Breast abscess

Breast abscess is common in lactating women, mostly caused by milk blocking the milk ducts, causing infection and subsequent breast abscess. Or when the child is sucking on the nipple, the nipple is damaged, and the bacteria in the child's mouth stay on the nipple, causing infection and breast abscess. The abscess is a ulceration of the nipple with unclear boundaries. Once an abscess is found, breastfeeding should be stopped immediately and antibiotics should be used for treatment.

Treatment follows the principles

(I) General treatment: Stop breastfeeding in the affected breast and use a breast pump to remove all the milk; hot compresses or physical therapy can help dissipate early inflammation.

(ii) For local application, use 25% MgSO4 wet compress or the Chinese medicine dandelion for external application.

(III) Systemic antibiotics: Effective drugs against Gram-positive cocci, such as penicillin, cephalosporin, etc.

4. Timely incision and drainage after abscess formation

Do's and Don'ts

1. Mothers who breastfeed their children should keep their nipples clean and dry between breastfeeding sessions, prevent nipples from being irritated by clothing, and prevent children from "biting" their nipples. This will reduce the incidence of breast abscesses.

2. Do not breastfeed from the breast with the lump until the infection is gone. Gently massage the infected breast to express the milk and prevent breast engorgement.

Famous recipes

1. 12 grams of roasted Astragalus, 9 grams each of honeysuckle and angelica, and 3 grams of licorice. Decoction in water can treat breast ulcers that do not heal for a long time.

2. Take an appropriate amount of Pusuocao, boil it in water and use it to wash the affected area, or mash it into a paste and apply it externally.

3. Take an appropriate amount of yellow flower grass, 15 grams of realgar, 60 grams of dandelion, and 15 grams of selfheal, mash them and apply them on the affected breast; or boil them with one and a half bowls of water until half a bowl remains, take one dose per day.

Western medicine treatment

1. Take antibiotic medicine to fight the infection.

2. Take aspirin to relieve pain and fever.

3. Sometimes, antibiotics fail to cure the disease, and doctors must drain the abscess.

4. Apply local hot compress, such as 25% magnesium sulfate hot compress, for 20 to 30 minutes each time.

Chinese medicine treatment

1. The breasts are swollen and painful, the skin is slightly red, and the milk is not flowing smoothly, accompanied by chills and fever, headache, chest tightness, thin yellow tongue coating, and a stringy and rapid pulse. You can take Niuhuang Jiedu Pills, Yinqiao Jiedu Pills combined with Sini San or Chaihu Shugan Pills, etc. Apply golden ointment and jade dew ointment externally.

2. The chills and fever persist, the breast becomes diffusely red and swollen, and the pain is severe. Then the center of the lump becomes soft and feels fluctuating when pressed. The tongue coating is thick and yellow, and the pulse is stringy and rapid. You can take Ruchuang Pills, Lianqiao Baidu Pills, Qingwei Huanglian Pills, etc. Apply golden ointment and Sanhuang ointment externally.

3. The abscess ruptures, pus is discharged, the fever subsides, the body becomes cool, the swelling and pain are reduced, and only a wound remains. Pale complexion, red tongue with thin white coating, deep and fine pulse. You can use Bazhen Pills or Ginseng Yangrong Pills and take them together with Sichao Pills. Apply externally the Quji Shengji Powder and Shengji Yuhong Ointment.