How to Heal Breast Pain

Breastfeeding is a common cause of mastitis and breast pain.

If you suffer from breast pain caused by mastitis, an infection of the mammary glands or breast tissue, there are ways to treat your symptoms and relieve your discomfort. Mastitis most often occurs a few months after delivering a baby, when milk ducts may become swollen or clogged in your breast. Other causes of mastitis may include a hormone imbalance that can occur during menopause or, in rare cases, cancer of the breast tissue, called "inflammatory carcinoma."

Instructions

Medication

1. Ask your doctor about taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. These drugs are not released into your breast milk and are generally safe to use when breastfeeding. If your breast pain is severe, your doctor may prescribe prescription-strength medication.

2. Ask your doctor whether you need antibiotics. Because mastitis is an infection, it should respond well to antibiotic therapy. Your doctor will weigh the risks and benefits of prescribing antibiotics to you if you are breastfeeding. If breast pain is inhibiting the flow of milk or causing you not to breastfeed as often as you should for the health of your baby, your doctor will probably choose antibiotic therapy.

3. Avoid using medicated topical solutions and creams. Though they may provide temporary relief from cracked, sore or dry nipples, they will ultimately worsen mastitis and create a breeding ground for the bacteria that caused the infection. Also, if you are breastfeeding, the solution could end up being ingested by your baby.

Relief

1. Apply warm compresses to your breast before and after breastfeeding, or whenever you experience pressure and pain in your breast. If your breast tissue is too sore for a compress, soak in a warm tub of water to help relieve the pain.

2. Alternate between ice packs and warm compresses if you are not breastfeeding. Using an ice pack will inhibit milk flow if you are breastfeeding, so this therapy is not suggested before feedings.

3. Drink at least eight to ten 8 oz. glasses of water every day. Be sure to eat a diet high in fiber and vitamin C. This will help your body flush away excess toxins and keep your skin hydrated. Avoid spicy foods and overly processed foods, which could slow down your digestion and create further inflammation.

Surgery

1. If your mastitis is complicated by an abscess and buildup of fluids underneath the breast tissue, you may need to have an in-patient surgical procedure to drain the abscess and remove the fluids. Speak to your doctor if you notice pus and discolored drainage from your nipples.

2. If your doctor decides to perform surgery to drain a mild abscess, he will probably elect to do this in his office, using a local anesthesia. You should be able to return home or to work the same day, though you may experience soreness after the surgery. The incision site will be small, and there should be no substantial scarring.

3. For deeper and more advanced breast abscesses associated with mastitis, you may require hospitalization and surgery under general anesthesia. The incision may be larger and require more time to heal, and your doctor will probably prescribe an antibiotic to prevent further infection after the procedure.

Tips & Warnings

• Go without a brassiere, or avoid bras with underwires if you are experiencing breast pain. Instead, wear a tight undershirt or body suit that provides support without cutting off your circulation or bruising your skin.

• Breast pain can be serious and should always be checked out by your physician. Although you may find symptomatic relief from home remedies, you should determine the cause of your breast pain as soon as possible and have your condition treated by a medical professional.

References

• Breast Infection
• Breastfeeding: Update 5
• Breast Infection---Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Breast Infection

Resources

• Breast Pain---Mastitis Symptoms and Treatment