Treatment | Mastitis puerperalis

Treatment

In most cases, mastitis can be successfully treated with simple means. For safety reasons, the diagnosis should be made by a doctor. Afterwards, in-house remedies can often already treat the mastitis in a targeted manner.

Important measures are to continue to breastfeed for the time being in the case of mild mastitis, to cool the inflammation and to massage the breast occasionally. In this way, an attempt is first made to promote the flow of milk and allow the inflammation to subside on its own. Well-tried household remedies can be used to support this.

In more severe cases these procedures are not sufficient. In the case of a severe inflammation, antibiotic therapy must be carried out. Since the inflammation is almost always caused by bacterial pathogens, conventional antibiotics can often control the disease well.

In the case of particularly severe courses of the disease, additional breast-feeding must be carried out under hormone control. Heat therapy can also promote healing at this stage. Very rarely, surgical measures may be necessary to get the inflammation under control.

An incision in the breast with removal of the encapsulated abscess can be performed in these stages. In particularly severe cases, breast-feeding must be stopped. This removes the milk congestion and gives the breast the opportunity to control the inflammation itself.

In order to breastfeed, the milk from the mammary gland is first pumped out. In addition, the hormones can be controlled by medication so that the breast does not produce milk. So-called “prolactin inhibitors” are used for this purpose.

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There is no danger for the baby with mastitis puerperalis. In most cases it is not necessary to stop breastfeeding. Breastfeeding during mastitis puerperalis is an important therapeutic method even in case of normal inflammation.

Milk congestion is often a major cause of inflammation of the mammary glands, which is why breastfeeding should be stimulated and encouraged. The danger of transmitting bacterial pathogens to the child is unjustified. The bacteria cannot cause any harm in the child.

The only disadvantage of breastfeeding is the milk congestion itself, which makes it more difficult for the child to suck the milk. An antibiotic is almost never necessary for mastitis puerperalis. Even though the inflammation is almost always caused by bacteria, the body rarely needs support in fighting the pathogens.

In rare cases, the inflammation can spread strongly and take on severe progression. If the focus of inflammation no longer encapsulates itself as an abscess, but the inflammation spreads diffusely in the tissue, this is called a phlegmon.In these cases, antibiotic therapy is urgently needed because the body cannot control the spread of the inflammation. For this purpose, so-called “cephalosporins” are used, which are effective against the typical bacteria of mastitis puerperalis.

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In most cases, mastitis puerperalis can be treated well with home remedies. Cooling the breast with occasional massaging can promote healing. Pumping out milk can and should also be done at home if there is a milk congestion.

Warmth can also stimulate milk flow if a milk congestion exists. Here it must be weighed how pronounced the inflammation of the mammary gland already is. If anything is unclear, professional help should be sought as early as possible.

Home remedies and other measures to treat mild mastitis puerperalis can be combined with homeopathic remedies. The well-known remedy Belladonna also helps with this form of inflammation with accompanying fever. Other remedies that should be considered by the homeopath are Bryonia, Apis mellifica and Lachesis muta. However, an exact diagnosis should be carried out by a trained homeopath, as the symptoms are different for each person. In the case of severe inflammation with a strong feeling of illness, home remedies and homeopathic medicines should be avoided and further therapy should be discussed with a doctor.