Home treatment for mastitis
Treatment of mastitis at home is possible only after consulting a doctor. Self-diagnosis of the disease and the use of traditional medicine methods can harm health and lead to serious consequences, including blood poisoning and death of a woman.
Conservative therapy for mastitis is justified in the following cases:
- The woman feels satisfactory, that is, her general health is not greatly disturbed.
- No more than 3 days have passed since the onset of the disease.
- Body temperature does not exceed subfebrile marks (37.5 ° C).
- There is no pus in the mammary gland.
- The infiltration zone hurts, but moderately. The size of the seal does not exceed 1 quadrant of the chest.
- Complete blood counts remain within normal limits.
If the body temperature begins to rise, then it is strictly forbidden to take any action to treat mastitis at home without a medical examination. This sign may indicate the onset of a purulent process, which is a health hazard.
The complications and consequences of purulent mastitis are the most serious, here are just a few of them:
- Formation of phlegmon;
- Development of breast gangrene;
- Sepsis.
A woman can lose not only her breasts, but also her life. Purulent mastitis requires surgical treatment and is a direct contraindication to breastfeeding.
Therefore, if after a day from the start of treatment, the condition does not improve, it is necessary to start taking antibacterial drugs. You should not delay with the appointment of antibiotics, since purulent mastitis develops very quickly, in this case it will not be possible to avoid the operation. It is worth remembering that surgical intervention is always associated with a number of risks, and after it is carried out, a defect will remain on the chest. Therefore, mastitis is an unambiguous reason for immediate medical advice.
Content:
- How is mastitis different from lactostasis?
- Ointment for mastitis
- Decoction of dill seeds for mastitis
- Cabbage leaf
- Plain honey for mastitis
- Prevention of mastitis
Mastitis is a real problem for many women who are breastfeeding. Streptococci, staphylococci and other bacteria cause disease, the pathological activity of which results in inflammation in the tissues and ducts of the mammary gland. These microorganisms penetrate into the female breast either through cracks in the nipples, which often form during lactation, or through the milk ducts. It is worth noting that mastitis can develop not only in nursing mothers, but also in expectant mothers, as well as in women who are not currently expecting a baby.
After pathogenic bacteria enter the nipple crack, they move into the lymphatic vessels and begin to multiply actively. Copies of microorganisms quickly spread throughout the entire breast tissue. Another route of infection is lymphogenous (through the lymphatic vessels) or hematogenous (through the blood), when pathogens enter the chest from other foci of inflammation in the body. Such foci are often the paranasal sinuses with sinusitis, aching teeth with caries and pulpitis, purulent tonsils with tonsillitis.
Not a single lactating woman can be 100% sure that she will not develop mastitis. Disease therapy is sometimes quite difficult. However, alternative methods of treatment, which are based on many years of experience of ancestors, help to significantly alleviate the condition of a woman and speed up recovery.
How is mastitis different from lactostasis?
Lactostasis and mastitis are two different diseases. Lactostasis is a blockage of the milk ducts that develops with improper or insufficient emptying of the mammary gland. Stagnant milk can provoke the development of mastitis. At the same time, the woman will begin to feel very bad and it will not be possible to do without calling an ambulance.
Traditional medicine offers ways to combat inflammation at home. Moreover, they often give a positive result and allow you to cope with the disease quickly and efficiently. However, the use of dubious recipes and rash actions can lead to a worsening of a woman's condition. Therefore, before you start treating yourself at home, you need to consult a doctor and get advice from him. It is possible that the doctor will prohibit the use of one or another folk remedy.
In some cases, home treatment of mastitis is indeed effective and allows you to bring the time of recovery closer. Many methods make it possible to prevent the development of mastitis at all, if used correctly and in a timely manner. However, the risk of harm to your own health still exists.
Warming up the mammary glands with mastitis is strictly prohibited. This can only aggravate the course of the disease and provoke more intensive reproduction of bacteria. Hot compresses and lotions for mastitis are prohibited - this should be remembered.
Many mothers and grandmothers advise to warm up the breasts, but this recommendation can be used only with lactostasis. Moreover, this condition can be easily confused with mastitis without professional medical education. Moreover, even doctors themselves without ultrasound are not always able to distinguish lactostasis from mastitis.
Symptoms indicating milk stagnation (lactostasis) are as follows:
- A tumor-like formation is formed in the breast, which fully corresponds to the contours of the breast lobules. The tumor is mobile, has clearly delineated borders, a tuberous surface. It does not hurt, or it hurts, but not much, and does not cause reddening of the breast skin.
- When pressing on the mammary gland, milk flows out unhindered. Expression is not painful and there is significant relief after breastfeeding.
- Body temperature remains within normal limits, or increases slightly (with prolonged stasis), the general condition does not worsen.
- The heaviness in the chest and the feeling of its fullness disappear after feeding.
If a woman actually has lactostasis, and not mastitis, then after expressing milk, the pain will decrease, the body temperature will decrease, and the general condition will return to normal. At the site of localization of stagnation, it will be possible to palpate fine-grained lobules that do not respond to pain when touched.
When milk stagnation is combined with mastitis, then even 4 hours after expressing, the painful lump will not dissolve, the body temperature will not drop, the general condition of the woman will not improve.
Applying heating pads, warm broths, or similar products to your breasts can reduce the symptoms of mastitis, but the relief is imaginary. The woman will feel a positive effect, and pathogenic bacteria will actively multiply inside the breast. Therefore, even with a slight suspicion of mastitis, thermal procedures should be categorically abandoned!
Ointment for mastitis
If a woman has mastitis at an early stage of development, then doctors recommend using Vishnevsky ointment. It helps to reduce pain, improves milk flow, and allows the formed seal to dissolve faster.
Compresses with Vishnevsky ointment are applied to women in many maternity hospitals. However, the overwhelming majority of surgeons point out that the therapeutic effect of using this agent is extremely low. Moreover, the risk of increased inflammation due to the growth of bacteria after this procedure is not excluded, since the breasts will be exposed to high temperatures.
Mastitis is a dangerous disease, it can lead to serious complications. If the treatment is started at the wrong time or it is chosen incorrectly, then the risk of recurrence of inflammation remains in 6-23% of women. Sepsis mastitis is complicated in 5% of women, and 1% of patients die.
Too late prescription of antibiotics, their incorrect selection, poorly treated lactostasis and other cases of inadequate therapy will contribute to the fact that mastitis from the initial (serous) stage will go into a more advanced (purulent) form. In this case, the operation cannot be avoided.
Decoction of dill seeds for mastitis
Dill seeds have a unique chemical composition. They contain various trace elements and vitamins that doctors prescribe to accelerate the recovery of women with mastitis. First of all, these are B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9), vitamin C. There are sulfur, zinc, selenium, phosphorus and other microelements in dill seeds that help to eliminate inflammation.
The beneficial properties of dill seeds for the female body, especially during illness, are as follows:
- Bactericidal action. Due to the death of microbes, it is possible to reduce the severity of inflammation and improve the woman's well-being.
- Spasmolytic effect. This helps to reduce the severity of painful sensations while expressing milk.
- Dill seeds strengthen the vascular wall, increase its elasticity and help prevent blood clots.
- Laxative and diaphoretic effect, which will reduce body temperature, quickly remove toxins from the body, remove swelling from breast tissue.
- The active substances of dill seeds allow for the neutralization of free radicals that damage the structure of cells, and relieve the symptoms of intoxication of the body.
- Preparations based on dill seeds allow you to disinfect wounds, activate regeneration, suppress putrefactive processes, and cleanse tissues from dead cells.
- Choleretic and diuretic effect, which is also important for detoxification.
- Stabilization of the nervous system. It has been proven that the state of immunity directly depends on the mental well-being of a woman.
- Normalization of sleep, getting rid of insomnia. It's no secret that quality rest is the key to a speedy recovery.
- Dill seeds are useful for nursing mothers, as they promote milk production by saturating it with the necessary microelements.
- Dill water is a well-known remedy for flatulence and colic in babies.
To prepare a medicinal broth, you need to pour a tablespoon of seeds with 0.5 liters of water, put on fire, bring to a boil and boil for several minutes. You need to use the broth inside after cooling, in small portions, several times a day.
Cabbage leaf
For mastitis, the cabbage leaf must be applied to the breast. This will achieve the following effects:
- Reduce inflammation
- Normalize cell metabolism in the breast;
- Remove puffiness;
- Remove toxins and harmful substances;
- Improve blood circulation in tissues.
Cabbage has anti-inflammatory, anti-edema and antipyretic effects.
However, in order to achieve them, you need to apply the cabbage leaf to the chest correctly:
- It is best to give preference to the plant that was grown in the garden and has not been treated with pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
- The upper leaves are not applied to the chest, they must be separated, reaching the middle.
- Seals are removed from the leaves and beaten off so that the plant gives juice.
- Leaves are applied to the inflamed area, left on the chest for the whole day or night, periodically replacing.
Plain honey for mastitis
Ordinary honey helps in the early stages of the disease. Compresses with honey allow you to get rid of milk stagnation, but they can be done only on the first day after the problem is discovered.
The honey compress has a warming effect, relieves pain, facilitates the process of expressing breast milk. It should be applied before emptying the breast, in the evening.
If you wish, you can make a honey cake by mixing equal proportions of honey, flour and water. The resulting clot is applied to the chest. However, the effect will be no less if you just smear honey on the diseased breast. From above it is covered with polyethylene and a warm scarf. Leave the compress for 15-20 minutes.
It should be remembered that with mastitis, any warming up procedures are contraindicated, they can be done only to alleviate the condition with stagnant milk.
Prevention of mastitis
In order to prevent the development of mastitis, one should, first of all, fight lactostasis. It is he who is the trigger for the infectious and inflammatory process.
To this end, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- Breastfeeding regularly.
- It is highly advisable to feed the child by the hour, which will allow you to develop a certain diet.
- A circular shower should be performed 20 minutes prior to feeding. This is especially necessary for women who have a tendency to stagnate milk.
- Milk must be expressed correctly. The most effective method is considered to be manual breast emptying with a careful study of the outer quadrant of the breast.
- While latching the baby to the breast, you need to make sure that he completely captures the nipple with his lips.
- Breast care must be of high quality. This will prevent cracking.
- If microtrauma appears, they should be treated immediately.
- The bra must be made from natural fabrics. It is good to use special underwear for nursing women. Care should be taken to keep your bra clean and dry.
- All foci of chronic infection should be promptly treated.
A young mother should avoid excessive physical and nervous stress, get enough sleep and eat well.
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).
