Mastitis - Causes and Signs of Mastitis

The disease is classified depending on the cause of its occurrence:

• postpartum (lactation) mastitis - occurs in women who are breastfeeding;
• fibrocystic - occurs in young girls during puberty and in women in the climacteric period;
• newborn mastitis - swelling of the mammary glands in a newborn child due to the influence of mother's hormones.

The disease can occur in two forms:

• acute (most often);
• chronic (rare).

Causes

The main cause of the disease is the entry of pathogenic microflora (streptococci and staphylococci) into the milk ducts glands.

Also, the causes of mastitis are classified depending on the type of disease:

• postpartum (lactation) mastitis occurs due to milk stagnation in the mammary gland (milk stagnation has a favorable effect on the development of pathogenic microflora), cracked nipples, poor emptying of the breast after feeding, artificial feeding of the child or breast trauma. Also, lactation mastitis can be caused by non-compliance with hygiene standards during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• fibrocystic mastitis can occur against the background of other diseases of the mammary gland (in most cases due to the presence of a cyst in the breast). The danger of fibrocystic mastitis is that its untimely treatment can threaten the development of breast cancer. This form of mastitis is most common in girls during puberty and in women in menopause;
• newborn mastitis is a pathological condition that develops as a result of the effect of the mother's hormones on the child's body. Hormones are transmitted through milk during feeding and through the placenta during pregnancy. Breast cancer can occur in both boys and girls.

Symptoms

The symptoms of mastitis can vary and primarily depend on the form of the disease.

With lactation mastitis, the following is observed:

• acute onset of the disease;
• increased body temperature;
• pain in the mammary gland;
• palpation reveals a lump with unclear contours;
• enlargement of regional (usually axillary) lymph nodes;
• redness of the skin of the mammary gland;
• poor general health.

With fibrocystic mastitis, the symptoms can be following:

• pain in the mammary gland, which significantly increases before menstruation;
• pain when palpating a certain area of the mammary gland;
• the presence of one or more glandular tissue seals;
• in some cases, the symptoms of fibrocystic mastitis are absent.

With breastfeeding in newborns, the following is noted:

• swelling and enlargement of the mammary glands in the first days after birth;
• the mammary glands are dense and painful when palpated;
• discharge from the nipples (sometimes);
• slight increase in body temperature;
• redness of the skin of the mammary gland.

If any of the above symptoms occur, you must make an appointment with mammologist to diagnose and treat the disease in time.

Diagnostics

Mastitis is diagnosed by a mammologist or pediatrician.

To diagnose mastitis and identify the cause of its occurrence, the following methods are used:

• palpation of the mammary glands;
• ultrasound or mammography;
• general clinical blood and urine tests;
• bacteriological and bacterioscopic examination of the secretion of the mammary glands to determine pathogenic microflora;
• puncture biopsy of the mammary gland.

If the mother notices atypical changes in the mammary glands in the newborn, then in this case a consultation with a pediatrician is necessary.

Treatment

Treatment of mastitis is usually complex, and includes conservative and surgical methods:

• drug therapy (taking hormonal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs);
• physiotherapy treatment in the remission stage;
• complete emptying of the mammary gland after feeding;
• frequent application of the baby to the breast;
• surgical methods of treatment in the presence of an abscess or tumor;

Separately, it is worth talking about the treatment of mastitis in newborns. It does not require any specific treatment, it is only important to monitor strict cleanliness and apply a sterile bandage to the mammary gland area. If all the rules of asepsis are observed, mastitis goes away on its own in 3-4 weeks. Failure to follow the rules of child care may result in infection of the mammary glands with subsequent development of pathogenic microflora in them, which entails serious consequences.

Prevention

To prevent postpartum mastitis, it is necessary to properly attach the baby to the breast (the baby should grasp the entire nipple completely), monitor personal hygiene, avoid trauma to the breast and hypothermia.

Prevention of fibrocystic mastitis consists of independent palpation of the mammary glands, regular preventive examination by a doctor and annual mammography (for women after 35-40 years) and ultrasound (for girls and young women.

The appearance of mastitis cannot be predicted and prevented, so the goal of prevention in this case is to comply with all sanitary rules regarding the care of such a child and the exclusion of complications of the disease.