What is Mastitis?
Mastitis is the inflammation of breast tissue that may or may not involve a bacterial infection. Commonly this occurs when the supply of milk exceeds the demand and backs up in the breast.
This increases pressure in the breast and some milk can be pushed outside of the breast ducts into the breast tissue. Your body then starts an inflammatory response to remove the milk from the area. This type of inflammation is due to a reaction from your own body tissue.
Bacterial infection can cause of mastitis, this needs anti-biotic management as well.
What are the Symptoms?
Inflammation can cause pain, redness, swelling and heat locally in the breast. You may also feel unwell, achy and have increased fatigue levels – similar to flu symptoms.
What can you do?
If you suspect you have mastitis it is recommended you are assessed by your Doctor or Women’s Health Physiotherapist as soon as possible.
Learning to manage your symptoms is important to quickly ease your discomfort and continue breastfeeding. There is no evidence of risk to the healthy, term infant when continuing breastfeeding with mastitis.
Self management strategies include:
– Regular feeding or use of your breast pump to relieve the pressure and drain the breast
– Heat compress before feeding to assist milk flow and cold compress after to reduce inflammation
– Rest, good nutrition and fluids – looking after yourself is important!
– Pain relief – Panadol and Nurofen are compatable with breast feeding, if you have any medication concerns call “Medicine and Drug Information Centre” information service at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital or consult with your GP
Physiotherapy Management
The sooner you seek help for you symptoms the faster they will resolve. At My Physio SA for Her, Therapeutic Ultrasound Therapy in conjunction with conservative management strategies, can help to improve the resolution of mastitis.
– Therapeutic ultrasound: uses sound waves to dilate deep milk ducts where many blockages occur. When milk ducts are dilated there is more space in the ducts for blockages to pass and this can assist in resolution of symptoms within one treatment
– Massage: we can teach you gentle self massage techniques to assist in reduction of your symptoms
– Positioning: appropriate position of yourself and your baby while feeding can assist to drain the blockage
If you are experiencing any discomfort – don’t ignore it!
Book an appointment to see a Women’s Health Physiotherapist at myPhysioSA Mount Barker or North Adelaide as soon as possible! Early intervention is the best treatment.
Jane Rothe – myPhysioSA Women’s Health Physiotherapist North Adelaide
