Mastitis |
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DESCRIPTION
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Mastitis (mass-TIE-tis) is a breast infection that occurs in nursing mothers. It is not a serious problem, but without care it can cause pain. Mastitis occurs most often during the 3rd or 4th week of breastfeeding.
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CAUSES
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Cracked nipples, a plugged milk tube, or a part of the breast that has not been emptied of milk can cause mastitis. The infection is in the breast tissue and not in your milk. It usually involves one breast.
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SYMPTOMS
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The first signs of mastitis are redness, pain, swelling, and hardness in an area of your breast. You may also have fever, chills, headache, flu-like pain, nausea, and vomiting. Your breast could feel hot to the touch.
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CARE
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Your doctor will give you a kind of medicine called an antibiotic to treat your breast infection. Take it until it is all gone, even if your breast feels better. You do not need to stop breastfeeding. The medicine and infection will not hurt your baby.
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