Mastitis

Mastitis is when your breast becomes swollen, hot and painful. 

It is most common in breastfeeding women and does not usually need medical treatment.

Symptoms of mastitis

Mastitis usually only affects 1 breast, and symptoms often come on quickly. They include:

• a swollen area on your breast that may feel hot and painful to touch – the area may become red but this can be harder to see if you have black or brown skin
• a wedge-shaped breast lump or a hard area on your breast
• a burning pain in your breast that might be constant or only when you breastfeed
• nipple discharge, which may be white or contain streaks of blood

You may also get flu-like symptoms, such as aches, a high temperature, chills and tiredness.

Things you can do to ease mastitis

Treatment for mastitis from a GP

A GP will usually prescribe antibiotics if you have mastitis and your symptoms are not getting better.

If you're breastfeeding a very small amount of the antibiotic may go into your breast milk. There is no risk to your baby, but it might make them irritable and restless.

What to do if mastitis comes back

If you are breastfeeding and keep getting mastitis, it might be due to problems with positioning and attaching.

If you have any breastfeeding problems, it's important to ask for help from a midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding specialist as soon as possible.

Causes of mastitis

Mastitis is common in breastfeeding women as it can be caused by a build-up of milk.

Women who are not breastfeeding can also get mastitis, as can men. This can be caused by:

• smoking – toxins found in tobacco can damage breast tissue
• damage to the nipple, such as a piercing or skin condition such as eczema
• having a breast implant
• having a weakened immune system due to a health condition such as diabetes
• shaving or plucking hairs from around your nipples