Mastitis is the inflammation of the breast tissue that can sometime be a result of an infection. Mastitis commonly affects women who are breast feeding (lactation mastitis) but can occur in women who aren’t breast feeding and in men.

Symptoms of mastitis can appear suddenly and can include breast tenderness and warmth to the touch, breast swelling thickening of breast tissue or a breast lump, pain or a burning sensation whilst breast feeding, skin redness – often in a wedge shape pattern. You may also feel run down and have raised temperature. 

It is usually caused by milk that is trapped in the breast, from a blocked milk duct. If the breast doesn’t completely empty at feeding, one of your milk ducts can become clogged, the blockage causes milk to back up, leading to infection.

Bacteria entering the breast, either from your skins surface or from your baby’s mouth can enter the milk ducts through a crack in the skin of your nipple, or through a milk duct opening. Stagnant milk in the breast becomes a good breeding ground for bacteria. If mastitis isn’t treated adequately, it can cause an abscess to develop, this will usually require surgical drainage.

Treatment of mastitis might include a 10-day course of oral antibiotics; it is important to take the full course as directed by your doctor. Over the counter pain medications may also be recommended.

It is safe to continue breast feeding if you have mastitis. Breast feeding can help to clear the infection and weening your baby suddenly is likely to worsen the symptoms.