Acute mastitis is more common in postpartum breastfeeding mothers. Acute mastitis can cause symptoms such as redness, swelling, lumps, and pain in the breast. So, is a breast lump acute mastitis? You will understand after reading this.

What are the symptoms of acute mastitis?

1. The painful side of the breast will feel pain, and the lower quadrant of the breast will be red, swollen, hard, tender, and form a lump.

2. Local redness, swelling, heat and pain, painful hard lumps when touched, and fluctuating sensation after abscess formation.

3. The ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes are swollen and often suppurate within a few days. tenderness.

4. Secondly, there may be symptoms of chills, high fever, fatigue and loss of appetite.

How to diagnose acute mastitis?

1. Nipple discharge: Special attention should be paid to further examination when the discharge is bloody or serous.

2. Changes in the appearance of the breast glands: The skin at the lump can be seen to be bulging, and some parts of the skin are orange peel-like, or even edema, discoloration, eczema-like changes, etc.

3. Mass: In the early stage, a mass the size of a broad bean can be palpable in the breast, which is hard and movable. Generally there is no obvious pain, and a few have paroxysmal dull pain, dull pain or tingling pain.

How to prevent acute mastitis?

1. Prevent nipple rupture

Cracked nipples are prone to galactostasis and may lead to bacterial infection due to wounds.

(1) After 6 months of pregnancy, use a towel dipped in water to scrub the nipples and insert them into the baby every day to avoid biting them;

(2) Do not let children develop the habit of sleeping with a nipple;

(3) After breastfeeding, wash your nipples with water and put a soft cloth between your nipples and clothes to avoid abrasions.

2. Actively treat nipple rupture to prevent complications

(1) Breastfeeding is still possible with mild nipple rupture, but after breastfeeding, 10% compound benzoic acid tincture or 10% cod liver oil bismuth is applied locally, and washed before the next breast feeding;

(2) For severe nipple rupture and severe pain during breastfeeding, you can use a nipple shield to breastfeed indirectly; or use a breast pump to suck it out and then feed the child with a bottle;

(3) For the scab on the nipple, do not forcefully tear it off. You can apply vegetable oil on it, wait until it becomes soft, and then slowly tear it off;

(4) Appropriate amount of lard, use gentle cremation.

3. Prevent galactostasis

(1) Breastfeeding should be done as soon as possible after delivery;

(2) Apply heat to breasts before breastfeeding to promote smooth flow of milk. If the mother feels breast swelling and pain, she should apply hot compress immediately. After applying the hot compress, she can massage the breast with her hands and lift the nipple;

(3) If the baby has insufficient sucking ability or the baby eats little and secretes a lot of milk, use a breast pump to suck out all the milk;

(4) Pay attention to cleaning the nipples and removing the scale at the breast duct openings.

4. Keep breasts clean and prevent bacterial infection

Clean the breasts before delivery to remove the dirt on the nipples; clean the nipples before breastfeeding, especially those with ruptured nipples; avoid squeezing the breasts and wear loose clothes.

5. Self-massage should be done frequently

Pregnant women should develop the habit of self-massaging their breasts. Method: Hold the breast with a hot towel with one hand, place the other hand on the upper side of the breast, and massage in a clockwise direction. If the breasts feel swollen and painful, or there are lumps on the breasts, the technique can be more severe. While self-massaging, you can squeeze your breasts with a little force to squeeze the milk out of the nipples. After several repetitions, the breast ducts will become unobstructed. Generally, massage once a day for 15-20 minutes each time.