Serous mastitis in women's medical history is not uncommon. Many young mothers face this disease, usually in the first months of a child's life. With serous mastitis, inflammation of the mammary glands of a nursing woman occurs. Pathogenic microorganisms are the main cause of the disease. How to diagnose and subsequently cure serous mastitis in a woman? This will be discussed in the article.
What is serous mastitis?
Signs of illness are bursting pains in the chest, the appearance of seals in it, chills. Serous mastitis is an inflammation of the breast tissue in a woman. It usually occurs in the first months after the first birth and seriously complicates the life of a young mother. Staphylococci, streptococci or Escherichia coli can act as pathogens. These pathogenic microorganisms penetrate the cracked nipples of a woman, where they subsequently begin to multiply. A young mother may develop purulentprocesses in the mammary glands, which is dangerous for her child.
The decision to stop or continue breastfeeding is up to the doctor. In some cases, the doctor allows it, since the sucking of milk by a child stimulates the nipples and alleviates the condition of the woman. If a young mother takes drugs that are dangerous to the he alth of the baby, then she can express herself. This will help the woman maintain her lactation and continue breastfeeding after recovery.
If a woman seeks help from a doctor in a timely manner, then the treatment of serous mastitis will be quick. Therefore, during breastfeeding, a young mother should be especially attentive to her he alth, because her baby's well-being depends on it.
Stages of development of mastitis
At first, a woman may not notice the disease that has begun to develop. At first, the symptoms of the disease are not pronounced, they may not cause any trouble to the young mother. And due to the lack of time associated with round-the-clock care for the baby, often a woman turns to the doctor too late.
The first stage of the disease is serous mastitis. Usually, at the initial stage of the disease, there may be a slight increase in temperature, soreness of the breast on palpation and a slight increase in its size.
The second stage of the disease is infiltrative mastitis. At this stage of the disease, the temperature rises to 38 degrees. Most often, this begins to disturb the sick woman, as it creates inconvenience. On palpation, a young mother can detect a seal inbreast.
The third stage of the disease is purulent mastitis. At this stage, the symptoms begin to increase, it is already impossible not to notice them. A purulent process begins to develop in the mammary glands of a woman. In the third stage of the disease, a young mother may need urgent hospitalization. At this stage of serous mastitis in a woman who has turned into a purulent form, breastfeeding of a child will be prohibited by doctors.
Reasons
Most often, the disease is diagnosed in young mothers, its occurrence is facilitated by the state of lactostasis. The development of sero-catarrhal mastitis can lead to improper attachment of the child to the breast. If the baby does not eat all the milk, then this also increases the likelihood of an ailment.
Causes of serous mastitis in a woman:
- diabetes mellitus;
- disturbances in the hormonal system;
- breast injury;
- chronic infectious diseases;
- boils on chest and armpits.
If a young mother does not follow personal hygiene, then she is at risk. Often mastitis occurs against the background of ongoing stress and a decrease in immunity. The development of the disease can provoke diseases of the throat, inflammation of the tonsils, chronic processes in the sinuses. Sometimes a slight hypothermia is enough for a woman to develop serous mastitis.
But the main reason for the development of mastitis is the penetration of the pathogen into the body of a woman through cracked nipples. A young mother, especially if the child is her first, may incorrectly apply it tochest. This leads to injury to the nipples. If a woman cannot establish proper breastfeeding, then she should consult a doctor.
Symptoms
Serous mastitis is an unpleasant and dangerous disease for a woman. If it is diagnosed quickly, the treatment will be fast. But if the disease is started, then complications may develop. The main symptoms of serous mastitis in women:
- temperature increase;
- mammary glands become hot to the touch;
- puffiness of the breast, feeling of its weight;
- local reddening of the skin;
- not feeling well.
Some inexperienced mothers may confuse this serious illness with ordinary lactostasis. But unlike him, with serous mastitis, after emptying the breast, a woman does not have a feeling of relief. In some cases, the outflow of milk may be disturbed in a young mother, which can make it difficult to breastfeed. Without treatment for serous mastitis, a woman develops nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
A young mother should pay special attention to the condition of her nipples. If a woman notices that they are cracked, then she needs to make an appointment with a doctor. On examination, the doctor may notice enlarged lymph nodes in a sick young mother. The woman is chilled, she is weakened. In advanced cases, an abscess is located in the center of the inflammatory process on the mammary gland. In some cases, such education may not be isolated.
Why should mastitis be treated?
Usually, mastitis is easily diagnosed in the laboratory. With this disease, a woman has an increased level of ESR in the blood. Also, the doctor may suggest serous mastitis if the patient has an increased number of leukocytes. If you determine the disease in the initial stage, then the disease can be quickly overcome. Treatment of serous mastitis in women is usually not difficult for an experienced doctor.
If the patient decided not to respond to the signs of the disease, then in a few days it will turn into an infiltrative form. This leads to a deterioration in the condition of the young mother: she has a headache, chills occur. In this state, it becomes more difficult for a woman to fully care for a child. The patient may complain of weakness, fever, and lumps in the chest.
If this condition did not frighten the woman, then the disease turns into a purulent form. This stage of mastitis is the most dangerous for the he alth and even life of the patient. Treatment will be longer and more difficult. The patient's temperature rises to 40 degrees, the chest becomes red and very large. Due to the processes occurring inside the body, intoxication begins to increase. The temperature of a sick woman can jump: she either falls or rises. The patient complains of nausea, vomiting, feeling unwell.
Which doctor should I contact?
It is undesirable to try to treat serous mastitis on your own. The disease is dangerous with complications and a transition to a more severe form, so a woman needs to seek qualified medical help. In case of serous mastitis, it is recommended to consult withsurgeon and mammologist. Specialists will examine the patient and prescribe an examination. Often, after the interview, an experienced doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis and prescribe symptomatic treatment.
Diagnosis
Usually an experienced doctor can quickly establish the presence of serous mastitis in a woman. The doctor examines the patient and asks her a question regarding the manifestations of the disease and the timing of their appearance. After that, the doctor prescribes the following diagnostic tests:
- Breast ultrasound;
- mammography;
- complete blood count;
- breast milk sampling.
All these methods help to identify the inflammatory process in the body. It is important for a doctor to distinguish serous mastitis from cancer or mastopathy. This can be done using ultrasound. The ultrasound machine will allow you to notice the smoothing of the echostructure, which is characteristic of the inflammatory process in the mammary gland. Also, the doctor during an ultrasound examination draws attention to the milk ducts, which increase with serous mastitis. It is also possible thickening of the fiber and skin. If the disease is running, then the gland during ultrasound examination will look like a honeycomb.
If, after the results of the ultrasound, the doctor still doubts the diagnosis, he sends the patient for a mammogram. In some cases, an aspirate is taken from the affected breast for examination. In many cases, the doctor can determine the lesion by palpation.
Treatment
Depending on the severity of the patient's condition, the doctor may choose both surgical and conservative methods. If the doctor decided to do without surgical intervention, then for treatment he will definitely prescribe antibacterial agents. Many of the drugs are incompatible with breastfeeding. But even in this case, a woman should empty her mammary glands in a timely manner. For the treatment of serous mastitis, hormonal preparations "Oxytocin" and "Parlodel" are used. These funds promote the outflow of milk and alleviate the condition of a woman.
If the disease is already running, then the mammologist sends the patient for a consultation with the surgeon. If abscesses have already formed on the skin, then they need to be opened. If this is not done, then it is fraught with complications. To relieve intoxication, a woman is given droppers with glucose, which alleviate her condition. Be sure the patient is prescribed antibiotics, which she must take for about 7 days. After the treatment of serous mastitis in a woman, breast milk samples are taken from her. If the samples are sterile, she can return to breastfeeding her baby.
Possible Complications
If serous mastitis is not treated, then later it will turn into an infiltrative form, and later - into a purulent one. The disease can lead to the appearance of phlegmon and abscesses, and in some cases even to gangrene of the mammary glands. If even with a severe form of the disease, the nursing mother does not go to the doctor, then she will develop sepsis. This will happen because the pus and bacteriawill be freely distributed throughout the body of a woman. Sepsis is a very dangerous condition that can lead to death.
If serous mastitis is left untreated, it can cause any form of mastopathy. If a woman, despite the doctor’s prohibition, continues to breastfeed her baby, then the baby may get sick. Sometimes the doctor allows a young mother to express milk and then pasteurize it. Only in this form will she be able to feed her baby.
Another complication of serous mastitis is the formation of cysts in the mammary glands. Often, suppuration of such formations occurs, so they are removed surgically. The operation may adversely affect lactation, and the woman will have to transfer the child to artificial feeding.
Prevention
Usually, the first signs of the disease occur soon after childbirth, so a woman needs to be very careful during this period. It is advisable to examine and palpate the breast more often, if it is swollen or reddened, then you should immediately call the doctor.
If a woman wants to protect herself from serous mastitis, then she must do everything to avoid cracking the nipples. It is impossible to allow too long feeding times and always make sure that the baby is applied correctly. It is necessary to create conditions so that the baby completely captures the areola, then nipple injuries will occur much less often.
Before starting lactation, it is advisable to consult with a breastfeeding specialist. The doctor will prescribe skin moisturizers. Drynipples are much more likely to crack, so the use of special preparations is very desirable. After feeding, the glands must be completely emptied. A good effect is the use of the drug "Bepanthen", which treats cracked nipples.
Doctor's advice
At the first signs of acute serous mastitis, a woman should go to the clinic. Self-medication in this situation is unacceptable, as well as the use of folk methods without consulting a doctor. After the birth of a baby, a woman should try to prevent the development of serous mastitis. If enough time is given to prevention, then, as a rule, the disease can be avoided.
During the period of breastfeeding, special attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the bra. It is advisable to change bras daily. It is very good if a young mother has the opportunity to use breast pads that exclude contact of the nipples with the bra. You need to change them several times a day.
It is very important to observe the correct daily routine and lead a he althy lifestyle. Breastfeeding mothers are advised to shower daily. The skin should be he althy and hydrated. It is desirable to take vitamin complexes for nursing mothers.
Serous mastitis is a dangerous disease, so you should try to avoid it.
