Suffering from Mastitis

Mastitis is an infection of the tissue in the breast that occurs most frequently during the time of breast feeding. This infection causes pain, swelling, redness, and increased temperature of the breast. It can occur when bacteria, often from the baby’s mouth, enter a milk duct through a crack in the nipple. This causes an […]

Mastitis is an infection of the tissue in the breast that occurs most frequently during the time of breast feeding. This infection causes pain, swelling, redness, and increased temperature of the breast. It can occur when bacteria, often from the baby’s mouth, enter a milk duct through a crack in the nipple. This causes an infection and painful inflammation of the breast.

The breast structure
The breast is composed of several glands and ducts that lead to the nipple and the surrounding coloured area called the areola. The milk-carrying ducts extend from the nipple into the underlying breast tissue like the spokes of a wheel. Under the areola are lactiferous ducts. These fill with milk during lactation after a woman has a baby.
Bacteria normally found in a baby’s mouth or on the nipple can enter the milk ducts through small cracks in the skin of the nipple and can multiply rapidly in the breast milk.
Indications that more serious infection has occurred include the following:
1. Tender lump in the breast that does not get smaller after breast feeding a newborn. (If the abscess is deep in the breast, you may not be able to feel it). The mass may be moveable and/or compressible.
2.  Pus draining from the nipple
3. Persistent fever and no improvement of symptoms within 48-72 hours of treatment.

When to seek medical care
1.      You have any abnormal discharge from your nipples.
2.      Breast pain is making it difficult for you to do your normal day to day work.
3.      You have prolonged, unexplained breast pain.
4.      You have any other associated symptoms  you are worried about such as redness, swelling, pain that interferes with breast feeding, or a mass or tender lump in the breast that does not disappear after breast feeding.
5.      If you are breast feeding, call your doctor if you develop any symptoms of breast infection so that treatment may be started promptly.
6.      You may need to be evaluated in a hospital if the breast pain is associated with other signs of an infection (such as a fever, swelling, or redness to the breast).
Need more information about douching?

My girlfriends keep talking about ‘douching’ as a way of preventing vaginal infections. Please share insight?
Habashiya N

Vaginal douching is a process of rinsing or cleaning the vagina by forcing water or another solution into the vaginal cavity to flush out vaginal discharge or other contents. Vaginal douches are available over-the-counter and are made in a variety of fragrances by several manufacturers and can be prescribed to treat certain conditions.
Women do that for many reasons such as:
1. To rinse away any remaining menstrual blood at the end of the monthly period.
2. Some women douche following sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
3. Douching is neither a contraceptive, or preventive measure against STDs or other infections.
4. To reduce vaginal odours.
At times it is recommended for the treatment of chronic yeast infections or chronic bacterial infections; however, douching for this purpose should be done only under doctor’s supervision using the special solution provided.
Douching may not be healthy because it changes the delicate chemical balance of the vagina and can make a woman more susceptible to infections. Douching can introduce new bacteria into the vagina which can spread through the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes.
For these reasons, douching is no longer recommended as a safe or healthy way to routinely clean the vagina. The vagina cleans itself naturally with its own mucous secretions. When bathing or showering use warm water and gentle unscented soap to cleanse the outer areas of the vagina. Feminine hygiene products such as soaps, powders, and sprays are not necessary and may lead to irritation of sensitive tissues.