - every doctor will tell you this.
In addition, the appearance of a child in the family - happy event that every member of the family should enjoy. The pain that a woman experiences during feeding and at rest is not the best thing that can happen to her during this period.
In this article, we looked at many ways to get rid of this disease, all of them are effective and time-tested. However, do not forget that each person is individual and the course of the disease may differ from known cases. If you feel that these treatments do not bring the desired effect, and the disease progresses, then you need to urgently consult a doctor. Only he can say exactly how to cure mastitis. The initial stages require drug treatment. If the condition is critical, surgical intervention is necessary.
Inflammation of breast tissue is a problem well known to all women, especially those who have given birth and are breastfeeding. The symptoms of mastitis are specific characteristic, so there are no problems with the diagnosis of the disease.
Seeking qualified medical help when the first signs of an inflammatory process in the mammary glands appear is considered mandatory. Only a specialist will be able to assess the condition of a woman, select effective treatment and make some predictions. But official medicine does not exclude the use of folk remedies in the treatment of mastitis - they really have a therapeutic effect, help maintain lactation and continue breastfeeding.
Mastitis treatment at home
Even our ancestors were "familiar" with the disease in question, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that there are dozens of recipes according to which you can cook remedy. There are some rules that should be followed if a woman notes the first signs of breast inflammation.
If a seal appears in the chest, the skin over it has acquired a red tint and becomes hot to the touch, then the woman should follow the following recommendations:
Note:if a woman has a seal with purulent contents (abscess) in her chest, then in no case should you feed the baby even with healthy breasts! Milk should be regularly expressed and poured out - this will prevent the progression of the purulent-inflammatory process and keep lactation in order to continue breastfeeding after recovery.
Alternative treatment of mastitis: compresses
As soon as a seal appeared in the chest, or pain in the mammary gland was noted during feeding (these are the first signs of mastitis), you need to use one of the following compress recipes:
Note:all compresses can be placed only after the permission of the doctor has been obtained. In any case, when elevated temperature body, any warming procedures are contraindicated for a woman, which means that compresses are prohibited.
Ointments for the treatment of mastitis at home
Ointments for the treatment of mastitis have a certain popularity - they are prepared easily, applied without any effort. A woman should remember that ointments should not be rubbed into the skin of the affected breast, they should be applied with light circular movements. There are, in fact, many recipes for such remedies for the treatment of inflammation of the mammary gland. We offer just a few of them:
The above describes the most popular methods of treating mastitis, which are known not only traditional healers, but also to official representatives of medicine. But there is still not quite traditional methods that deserve attention, especially since they are approved official medicine.
Extraordinary methods of treating mastitis
As soon as the first signs of inflammation of the mammary gland appeared (redness skin, induration or pain while feeding the baby), you need to take an isotonic solution, moisten a gauze napkin in it and apply it to the problem breast until it dries completely. Such applications should be done at least 5 per day. Instead of isotonic solution you can use strong saline solution, prepared from 200 ml of water and 2 tablespoons of ordinary salt.
From ordinary beets you need to "get" 150 liters of juice, mix it with 50 ml vegetable oil(preference should be given to sea buckthorn), 1 tablespoon of chopped golden root and 100 grams of grated carrots. The resulting mass should be applied to the skin of the affected breast, focusing on the location of the inflammatory process.
If mastitis happened in spring and early summer, then you need to find potato flowers (they can be white and purple), collect them in an amount of 1 tablespoon and pour 200 ml of boiling water. The remedy is infused for 20-30 minutes, then consumed ¼ cup 2 times a day.
Note:potato flowers can provoke an exacerbation chronic diseases bodies gastrointestinal tract Therefore, you need to be extremely careful when using this tool.
If mastitis is just beginning, and there is still no compaction, and the woman only feels stagnation of milk in her chest, then gruel from boiled beets, brown bread crumb (in equal proportions) and 3-5 drops of sesame seed oil will help her. This remedy is applied to the problem breast, aged for 2-3 hours and then washed off with warm water.
If the disease is already actively progressing and is in an advanced stage, then you will need to prepare the following remedy:
- melted wax in the amount of 30 grams mixed with 5 drops of camphor oil, 4 drops of rose oil and 10 grams of wood ash;
- mix everything thoroughly and heat in a water bath so that the mass is “good, but tolerably hot”.
The mass is applied to the sore breast three times a day.
Mastitis is a well-studied disease that can be cured with folk remedies. It is important to understand here that you will first need to visit a specialist and only after that use something from folk remedies for therapy. You should not change the remedy every day - the therapeutic effect is unlikely to take place in this case, but it would be appropriate to consult with your doctor about the choice. Our article describes the verified ones. safe and approved by official medicine means for the treatment of mastitis from the category "traditional medicine", so they can be used without fear of complications and / or undesirable consequences.
Tsygankova Yana Alexandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category