Associated symptoms

Chest pain is usually accompanied by accompanying symptoms. These can provide clues as to the underlying causes and more clearly indicate treatment options. Fever is a classic symptom of bacterial inflammation.

In the context of mastitis during breastfeeding (mastitis puerperalis), fever can be an indication of this. But fever can also occur in the case of milk congestion. As a rule, milk congestion is less severe and lasts up to 2 days.

However, milk congestion can also become an infection with bacteria that colonise the breast and make it harder to progress. Both symptoms can lead to fever and chills. If the breast reddens, this indicates irritation of the tissue and often inflammation.

This can have various causes. One diagnosis that should be clarified is mastitis puerperalis, i.e. an inflammation of the breast after birth. It develops at the bottom of a mostly bacterial infection and can be treated well.

However, a milk stasis can also become noticeable by a reddening. Another important diagnosis that should be excluded in any case is an inflammatory mamma carcinoma. This is a breast cancer that looks like an inflammatory reaction but does not respond to typical therapies.

Therefore, both the breast and the lymph nodes should be palpated by a doctor in order not to miss this disease. Most people associate a stabbing feeling in the breast with a heart attack. However, it is also not uncommon in nursing women and has nothing to do with the heart.

In the vast majority of cases, the inflammation has been treated and the aftermath can be painful. Alternatively, a chest thrush can also be present. This is a fungal disease caused by Candida albicans or its spores.

In itself, the fungus is rather harmless, but can also cause discomfort when breastfeeding. The infant also carries the fungus in the mouth. There are several factors that favour the outbreak of such an infection.

These include everything that causes a weakened immune system, such as overtiredness, stress or malnutrition. Diseases such as diabetes or various drugs can also be responsible for this. Whoever takes an antibiotic due to a bacterial infection must also expect that the destruction of the bacteria will create a perfect place for the fungus to spread.

This is usually caused by milk congestion or inflammation of the breast caused by bacteria during breastfeeding. However, it can also occur independently of breast disease as a sign of a cold or flu-like infection. Like many other symptoms, headaches can also be a sign of milk congestion, which can lead to inflammation of the breast during breastfeeding due to bacterial overgrowth.

Other causes of headaches can be iron deficiency or lack of drinking. Since a large part of the fluid available to the body is used to produce breast milk, this volume is lacking elsewhere. Therefore, one should make sure to drink enough fluid.

A drinking volume of 1-2 litres should therefore be maintained. However, whoever drinks too much or too little can also have a negative effect on milk production. If areas of the breast are knotted during breastfeeding, a very harmless cause such as milk congestion can be behind it.

When breastfeeding, the position of the baby should therefore be changed more frequently during breastfeeding and should also be oriented in the direction of hardening. In this way it can be attempted that the infant sucks the milk out of different areas of the breast and thereby relieves the congestion. However, in case of doubt, a doctor should be consulted in order to be able to safely exclude breast cancer as a diagnosis.

A painful breast can be associated with and without hardening. A hardening is usually a milk congestion. However, an incipient milk congestion does not immediately manifest itself as a hardening and is best treated with moist warmth and plenty of breastfeeding so that the congestion does not build up for too long.