All tissues in the body, when damaged by some agent, react to this action with an inflammatory reaction. The female breast is no exception, which can be affected by infectious and other factors, with the further development of mastitis. Mastitis is an inflammatory process in the mammary gland. Mastitis can be serous and purulent. Separately, mastitis is isolated in women after childbirth, which is called lactational. Read more about each type of mastitis and methods for their detection on estet-portal.com.
Inflammation of the mammary glands. Causes of mastitis
As a rule, inflammation of the mammary glands is caused against the background of damage by non-specific flora of microorganisms. These include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Proteus, and Escherichia coli. Specific pathogens, such as pneumococci or gonococci, very rarely lead to inflammation of the mammary glands. It was revealed that Staphylococcus aureus plays the main role in the formation of mastitis, because it is detected in the discharge of the mammary glands with mastitis in 90% of cases. However, it often acts in conjunction with other microflora.
For the development of inflammation of the mammary glands, the microbial flora needs such predisposing factors as pustular skin diseases near the nipple, infection of cracks around the nipples. Provokes the development of mastitis milk stasis (lactostasis), which often develops in women immediately after childbirth. This occurs against the background of a child's consumption of milk less than it arrives, as well as the lack of regular pumping. Also, non-compliance with hygiene procedures can provoke the development of inflammation of the mammary glands.
There are serous mastitis, lactational and purulent mastitis.
Serous mastitis. Causes and treatment of serous mastitis
Acute serous mastitis develops suddenly with high body temperature, which can reach 400C. This is accompanied by very severe pain in the mammary gland. Even with a light touch of the chest, severe pain begins. At the same time, a seal is felt inside the glandular tissue - an inflammatory infiltrate that has unexpressed boundaries.
The mammary gland is sharply enlarged and tense. When examining the chest, you can notice an area of swollen, inflamed skin. Often, the course of serous mastitis is accompanied by involvement of the lymph nodes and inflammation of the lymphatic vessels.
Treatment of serous mastitis is always conservative. For this, the mammary gland needs to be rested. A dry bandage is used to keep the gland in limbo, to relieve tension and stress on the tissues of the gland. If there is confidence that the mastitis is not purulent, then dry heat can be applied to the mammary gland.
Causes of lactational mastitis and prevention measures
Lactational mastitis is manifested by breast engorgement, increased sensitivity and pain. With the development of lactational mastitis, it is necessary to express milk, and if it is impossible to do this, stop lactation with the help of drugs (bromocriptine).
With lactational mastitis, it is possible and necessary to feed a child only with healthy breasts (with one-sided lesion). If the above measures fail, antibiotics are prescribed. When taking antibacterial drugs, breastfeeding is prohibited. Broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs (macrolides, penicillins) are often used. To relieve pain in the mammary gland, a retromammary blockade with novocaine is used.
Purulent mastitis. Forms of the course and treatment of purulent mastitis
Purulent mastitis often occurs in the form of abscessing mastitis. It is accompanied by fever with chills and severe pain in the mammary gland. Such inflammation develops when pyogenic microflora enters the breast tissue. This flora ensures the development of an abscess in the breast tissue.
An abscess can be located subcutaneously, in the retromammary tissue, or in the gland tissue itself. A subareolar abscess develops when the areola is damaged. Most often, abscesses appear inside the gland.
The most severe form of purulent mastitis is phlegmonous mastitis. It is characterized by the spread of pus through the fiber. The movement of pus has no restrictions. There is a large infiltrate in the chest, the woman's condition is severe, her breasts are very sensitive and painful. The skin over the infiltrate has a bluish tint, edematous, sometimes becomes purple. With phlegmonous mastitis, lymphadenitis develops.
In any course of purulent mastitis, its treatment is only surgical. The purpose of the operation is to remove the accumulation of pus from the gland tissue. This eliminates all the symptoms of mastitis. The incisions are made radially, along the excretory ducts, without touching the areola and nipple. If you need to open a small abscess, a small circular incision is made along the edge of the areola. They also use a retromammary incision along the fold at the bottom of the mammary gland.
Women's breasts require proper care and attention. If you find any seals, pain, or if you change color and size, you need to contact a specialist. Early detection of mastitis will shorten the treatment time.
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