Non-lactational mastitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the mammary gland. It occurs outside the period of breastfeeding. Among the main reasons, doctors note hormonal disorders that occur during menopause or menopause. In girls during adolescence, breast tissue increases under the influence of estrogens. But the rapid formation of the body is reflected in the work of immunity. Decreased protective functions are another cause of mastitis. Timely treatment of this disease can minimize the likelihood of complications. To do this, you need to know the signs of mastitis in non-nursing women. Symptoms of the pathological process, the main causes, as well as treatment methods will be discussed in this article.
Why does mastitis occur?
The main reason for the development of the disease are hormonal disorders. Non-lactating mastitis occurs in women during menopause, when estrogen levels fall, and in girls during puberty. Symptoms of this disease are not excluded even in young children.
Certain factors can also provoke mastitis in non-breastfeeding women:
- mechanical damage and trauma to the glandular tissue if an infection gets into the wound;
- weakening of immunity against the background of certain diseases (diabetes mellitus, beriberi);
- breast surgery.
In infants, mastitis is usually diagnosed in the first weeks of life. The mammary glands swell, a secret accumulates in them that cannot be squeezed out. The main cause of non-lactational mastitis in young children is hormonal failure. The disease does not require treatment and resolves on its own in about a month.
Signs of non-lactational mastitis
The development of the pathological process begins with inflammation of the mammary glands. Initially, the symptoms of mastitis in non-breastfeeding women are mild. Then the secretion of the mammary glands increases, there is a slight discomfort and swelling. In the place of localization of inflammation, the skin sometimes darkens and retracts. Such symptoms force a woman to see a doctor. At this stage, the disease responds well to therapy.
Mastitis of the mammary gland in non-lactating women has several variants of development. Therefore, it is advisable to consider the clinical picture of the disease in relation to each form of the disease.
Acute and chronic mastitis
Given the severity of the pathological process and its duration, two forms of this disease can be distinguished.
In acute non-lactational mastitis, a woman is worried about a slightdiscomfort in the mammary gland, which may be accompanied by redness of the skin in this area. As the disease progresses, there is discomfort in the axillary region, which is associated with the involvement of regional lymph nodes in the pathological process. Sometimes the temperature rises, chills appear. All these symptoms fully characterize acute mastitis in non-breastfeeding women. Signs of mastitis indicate serious changes in a woman's body, so you should not self-medicate. Seek medical attention immediately.
Chronic non-lactational mastitis outside the period of exacerbation rarely worries. However, a dense infiltrate may form in the area of inflammation. Some patients note the appearance of chest pains of varying intensity, which are given to the arm or shoulder. Such symptoms are aggravated before the start of the cycle. With an exacerbation of the pathological process, fistulous passages with purulent contents open. Outwardly, the disease resembles cancer in all its symptoms. Therefore, you should not hesitate and postpone a visit to the doctor. The lack of competent therapy can complicate mastitis in non-breastfeeding women. Treatment with antibiotics minimizes the risk of adverse effects.
Other forms of the disease
Non-lactational mastitis very rarely progresses to more complex purulent stages and responds well to therapy. If this is a physiological condition, treatment is not required at all. The symptoms of this disease are largely determined by its form.
- Serous mastitis in non-nursingwomen is usually a borderline condition. Symptoms are often absent and more like mastopathy. Some women report moderate swelling and swelling of the breasts, a slight increase in temperature.
- Infiltrative non-lactational mastitis has a more pronounced clinical picture. Patients complain of an increase in temperature and heaviness in the mammary gland. Breasts may be hot to the touch.
- Purulent mastitis in non-nursing women is characterized by pronounced symptoms: chest pain, swelling, high fever. The patient's condition deteriorates sharply. This is due to the entry of toxins into the blood from a purulent focus of inflammation. The disease in this form resembles a pathological condition that develops during lactation.
Depending on the form of the disease, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment. However, to determine it, you must undergo a medical examination.
Diagnostic measures
Confirmation of the disease is usually easy. The diagnosis of "non-lactational mastitis" in non-lactating women is determined on the basis of complaints and the clinical picture. The doctor may also order an ultrasound and biopsy of the affected area. In especially serious cases, a microbiological examination of the secret from abscesses is required. In addition, a complete examination of the patient is carried out in order to determine the underlying disease that caused the hormonal failure.
Basic principlestherapy
Treatment of the disease depends on its form, stage and the presence of concomitant ailments. As mentioned above, mastitis in non-nursing women is sometimes a physiological norm. In this case, specific therapy is not required, limited to dynamic monitoring of the state of he alth. The disease in severe form is treated with antibiotics and antihistamines. All drugs are selected individually.
Depending on what caused mastitis in non-breastfeeding women, several specialists may prescribe treatment at the same time. If the disease arose against the background of hormonal disruptions, the endocrinologist selects therapy. When mastitis is the result of an infectious process in the breast or injury, a surgeon's consultation is required.
Treatment with folk remedies
Simultaneously with conservative therapy, doctors recommend using traditional medicine. At the initial stages of the disease, it is possible to include procedures for washing the affected breast with a special infusion. To prepare it, you need two tablespoons of a dry mixture of chamomile flowers and yarrow (1: 4), pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. This infusion has a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effect.
To relieve puffiness, you can cook a honey cake. To do this, you need to mix a tablespoon of honey with two tablespoons of flour and knead the dough. The cake must be applied to the affected area, and covered with gauze on top. Such a compress should be kept for at least 10 hours.
Mastitis in non-breastfeeding women,whose symptoms are described in this article, requires qualified treatment. Warm compresses should not be used. High temperatures can provoke suppuration. The use of folk recipes is permissible only after consulting a doctor.
Preventive measures
There is no specific prevention of this disease. It is enough to monitor the state of immunity, treat infectious pathologies in a timely manner. These are the two most common causes of mastitis in non-breastfeeding women. Signs of mastitis should not be ignored, you should immediately consult a doctor. Stay he althy!
