Your guide to mastitis treatment

Mastitis is an infection of the breast typically caused by bacteria. It’s common in people who are nursing babies, known as lactational mastitis, but it can also happen in those who aren’t, known as nonlactational mastitis.

Because it’s a bacterial infection, antibiotics are usually the first-line treatment option to get rid of it as quickly as possible. However, there are other remedies to help soothe your pain.

What is mastitis?

Mastitis is inflammation of your breast tissue often caused by an infection. It’s divided into two categories: lactational and nonlactational.

Lactational mastitis is the most common form. It’s caused by your milk ducts getting backed up and swelling, then becoming infected with bacteria. This is usually Staphylococcus bacteria, but in some cases, it might be due to multiple bacteria.

It most often happens in the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding or chestfeeding, becoming less common after 3 months. It may affect up to 10% of nursing people in the United States. Nipple damage or cracked nipples is the most common risk factor for developing lactational mastitis.

Nonlactational mastitis is less common than lactational mastitis, and there is limited knowledge about why it develops. It’s also usually caused by bacteria but might also be due to a fungal infection. While it’s not related to nursing, it’s still more common in people who have given birth in the past 5 years.

The key symptom of mastitis is inflamed, tender, hot areas of your breast. It may also cause flu-like symptoms like aches, chills, and a fever.

In some cases, you might feel a firm lump in your breast. This may be alarming as this is also a sign of breast cancer, and doctors sometimes misdiagnose it as this, but mastitis doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer, and there is no link between the two conditions.

Medical treatments for mastitis

Because mastitis is often due to a bacterial infection, a doctor will usually prescribe antibiotics to treat it.

Mastitis may clear up on its own quickly if it is only due to a blocked milk duct and not a bacterial infection. However, if the symptoms of lactational mastitis last longer than 12 to 24 hours, doctors will typically prescribe a 10- to 14-day course of antibiotics. These include:

• dicloxacillin
• cephalexin (Keflex)
• clindamycin (Cleocin)

Most cases of nonlactational will also involve treatment with antibiotics, usually amoxicillin clavulanate (Augmentin).

To manage the pain associated with mastitis, you can also take over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever medications, such as:

• ibuprofen (Advil)
• naproxen (Aleve)
• acetaminophen (Tylenol)

If an abscess has formed, this will need medically draining. A doctor will do this either surgically or using a thin, hollow needle. They should then follow this up by prescribing antibiotics.

————-

If you need help covering the cost of medications, the free Optum Perks Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.

Home treatments for mastitis

While medications are the best way to get rid of a mastitis infection, there are some strategies to help you manage it at home.

If you’re nursing, you should continue even while you have mastitis, especially on the affected breast. After your baby has finished feeding, you can continue to express milk by hand or with a pump to fully empty the breast. This can help unblock a blocked milk duct and contribute to healing.

Lymphatic massage may also help. You can massage your breast, starting at your nipple and moving out toward your armpit. This can promote the drainage of lymph fluid and help reduce swelling.

Using a warm or cool compress may help with pain and swelling, and ensuring you get plenty of rest and hydration can aid healing.

Nursing often and making sure you fully empty your breasts can help prevent mastitis by avoiding milk blockages. As cracked nipples is a common cause of lactational mastitis, using balms or moisturizing creams to help prevent this may, in turn, also prevent mastitis.

Contacting a doctor

While mild mastitis may resolve on its own within around 1 day, consider speaking with a doctor if your symptoms persist longer than 12 to 24 hours. This is especially true if you develop flu-like symptoms and a fever. If you have a bacterial infection, it’s unlikely to go away on its own.

You should also seek medical treatment if you feel a solid lump in your breast. This could be an abscess that needs to be drained by a doctor.

Without treatment, bacterial infections like mastitis can become very serious and develop into septicemia or sepsis. This is when the infection affects your bloodstream. If you suspect you have sepsis, this is a medical emergency, and you should call 911 or go to a hospital right away.

Summary

Mastitis is a painful condition causing inflammation in your breast. It’s most common in people who are breastfeeding or chestfeeding, but it can also happen in others.

Mastitis is mostly due to bacterial infections in your breast. Because of this, antibiotics are the go-to treatment option. A doctor will prescribe these for a period of up to 2 weeks.

You can also take OTC pain relievers to help with pain, and cool compresses may also help.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.