What are the symptoms of acute mastitis?

Acute mastitis is a common gynecological disease. Women who are breastfeeding are usually very susceptible to this disease, which often causes nipple discharge and breast deformation. When you touch the breast with your hand, you will feel a bean-sized lump inside. If it is more serious, it will cause local breast hardening and enlargement of the lump, and even cause the patient to have a fever, general weakness, swollen lymph nodes, etc.

1. Nipple discharge

Generally, the fluid flowing out of the nipple will appear bloody or serous, so it seems that we should go to the hospital for further diagnosis.

2. Breast deformation

At this time, we will find that the skin where there is a lump will bulge, and the local skin will appear in the shape of orange peel, or even a series of changes such as water, discoloration, eczema, etc.

3. Lump

A lump the size of a broad bean will appear in the breast. If you touch it with your hand, you will clearly feel that the lump is hard and movable, but there will not be any obvious pain. A small number of patients may experience dull pain, tingling, etc.

4. Purulent stage

The local breast becomes hard and the lump gradually increases in size. This may be accompanied by high fever, chills, general weakness, dry stools, rapid pulse, ipsilateral lymph node enlargement, and increased white blood cell count. An abscess may often form in 4-5 days. Breast throbbing pain may occur, the local skin may become red, swollen and translucent, the center of the lump may become soft, and there may be fluctuation when pressed. If it is a deep breast abscess, the entire breast may become swollen, painful, and have a high fever, but the local skin redness, swelling and fluctuation are not obvious. Sometimes there may be several abscess cavities in one breast at the same time or one after another.

5. Late stage of ulcer

Superficial abscesses can often penetrate the skin, forming ulcers or causing milk to overflow from the wound and cause milk leakage. Deeper abscesses can penetrate into the fat between the breast and pectoralis major muscle, forming a retrobreast abscess. In severe cases, sepsis may occur.