What to do if your nipples are swollen and painful

For women, breast problems are very likely to occur, such as breast hyperplasia, mastitis, etc. Once nipple swelling and pain occur, it is likely to be acute mastitis. After becoming ill, it is best for patients to go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time. At the same time, in life, we should also pay attention to the cleanliness of the breasts, eat a light diet and supplement more vitamins and trace elements, and choose looser underwear.

Acute mastitis is an acute suppurative infection of the breast, an inflammation of the connective tissue in and around the mammary ducts. It often occurs in postpartum and lactating women, especially primiparas.

Puerperal mastitis is a common disease in the puerperium, often secondary to nipple fissures, excessive breast fullness, and milk duct obstruction.

1. Cracked nipples

It is usually caused by incorrect breastfeeding posture, the baby not sucking the nipple and most of the areola in the mouth, and breastfeeding on one side for too long.

2. Blocked milk ducts

It is common in secondary milk stasis, and its main causes are incomplete breast suction, irregular and frequent breastfeeding and local pressure on the breast. Milk stasis is also common in people with hypoplastic nipples (such as inverted nipples), which affects breastfeeding. In addition, the breast milk of primiparas contains more exfoliated epithelial cells, which are more likely to cause blockage of the mammary ducts and aggravate milk congestion.

3. Bacterial invasion

The main pathogen of acute mastitis is Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus is less common.

(1) Bacteria can directly invade through the milk ducts, which are prone to infection due to milk congestion and retention. Because retained milk is easy to decompose, the decomposition products are acidic, which not only irritates the mammary ducts but also serves as a good culture medium for bacterial reproduction.

(2) Bacteria can enter the nipple through small wounds or cracks, and invade the breast interstitium through the lymphatic vessels to form cellulitis.

(3) Pathogens that infect other parts of the mother's body during the postpartum period can circulate through the blood and cause breast infection.

(4) Another route of infection is that pathogens in the infant's body (such as oral and nasopharyngeal infections) directly invade the mammary lobules along the mammary ducts during breastfeeding, grow and multiply in the stagnant milk, and cause breast infection.