What is mastitis?

It is inflammation of the breasts that causes pain, reddish coloration, and excessive heat in them. Sometimes this condition is caused by an infection, which causes chills and a high fever.

Mastitis is usually associated with breastfeeding, so it usually occurs in women who breastfeed their babies, although it can affect any woman and even men.

Lactating mastitis causes a dryness sensation in the breasts, giving the impression that they no longer contain milk, hindering the baby’s feeding and accelerating breastfeeding suspension because it is recommended to suspend it when receiving antibiotic treatment.

The accumulation of milk in the breast tissue that produces a blockage of the ducts and bacterial infections are usually the most frequent reasons for the appearance of this condition.

Sometimes the symptoms appear suddenly or can manifest little by little:

• Excessive heat in the breasts.
• Permanent pain and irritation or only while breastfeeding.
• Reddish skin color.
• High fever.
• Breast tenderness.
• Inflammation.
• Breast bulges.

Potential risks:

• Weakness.
• Fatigue.
• Malnutrition.
• Smoking.
• Breastfeeding with poor technique.
• Stress.
• Previous mastitis.
• Damaged breasts or nipples.
• Wear tight bras.

When mastitis is not treated, an abscess can form that must be surgically drained. Therefore, you must see your doctor if you experience the aforementioned symptoms.

Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination and if they consider that the infection is serious, they will perform a milk culture to identify the invading bacteria and the antibiotic that eliminates it most effectively. There is inflammatory breast cancer that is sometimes confused with mastitis. If your doctor suspects cancer, they will order an ultrasound, a mammogram, and a biopsy to confirm or rule out the diagnosis. The indicated treatment for mastitis usually includes the following drugs:

• Antibiotics.
• Painkillers.

Your doctor can also recommend a lactation consultant who will teach you the best techniques for breastfeeding and how to prevent the occurrence of mastitis. Comprehensive women’s health is our priority at the Women’s Center, so we offer services focused on women in all their chronological stages with the highest standards of care to improve their quality of life, through a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services. Reasons to choose our Women’s Center:

• Multidisciplinary team: we have obstetrician-gynecologists and specialized nurses who provide gynecological and prenatal care.
• Personalized and humane care: our services are designed to meet your individual needs and preferences, ensuring that you receive humane care that allows you to have a healthy life.
• Better treatment options: reducing hospitalization times, quicker and less painful recovery, and taking care of the aesthetic appearance of our patients.
• Robot surgery: we have a great technological development that allows us to perform more precise surgical procedures using robotic instruments and an endoscopic video camera.
• Comfortable facilities with state-of-the-art technology: in case of requiring special care, we have facilities fully equipped with the latest technological advances.

It has three specialized units:

• Obstetrics Center
• Gynecology Center
• Gynecology in adolescence

Women’s Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory