Ultrasound therapy - “treatment of lactostasis in a nursing mother. which helped. ultrasound in lactostasis. Treatment of lactational mastitis

Previously, physiotherapeutic methods of treatment were considered only as an auxiliary therapy, the role of which is not so great.

However, in the future, after more detailed studies, medicine began to treat such treatment in a different way.

Nowadays, physiotherapy is used very widely, including in lactostasis.

Benefits of procedures

Therapeutic techniques of this kind provide a quick and painless get rid of lactostasis, in addition, they are absolutely harmless to the organisms of a nursing mother and her baby.

But in order to fully realize the potential of physiotherapy, patients are required to adhere to the correct feeding regimen for newborns during treatment, as well as the use of special postures that ensure the full outflow of all milk secreted by the mammary glands.

The main types of therapy

Most often, to combat this pathology, gynecologists and mammologists prescribe the following methods of physiotherapeutic effects on the mammary gland:

1. Ultra high frequency radiation.
2. Currents of Darsonval.
3. ultrasound therapy.
4. Electrophoresis.

Using the methods listed above, you can very quickly save a woman from the dangerous phenomena of stagnation, preventing the development of an inflammatory process in the mammary gland. In addition, with the help of physiotherapy, various microtraumas of the chest are effectively eliminated, including such common ones as nipple cracks.

The impact of such procedures is based on stimulating blood circulation, improving lymph circulation and milk outflow. It becomes possible to achieve such results due to a slight increase in temperature within the treated areas, as well as a slight massage and anti-inflammatory effect from the procedures listed above.

Sometimes congestive processes in the mammary gland can be successfully dealt with by stimulating the adrenal cortex. This will help to achieve low-intensity high-frequency magnetotherapy.

It is important to know: physiotherapy procedures should be prescribed by a mammologist or gynecologist, who can determine whether we are talking about lactostasis or another, more serious pathology.

Also, a positive therapeutic effect can be achieved through the use of physiotherapy procedures that enhance lymph drainage:

1. Compresses with alcohol.
2. Electrophoresis with oxytocin.

Ultrasound

This procedure is regularly used in the complex therapy of lactostasis and helps to effectively eliminate seals in the breast tissue.

In cases where pumping does not lead to the disappearance of pain and discomfort, it is recommended to use ultrasound, which breaks up stagnant milk and easily massages the mammary glands.

In addition, lymphatic and blood flow increase significantly.

Currents of Darsonval

Darsonval is an excellent remedy for even advanced cases of lactostasis.

The technique is based on the dosed supply of electric current pulses to compacted areas.

The resorption of pathological foci occurs due to the complex effect of several factors:

1. Mechanical.
2. Thermal.
3. Physical.

Ultra high frequency field

The UHF technique is based on the use of ultra-high-frequency alternating electric current, which has a very high ability to penetrate deep into tissues.

Its effect leads to vasodilatation, as well as to the intensification of the processes of oxidation and metabolism. Processing is carried out using devices UHF-62, "Impulse-3" and others.

Physiotherapeutic methods are prohibited for use in acute mastitis, fibroadenomatosis of the mammary (s) glands (s), mastopathy, malignant tumors.

Preferred breastfeeding positions

Choosing a comfortable position for breastfeeding, each mother makes her own. It is influenced by a number of factors:

1. Child activity.
2. Woman breast shape.
3. Individual preference for both.

However, there are several positions that are better than others for feeding children with lactostasis:

1. "Cradle". The woman sits down in a position that is comfortable for herself, puts the baby to her tummy, and places his head on the elbow. The position is most comfortable for the child, as it provides him with a position in the mother's arms, similar to the one in which he lies in the cradle.
2. Under arm feeding position. Mom puts her baby on a pillow under her arm, turning his face to her chest. The convenience of the posture for the newborn lies in the fact that it is convenient for him to grab the mother's breast, and for the mother - the lack of pressure on her stomach.
3. Both are on the side. The woman and her child lie on their side opposite each other, face to face. The best position for lactostasis, since the affected breast does not experience any pressure, and the location of the second breast is physiologically correct. The best reviews of moms relate to this particular position.

Please note that there are other positions that are suitable for lactostasis feeding, however, those listed above are the most effective and help fight this pathological condition with the help of a newborn.

What positions are convenient when feeding a baby, see the following video:

anatomy-mastopatii.com

Ultrasound in lactostasis as one of the methods of physiotherapy

Many breastfeeding mothers often have problems with lactation. One of them is lactostasis. This condition requires timely treatment to prevent the development of complications. Let's see what this problem is and whether ultrasound helps with lactostasis.

What is lactostasis

Normally, the mammary glands of a woman during feeding a child should be completely freed from the accumulated milk. But often nursing mothers are faced with such a problem as stagnation of milk. This disease is called lactostasis. It develops due to blockage of one or more milk ducts.

The main symptom of lactostasis is the compaction of the mammary glands, the appearance of soreness and a feeling of fullness. The woman's temperature rises, and her breasts become tight and hot. If treatment is not started in time, inflammation will develop, which will gradually cover the entire gland. Untreated lactostasis can develop into mastitis. In especially advanced cases, the disease can be eliminated only by surgery.

Causes of lactostasis

The disease can occur under the influence of various factors:

Large amount of milk produced. If there is too much milk in the breast, the child does not have time to eat everything, and the remnants clog the ducts.

Insufficient outflow of milk from the gland. If the milk does not come out of the breast well, then the woman may begin to stagnate.

Violation of the feeding regimen. Incorrectly organized feeding, irregular breastfeeding, missed feedings, refusal to breastfeed without pumping often cause various problems with the mammary glands.

Sagging chest. In women with sagging breasts that have lost elasticity, the risk of lactostasis increases. This is due to the fact that sagging breasts prevent the normal outflow of milk.

Chest injury and hypothermia. A nursing mother should protect her breasts from bruises, injuries and hypothermia, so as not to provoke the development of the disease.

Cracked nipple or flat nipple. In this case, the child cannot normally take the nipple into his mouth, so he sucks out an insufficient amount of milk, the remnants of which cause blockage of the ducts.

Incorrect attachment of the child to the breast. Young, inexperienced mothers do not know how to properly attach the baby to the breast and this causes stagnation of milk.

Tight clothing, tight bra. During lactation, it is necessary to wear loose underwear and clothes that will not squeeze the breast, otherwise the development of lactostasis can be provoked.

Treatment of lactostasis with ultrasound

Ultrasound is often used to treat this disease. It is considered more effective than medication. Ultrasonic waves penetrate the clogged ducts, breaking the resulting seals. In this case, soft tissues are not damaged.

For treatment, ultrasonic vibrations with a frequency of up to 3000 kHz are used. They have a thermal and mechanical effect on milk stagnant in the glands. Such an effect accelerates metabolism, dilates blood vessels, improves blood circulation, and eliminates swelling and soreness in the chest.

Ultrasound treatment does not have any harmful effect on the body of a nursing woman, so the method is successfully used all over the world.

How is the treatment carried out

First of all, it is necessary to examine the mammary glands with ultrasound. This is done using an ultrasound machine. The doctor identifies the formed seals and chooses a method of treatment. It depends on how severe the disease is. Ultrasound is one of the most effective and safest methods of treatment.

Usually, the doctor prescribes from 3-4 to 5-8 ultrasound procedures, one procedure per day. The duration of the course depends on the condition of the mammary glands. The procedure itself takes about 15 minutes. Ultrasonic exposure is performed using a special device. The doctor gently moves this device along the patient's chest. At the same time, the woman does not experience any pain or other unpleasant sensations. On the contrary, there is a pleasant warmth in the chest.

With the help of ultrasound, micro-massage of soft tissues is carried out, as a result of which stagnant milk is liquefied. After the procedure, the patient must be sure to express it. This is done, as a rule, immediately after ultrasonic exposure, right in the treatment room. The softened fabrics allow you to express milk without much difficulty. Expressed milk should never be given to a child, as it has been exposed to ultrasound.

Some clinics offer home ultrasound treatment of lactostasis. If for some reason the patient cannot attend the physiotherapy room, a specialist with portable equipment can be called in and he will carry out the procedure at home. This can be done, for example, on a day off, when the clinic is closed and treatment cannot be missed.

Ultrasound treatment: contraindications

Ultrasound therapy helps in most cases. Usually, after the first procedure, a woman feels relief, and after a course of treatment, the problem disappears completely. In addition, ultrasound is an excellent prevention of problems with the mammary glands in the future.

As already mentioned, this treatment method is safe. But despite this, there are a number of diseases in which it cannot be used. Contraindications include:

Mastopathy; mastitis in acute form; oncological diseases; fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland; CNS lesions.

In these cases, physiotherapy for lactostasis is not used, since such exposure can exacerbate existing problems. Women suffering from these diseases, choose other methods of treating the disease.

Every nursing mother should monitor the condition of her breasts and eliminate emerging problems in time. This will help avoid many complications.

birth-info.ru

Laktostasis - physiotherapy.ru

Lactostasis is considered to be such a condition in a nursing woman, in which either increased milk production or its difficult outflow from the mammary glands occurs. This problem often arises in situations where a young mother does not have a well-established breastfeeding technique - feeding is not "on demand", the use of nipples, bottles with formula to supplement the baby, supplementing with water in the first months of the baby's life, not regularly applying the baby to the breast ( for example, due to an early start to work, illness of the mother), regular pumping (which leads to excess milk production and stagnation). Also, the risk of lactostasis occurs when wearing too tight underwear, preceding prolonged mastopathy with the formation of fibrous tissue. Lactostasis is manifested by a feeling of heaviness in the chest and a feeling of fullness, a limited area of ​​\u200b\u200bdensification is palpated.

What is dangerous development of lactostasis

With untimely correction of congestion in the mammary gland with lactostasis, a dangerous disease can form - mastitis with the formation of inflammatory processes in the tissues of the mammary gland. With mastitis, in addition to severe arching pains in the chest, its swelling and redness, there is an increase in the temperature of both the chest itself and the general one, with chills and a sharp deterioration in well-being. Running mastitis can lead to tissue necrosis and the development of sepsis. Therefore, it is so important to fight lactostasis.

Lactostasis initially develops only in a few lobules of the mammary gland, in which milk stagnation occurs, and has a completely limited localization that can be palpated. If you start preventive measures at this stage, then it is quite possible to avoid unpleasant consequences.

What can you do yourself?

It is urgent to establish the technique of attaching the baby to the breast, make sure that the baby correctly grasps the breast along with the halo, try to attach the baby initially to this breast and not tear it off before he releases the breast. During feeding, you need to massage the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe breast where the seal is felt - from the periphery to the center of the mammary gland, freeing it from milk. Too much pumping can cause a reflex increase in milk production and worsen the situation. Before feeding, you can put a warm diaper on your chest, this will improve the outflow of milk when sucking the baby. When decanting, you must remember that you should not try to express "to the last drop", but to release the stagnant lobules of the mammary gland.

If you feel that you cannot cope on your own, do not hesitate and contact a gynecologist, mammologist or pediatrician within 2 days. You will immediately be prescribed medication, physiotherapy methods and will be taught how to properly drain congested breasts.

Of the physiotherapeutic methods, ultrasound therapy is most often prescribed http://physiotherapy.ru/factors/mechano/ultrasound-therapy.html. Its mechanism of action in mastitis is to improve the outflow of milk, blood and lymph flow due to a local increase in temperature and micromassage effect, as well as ultrasound has an anti-inflammatory effect, which is important for the prevention of mastitis.

Ultrasound treatment is carried out in advanced cases, when there is a risk of developing mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland due to infection of its excretory ducts). Ultrasound therapy is used in this case as a method that restores the regeneration of inflamed tissues, improves local blood flow and lymph flow. Ultrasonic waves pass deep into the tissues and are well absorbed by adipose tissue, the pulsed technique, when exposed to milk clots in the lobules, improves their outflow from the mammary glands. The technique is quite simple and painless: the procedure is carried out locally on the breast area (excluding the areola), with soft circular movements, the mode is set to pulse, the duration of the procedure is only about 10 minutes. For a full course of treatment, 5-8 daily procedures or every other day are prescribed. After the ultrasound treatment, you need to express milk with an emphasis on the stagnant area, as a rule, this is quite easy. A noticeable improvement will already be noticeable after the 3rd procedure. At the same time, it must be remembered that ultrasound therapy is carried out in combination with methods that regulate increased milk production or improve its outflow. At the same time, the vegetovascular dysfunction is corrected and the adrenal cortex is stimulated.

Contraindications to ultrasonic exposure in lactostasis:

Mastopathy

Fibroadenomatosis of the mammary glands

Acute mastitis

Malignant neoplasms

Organic lesions of the central nervous system.

In all other cases, ultrasound is the most important auxiliary method for correcting congestion in the breast with lactostasis.

www.physiotherapy.ru

Ultrasound of the mammary glands with lactostasis

Physiotherapy, and in particular ultrasound therapy, is used to treat many diseases of the mammary glands. Ultrasound allows you to eliminate seals in the human body, which is why it is so effective in lactostasis. This is a disease in which milk accumulates in the milk ducts and leads to stagnant processes.

Ultrasound allows you to quickly get rid of seals in the chest and avoid the development of mastitis, which is accompanied by severe pain, fever and a sharp deterioration in well-being. Mastitis can lead to tissue necrosis and sepsis. That is why it is very important to start the treatment of lactostasis on time.

What a woman should do at the first symptoms of the disease is, first of all, to consult a gynecologist or mammologist.

The essence of the procedure

With lactostasis, stagnation of milk occurs, which causes unpleasant and painful sensations. This leads to tissue swelling and can cause inflammation.

This can happen if:

• A young mother, due to lack of experience, cannot properly attach her baby to her breast.
• There are long breaks between feedings, and the baby does not suck out all the milk.
• A woman wears tight underwear, which injures her chest or sleeps on her stomach, which causes compression of the milk ducts.
• The child cannot breastfeed.

This disease is so common due to the fact that after the birth of the baby, milk arrives abruptly and in large volume, and the baby is not able to empty the breast. It is this period that is especially dangerous, and how long it will last depends on the woman.

Physiotherapy allows you to quickly get rid of pain and is completely safe for a nursing mother.

Ultrasound works like this:

1. Milk is liquefied in the mammary glands.
2. Its outflow improves.
3. Blood circulation improves.
4. It has an anti-inflammatory effect, which helps prevent mastitis.
5. Fights cracks and microtraumas in the nipple area.

Treatment of the mammary glands is the use of a special apparatus that emits an ultra-high frequency of up to 3000 kHz. The procedure must be carried out by an experienced professional.

Experts believe that several stages of the impact of ultrasound on the body can be distinguished:

• The first stage is the impact itself, during which a microscopic restructuring of cellular structures is observed.
• The second stage begins a few hours after the procedure. An increase in the protective functions of leukocytes can be observed.
• The third stage is characterized by increased metabolism in tissues.
• At the last stage, the metabolism of carbohydrates increases, blood circulation improves.

Based on this reaction of the body to ultrasound, we can assume that its use in lactostasis is more than appropriate.

How many procedures will have to be done depends on the degree of development of the disease. Treatment must be done every day. Usually a woman needs to do 5-8 procedures. One session lasts only 15 minutes. After its completion, the woman must express breast milk. This will be very easy, as the ultrasound clears the milk ducts. This milk should not be used to feed a baby.

The treatment does not cause any discomfort. A special device allows you to gently act on the chest, creating the effect of a pleasant massage, in which the woman feels only a relaxing, pleasant warmth.

It can be painful when pumping after the procedure. But its intensity is much lower. It cannot be compared with what a woman feels when trying to clear her hair at home without resorting to treatment.

Ultrasound in lactostasis is actively used throughout the world. It allows you to quickly improve the condition of the mammary glands. You do not need to do many procedures for the endowment to come. Feeling better after two or three sessions.

What to do at the first signs of lactostasis?

Physiotherapy is prescribed in advanced cases, when there is a threat of developing mastitis.

To avoid such a condition of the mammary glands, it is necessary:

1. Follow the feeding technique: the child must properly grasp the breast, it must be applied to the sore breast more often.
2. In the process of feeding, it is necessary to massage the breast in order to completely free it from milk.
3. You can’t express too often, otherwise more milk will come, and the condition of the mammary glands will worsen even more.
4. Before feeding, put a warm diaper on your chest. This must be done in order to improve the outflow of milk.
5. When decanting, you should try to free the areas of compaction of the mammary glands from milk as much as possible.

If it was not possible to correct the situation on your own, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible. The hospital will prescribe the necessary medicines, physiotherapy and help to express the sore breast.

Who is not suitable for treatment

Despite the undoubtedly positive effect on the body, ultrasound can not be used by everyone.

This treatment is contraindicated in those who:

1. He suffers from various diseases of the nervous system.
2. With malignant tumors.
3. With mastopathy. Ultrasound treatment in this case can lead to the formation of cancer cells.
4. Suffering from fibroadenoma of the mammary glands.

If there are no such health problems, ultrasound will be a real salvation in case of milk stagnation.

Experts have proven that the use of ultrasound is absolutely safe, so no matter how many procedures a woman has to undergo, she may not be afraid that this will negatively affect her further condition.

Ultrasonic waves turn stagnant milk masses into an emulsion, which improves outflow. This allows you to get rid of the symptoms of lactostasis in a short period of time. That is why ultrasound treatment is the best solution to this problem.

grud03.ru

Laktostasis - ultrasound for lactostasis

Physiotherapy for lactostasis is used quite extensively, because it is considered an effective procedure in the treatment of this disease and allows you to quickly get rid of seals, preventing the occurrence of an infectious process and, as a result, mastitis. Another plus of physiotherapy is the absence of pain and complete safety. In most cases, ladies are advised to undergo ultrasound sessions to eliminate congestion, in addition, electrophoresis with the introduction of pharmaceutical herbs can also be prescribed. Together with the phenomena of inflammation, cracks in the nipple area can also pass. With outpatient treatment, one procedure per day is enough; with saturated therapy, the number of sessions is increased to 3 procedures per day.

Ultrasound for lactostasis

Ultrasound is used quite often, it helps to get rid of seals. With lactostasis, painful seals form in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mammary gland, which is accompanied by an expansion of venous vessels in the area of ​​​​milk accumulation. Even after pumping, the disease does not disappear pain and discomfort. Ultrasound with lactostasis helps to break up stagnant milk and allows you to immediately massage the mammary glands.

The normalization of the process of milk formation in the amount needed by the child does not occur immediately. Milk usually arrives from the mother on the third day after the birth of the baby and often appears in a large volume, which the newborn is simply not able to suck out completely. So, the possibility of the onset of symptoms of the disease increases significantly during this period. Women who have given birth to their first baby are more susceptible to lactostasis, because the ducts of the mammary glands are not yet developed, zigzag and narrow. With incomplete emptying of the breast, pressure increases in its ducts, as well as inside individual parts of the organ, as a result of which edema and infiltration of adjacent tissues develop.

With prolonged stagnation, milk is reabsorbed, which acquires pyrogenic characteristics, which leads to an increase in the patient's temperature.

vzdravo.ru

Physiotherapy for lactostasis

Physiotherapy for lactostasis is used quite widely, as it is considered an effective procedure in the treatment of this disease and allows you to quickly get rid of seals, preventing the appearance of an infectious process and, as a result, mastitis. Another advantage of physiotherapy is the absence of pain and complete safety. Most often, women are advised to undergo ultrasound sessions to eliminate congestion, in addition, electrophoresis using medicinal herbs can also be prescribed. Together with the phenomena of inflammation, cracks in the nipple area can also pass. In outpatient treatment, one procedure per day is sufficient; in intensive care, the number of sessions is increased to three procedures per day.

Ultrasound for lactostasis

Ultrasound is used quite often, it helps to get rid of seals. With lactostasis, painful seals form in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mammary gland, which is accompanied by an expansion of venous vessels in the area of ​​​​milk accumulation. Even after pumping, the disease does not disappear pain and discomfort. Ultrasound with lactostasis helps to break up stagnant milk and allows you to massage the mammary glands at the same time.

The normalization of the process of milk formation in the amount necessary for the child does not occur immediately. Milk usually arrives from the mother on the third day after the birth of the baby and is often formed in a large volume, which the newborn is simply not able to suck out entirely. So, the likelihood of the onset of symptoms of the disease increases significantly during this period. Women who have given birth to their first child are most susceptible to lactostasis, since the ducts of the mammary glands have not yet been developed, tortuous and narrow. With incomplete emptying of the breast, pressure increases in its ducts, as well as inside the individual lobes of the organ, as a result of which edema and infiltration of adjacent tissues develop.

With prolonged stagnation, milk is reabsorbed, which acquires pyrogenic properties, which leads to an increase in the patient's temperature.

kakbyk.ru

Physiotherapy for lactostasis - BabyCenter

Lactostasis and how to deal with it

The first lactostasis overtook me in the second week of my motherhood. It was terrible! The temperature is 38.5, the chest hurts and turned red, it was simply impossible to drain it! I was not ready for such a turn of events and did not know what to do at all! In the morning we rushed to the maternity hospital, they did an ultrasound and said, “Nuuuu, mother!! I was horrified! Well, what a mixture, a child of 2 weeks!? In tears, I call the gynecologist who led ...

lactostasis)

what to do with lactostasis, if pumping does not help, the doctor prescribed physiotherapy (I went a couple of times) it didn’t help. It started to hurt, but it didn’t seem to have gone to the stage of mastitis, no pills can be taken because the milk will disappear, and I would like to continue breastfeeding the child)) is there any ointment that relieves swelling on the chest, or treats lactostasis completely? I'm waiting for advice and recommendations. thanks in advance)

Didn't find what you need?

Ask any question and get answers from active Babyblog users

www.babyblog.ru

Lactostasis is a phenomenon of stagnation of milk in the milk ducts. When one or more ducts become blocked, congestion occurs. The chest in this place becomes denser, and over time, pain sensations join. The combination of signs suggests that the inflammatory process has already begun. Delay in the treatment of congestion leads to an increase in the area of ​​​​inflammation and the spread of the disease to the entire mammary gland. Untreated lactostasis develops into mastitis.

Mastitis in the first stage has such distinctive characteristics: swelling, soreness of the chest and high fever. This stage is a reason to immediately contact a specialist, namely, a mammologist. If you don't do this on time, you risk exacerbating the problem. Various pathogens, such as staphylococci and streptococci, begin their detrimental effect: purulent abscesses appear. Such a severe form of mastitis is called purulent and in most cases is treated only by surgery, when all abscesses are opened.

Treatment of mastitis and lactostasis

Physiotherapeutic procedures are widely used today, which are absolutely harmless to mother and child. Such auxiliary methods are completely painless and help to establish lactation in the shortest possible time.

Among the physiotherapy for lactostasis, we list:

• ultrasound;
• vitafon;
• darsonval;
• ultra high frequencies (UHF).

Thanks to these methods, milk stagnation is broken. For example, darsonval acts with current on the painful area in a pulsed mode. Stagnant lumps gradually "break". Ultrasound in lactostasis is an active treatment method in which mechanical, thermal and physico-chemical action is directed to the affected area. The Vitafon device, thanks to the generated sound waves emitted at variable intervals, helps to solve the problem of stagnation.

Attention: Vitafon and Darsonval devices can only be used after ultrasound. It is necessary to conduct it to exclude tumor processes and mastopathy.

How is the treatment?

The doctor uses an ultrasound sensor to diagnose lactostasis. After seeing the source of the problem and understanding the way to solve it, he chooses the most effective and painless treatment option. In more detail, the scheme looks like this:

• The mammologist conducts an examination, ultrasound, and then makes a diagnosis. Based on it, the doctor suggests treatment. It can vary depending on the complexity and neglect of the case: without drugs, with the help of medications, physiotherapy, and in severe cases - surgery. The doctor's extensive experience allows him to operate with a range of knowledge about the indications and contraindications of a particular procedure, which means that he will be able to choose an effective treatment specifically for your case.
• Today, numerous breastfeeding services have become more prevalent. Trained nurses go home and provide some assistance, mainly decanting. It is important to know that sometimes this is not enough, and in some cases such intervention is contraindicated. For example, the presence of mastitis in a woman requires the diagnosis or refutation of "purulent mastitis". Clearing purulent areas will lead to extremely sad consequences. Purulent mastitis is also dangerous in that even in the presence of purulent foci, body temperature can be normal. The woman mistakenly believes that she is on the mend, although in fact the disease is getting worse.
• A qualified doctor is able to help each patient by consulting on lactation and prescribing the appropriate treatment.

Diagnostics with ultrasound

The main purpose of ultrasound examination in mammology is the diagnosis of liquid and acoustic dense formations in the breast, as well as the visible control of therapeutic and invasive manipulations. Ultrasound diagnosis is an effective way to determine lactostasis. Scanograms reflect stagnation in the form of excessively dilated mammary ducts. Especially clearly you can see the expansion of distant ducts and sinuses. With lactostasis, unlike mastitis, there is a preservation of the structure of the mammary gland in the absence of blood and lymph impurities in the tissues.

There is compensated and decompensated lactostasis (we recommend reading:). The presence of one of them can be determined using a pharmacosonographic test using pituitrin. To begin with, a woman is asked to express her breasts as much as possible, and then an ultrasound is performed. After determining the diameter of the milk ducts, 1 ml of pituitrin is injected into the body (intramuscularly). After 15-20 minutes, the ultrasound examination is repeated.

If the milk ducts have decreased compared to the first examination, a compensated form of the disease is diagnosed. If there is no effect, the diagnosis of "decompensated lactostasis" is made. Such a conclusion requires the selection of appropriate treatment with drugs.

Physiotherapy with ultrasound

Today, doctors successfully treat problems that arise in nursing mothers during lactation. Diseases of the mammary glands perfectly eliminates ultrasound. In just 2-3 sessions, a young woman gets rid of the problem. An effective and painless method allows you to improve the functioning of the thoracic ducts, increase milk production and minimize the risk of inflammation in the breast. This method should be combined with pumping, which should be done by an experienced specialist.

Ultrasound works in a complex way. The blood vessels dilate, the milk ducts become easily passable, and the pain disappears. In fact, ultrasound imitates massage movements that cause active nutrition of breast tissues by increasing the diameter of blood vessels. An experienced functionalist doctor performs this procedure using an ultrasound sensor. He treats the entire surface of the breast, except for the areola and nipple. The therapy time is 15 to 20 minutes.

To achieve a positive effect, 4 to 8 physiotherapy procedures should be carried out. The amount will depend on the severity of the disease.

As an alternative, the doctor may suggest the Vitafon device. Physiotherapy ends with obligatory pumping. It is not painful to conduct it, because the mammary gland has received a good softening. For full pumping, you can seek help from an experienced specialist in this field.

When is ultrasound contraindicated?

Although ultrasound is very simple and harmless, there are still a number of contraindications to its use.

• The main prohibition will be diseases of the nervous system that a woman has. The active impact of ultrasonic waves, especially in the chest and heart, can lead to the appearance of various kinds of disorders in the activity of the central nervous system.
• When a woman has breast tumors, the above method cannot be used. With thermal exposure, an increase in the number of cancer cells occurs, as well as the transformation of benign neoplasms into malignant ones.
• Cystosis of the mammary gland, mastopathy can be the site of the onset of a cancerous process. It is also impossible to treat such areas with ultrasound.
• In the presence of purulent mastitis, an ultrasound procedure is excluded. The presence of inflammation based on milk stagnation implies an immediate visit to a doctor who will offer a course of therapy and help avoid surgery.

Before you start treating the problem with ultrasound, you should consult with a specialist. Anything that interferes with physiology can have both positive and negative results. A young woman should be aware that self-medication in this case is unacceptable.

Prevention and treatment of lactostasis at home

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

1. By regularly putting the baby to the breast, observing the “on demand” regimen, you will help the milk ducts to completely get rid of milk. Over time, the body will adapt to the needs of the baby and will produce the required amount of milk.
2. The change will have a positive effect on the release of various lobes of the mammary glands. This method will prevent stagnation of milk in some shares, otherwise, one share will always be emptied.
3. Don't pump too often. The body in this case will take this as a signal to produce even more milk, which means that lactostasis may reappear.
4. Feeling a seal in some place of the chest, all the more painful, it is important to start self-cleavage under a warm shower, focusing on the place where there is stagnation. If the baby is unable to resolve the stagnation, use a breast pump (we recommend reading:).
5. The futility of trying to clear out on your own requires an urgent appeal to a mammologist.

Attention! All manipulations with the mammary glands require the utmost care. Errors in handling can cause bruising, swelling and an increase in the area of ​​​​inflammation. If it is impossible to cure lactostasis on your own, you should abandon the use of the force method of decanting, because this approach will only exacerbate the problem. Wrong tactics can lead to the emergence of diseases that require long-term and serious treatment.

Ultrasound for lactostasis refers to effective physiotherapeutic methods for eliminating milk stagnation during breastfeeding.

It helps nursing mothers get rid of problems in the mammary gland, without waiting for the situation to worsen.

Sometimes one or two sessions of such therapy are enough for a woman to feel relief.

Lactostasis is an abnormal phenomenon when a woman feels pain and discomfort in the mammary gland during lactation, i.e..

This condition is caused by the accumulation and stagnation of excess milk, which occurs as a result of its excessive production or outflow disturbance.

The anomaly is fraught with the development of edema and inflammatory reactions, which can lead to such a serious pathology as mastitis.

The etiological mechanism of the appearance of lactostasis is associated with such factors:

1. Anatomical defects in the structure of the mammary gland - sagging, insufficiently elastic breasts; flattened nipples; excessively narrow milk ducts. Breast shape often becomes a difficult factor for expressing milk.
2. Incomplete emptying of the mammary gland as a result of improper attachment of the baby. This is most typical for young, inexperienced mothers.
3. Irregular feeding of the child, long intervals between feedings, skipping planned feedings.
4. The position of a woman on her stomach during a night's sleep.
5. Mechanical damage to the nipples, cracks in them.
6. Tight and uncomfortable bra.
7. Satiety of the child with additional artificial feeding, which causes the refusal of breastfeeding.
8. Dehydration of the female body.
9. Mechanical injuries (bruises and other impacts) in the chest area.
10. Nervous overload and stress.
11. Physical overload, lack of sleep, physical exhaustion.

Lactostasis is manifested by pain and discomfort. If there are problems with, the child refuses to feed, the woman's temperature rises above 37 ºС, you should consult a doctor.

Lactostasis requires timely and effective treatment, because after 3-4 days there is a high probability of its transformation into mastitis.

Influencing biological tissues, ultrasound has a mechanical, thermal and physico-chemical effect on them.

With the passage of a wave of ultrasonic frequency, a local increase in temperature and micromassage occur.

As a result of this effect, milk is liquefied, blood and lymphatic flow increases.

The physico-chemical influence contributes to the appearance of bactericidal and antioxidant abilities, which is very important to exclude infection. The result is real anti-inflammatory properties.

No less important is the reflex mechanism of exposure to ultrasonic radiation. The response of the female body to it is divided into several stages:

1. Immediate impact. During the procedure, cellular alteration occurs at the microscopic level with the appearance of a thixotropic effect. At this stage, moderate mechanical, chemical and thermal reactions are noted. Local heating of breast tissue causes immediate reactions.
2. Stress-inducing stage. It develops within 3.5-4.5 hours after the completion of the procedure. At this stage, amines, cortisol, prostaglandins and other hormones and enzymes are released into the blood. As a result of this effect, leukocyte protection is enhanced, which ensures the bactericidal ability of ultrasound.
3. stress-limiting stage. Within 11-13 hours after the cessation of the action of ultrasound, the content of cortisol in the blood decreases and the level of prostaglandin rises, which causes the active work of the antioxidant system. This effect is expressed in the enhancement of metabolic cellular processes.
4. compensatory stage. A further reaction of the female body leads to an improvement in carbohydrate metabolism, oxygen saturation of tissues, and increased blood and lymphatic circulation.

Features of the ultrasound procedure

Ultrasound therapy (UT) is carried out in specialized medical offices using special equipment.

The source of ultrasound allows you to provide radiation with a frequency in the range of 850-3000 kHz.

Using higher frequencies can cause negative effects.

Modern devices allow you to accurately adjust the duration, intensity and mode of radiation. Wave generation can be carried out in continuous or pulsed mode.

The direct procedure is carried out by a specialist by treating the entire surface of the mammary gland with the exception of the nipples. The electrode is moved slowly and smoothly in a circular motion around the nipples. A special environment is created between the skin surface and the vibrator, eliminating the air gap. To do this, a special composition is applied to the skin, similar to the lubricant during ultrasound.

The course of ultrasound is prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the real condition of the woman and the individual characteristics of the body. In total, from 3 to 8 procedures can be prescribed daily. The duration of one procedure is 12-16 minutes. Immediately after the end of the ultrasound exposure, milk is manually expressed. During this period, it is quite liquefied, which facilitates the process. Small pains may be felt, but they cannot be compared with the pain syndrome that manifests itself without ultrasound.

It is impossible to feed a baby with milk expressed immediately after ultrasonic exposure.

An ultrasound session is completely painless. The woman feels a slight warmth and signs of a vibrational breast massage. Already after 1-2 procedures, significant relief is found, the disappearance of frightening lumps and bumps. However, to exclude relapse, it is necessary to complete the entire prescribed course. At the same time, manual pumping of milk is mandatory only after the first session.

Diagnosis of lactostasis

To determine the degree of damage to the mammary gland, determine the mode of ultrasound and the effectiveness of treatment, ultrasound diagnostics is performed.

The scan allows you to identify the localization of stagnant zones, the state of the ducts and sinuses.

It is important to differentiate the form of lactostasis, which can develop in a compensated or decompensated variant.

Such studies are carried out using a pharmacosonographic test.

With the development of a compensated variety of the disease, UST gives high efficiency, and studies make it possible to reveal the dynamics of improvement in the condition of the mammary gland. With a neglected, decompensated form, you will have to resort to drug therapy.

Contraindications

Despite the safety of ultrasound, there are contraindications to the use of ultrasound radiation. Procedures cannot be performed in the following circumstances:

• serious neurological abnormalities;
• malignant tumors of various localization;
• mastitis during its exacerbation;
• a sharp hormonal imbalance (mastopathy);
• the presence of fibroadenomatosis of the breast.

Prevention of lactostasis

Lactostasis, as a rule, is caused by reasons that depend on the behavior of a nursing woman.

In order to prevent this phenomenon, you should adhere to:

1. A breastfeeding woman should sleep on her back or side.
2. You need to choose the right bra. It should not tighten the chest. It is best to use underwear specifically designed for breastfeeding mothers.
3. When feeding a baby, you should not press on the chest with your fingers, because in this case the ducts are clamped.
4. The child must be placed in the optimal position so that he can release the mammary gland as much as possible. Active artificial feeding with sufficient production of own milk is not recommended.
5. Feeding the child should be carried out regularly.
6. Hypothermia and injury to the chest should not be allowed. It is very dangerous to be with an open chest in a draft.

What will help eliminate the risk of disease

If the first signs of lactostasis appear, then you should consult a doctor and start ultrasound treatment. At the same time, you should take your own measures to eliminate the disease:

1. Carefully monitor the feeding process and how much milk the baby is able to suck. Remaining milk must be expressed immediately.
2. Supplementary bottle feeding is not recommended. This produces an incorrect grip on the nipple of the breast during feeding.
3. The baby is often applied to the affected breast, but a healthy breast should not be launched, so as not to cause a similar phenomenon in it.
4. Taking a warm shower before feeding makes it easier for the milk to drain.
5. A woman's body should not be allowed to become dehydrated. It is necessary to drink at the first sensation of thirst, without artificial restraint.

Lactostasis in a nursing woman can cause serious consequences. It needs to be detected and treated at an early stage. Ultrasound therapy is one of the effective forms of combating this phenomenon. This procedure is recognized as absolutely safe, and a positive effect is achieved after 3-4 sessions.

Mastitis in the old days they called it a breast. This pathology is an infectious and inflammatory process in the tissues of the mammary gland, which, as a rule, has a tendency to spread, which can lead to purulent destruction of the body of the gland and surrounding tissues, as well as generalization of infection with the development of sepsis (blood poisoning).

Distinguish between lactational (that is, associated with the production of milk glands) and non-lactational mastitis.
According to statistics, 90-95% of cases of mastitis occur in the postpartum period. At the same time, 80-85% develops in the first month after childbirth.

Mastitis is the most common purulent-inflammatory complication of the postpartum period. The incidence of lactational mastitis is about 3 to 7% (according to some sources, up to 20%) of all births and has not shown a downward trend over the past few decades.

Most often, mastitis develops in lactating women after the birth of their first child. Usually, the infectious-inflammatory process affects one gland, more often the right one. The predominance of damage to the right breast is due to the fact that it is more convenient for right-handers to express the left breast, so that stagnation of milk often develops in the right.

Recently, there has been a trend towards an increase in the number of cases of bilateral mastitis. Today, a bilateral process develops in 10% of cases of mastitis.

About 7-9% of lactational mastitis are cases of inflammation of the mammary gland in women who refuse to breastfeed; in pregnant women, this disease is relatively rare (up to 1%).

Cases of the development of lactational mastitis in newborn girls are described, at a time when an increased level of hormones from the mother's blood causes physiological swelling of the mammary glands.

About 5% of mastitis in women is not associated with pregnancy and childbirth. As a rule, non-lactational mastitis develops in women aged 15 to 60 years. In such cases, the disease proceeds less rapidly, complications in the form of a generalization of the process are extremely rare, but there is a tendency to transition to a chronically relapsing form.

Causes of mastitis

Any suppurative process caused by Staphylococcus aureus can be complicated by generalization with the development of septic endocarditis, sepsis, or infectious-toxic shock.

Recently, cases of mastitis caused by the association of microorganisms have become more frequent. The most common combination of Staphylococcus aureus with gram-negative Escherichia coli (a microorganism common in the environment that normally inhabits the human intestine).
lactation mastitis
When it comes to classic postpartum lactational mastitis, the source of infection is most often hidden carriers from medical personnel, relatives or neighbors in the ward (according to some reports, about 20-40% of people are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus). Infection occurs through contaminated care items, linen, etc.

In addition, a newborn infected with staphylococcus aureus can become a source of infection in mastitis, for example, with pyoderma (pustular skin lesions) or in the case of umbilical sepsis.

However, it should be noted that getting Staphylococcus aureus on the skin of the mammary gland does not always lead to the development of mastitis. For the occurrence of an infectious-inflammatory process, it is necessary to have favorable conditions - local anatomical and systemic functional ones.

So, local anatomical predisposing factors include:

• gross cicatricial changes in the gland, remaining after suffering severe forms of mastitis, operations for benign neoplasms, etc.;
• congenital anatomical defects (retracted flat or lobed nipple, etc.).

• pathology of pregnancy (late pregnancy, premature birth, threatened miscarriage, severe late toxicosis);
• pathology of childbirth (trauma of the birth canal, first birth with a large fetus, manual separation of the placenta, severe blood loss during childbirth);
• postpartum fever;
• exacerbation of concomitant diseases;
• insomnia and other psychological disorders after childbirth.

The causative agent of non-lactational mastitis, as well as mastitis associated with pregnancy and feeding, in most cases is Staphylococcus aureus.

To understand the features of the mechanism of development of lactational and non-lactational mastitis, it is necessary to have a general idea of ​​the anatomy and physiology of the mammary glands.

Anatomy and physiology of the mammary glands

In the mammary gland, a glandular body is isolated, surrounded by well-developed subcutaneous fatty tissue. It is the development of the fat capsule that determines the shape and size of the breast.

At the most protruding place of the breast, there is no fat layer - here the nipple is located, which, as a rule, is cone-shaped, less often cylindrical or pear-shaped.

The pigmented areola forms the base of the nipple. In medicine, it is customary to divide the mammary gland into four areas - quadrants, limited by conditional mutually perpendicular lines.

This division is widely used in surgery to indicate the localization of the pathological process in the mammary gland.

The glandular body consists of 15-20 radially arranged lobes, separated from each other by fibrous connective tissue and loose adipose tissue. The bulk of the actual glandular tissue that produces milk is located in the posterior sections of the gland, while ducts predominate in the central regions.

From the anterior surface of the body of the gland through the superficial fascia, which limits the fatty capsule of the gland, dense connective tissue strands are directed to the deep layers of the skin and to the collarbone, which are a continuation of the interlobar connective tissue stroma - the so-called Cooper's ligaments.

The main structural unit of the mammary gland is the acinus, consisting of the smallest formations of vesicles - alveoli, which open into the alveolar passages. The inner epithelial lining of the acinus produces milk during lactation.

The acini are united into lobules, from which the lactiferous ducts depart, merging radially towards the nipple, so that the individual lobules are combined into one lobe with a common collecting duct. The collecting ducts open at the top of the nipple, forming an extension - the lactiferous sinus.

Lactational mastitis is less favorable than any other purulent surgical infection, this is due to the following features of the anatomical and functional structure of the gland during lactation:

• lobed structure;
• a large number of natural cavities (alveoli and sinuses);
• developed network of milk and lymphatic ducts;
• abundance of loose adipose tissue.

So, without adequate treatment, the purulent process quickly captures the entire gland and often takes a protracted chronically relapsing course. In severe cases, purulent fusion of large areas of the gland and the development of septic complications (infectious-toxic shock, blood poisoning, septic endocarditis, etc.) are possible.

The mechanism of development of the infectious-inflammatory process

Acute lactational mastitis

With regular and complete pumping of milk, bacteria that inevitably get on the surface of the mammary gland are washed out and are not able to cause inflammation.

In cases where adequate pumping does not occur, a large number of microorganisms accumulate in the ducts, which cause lactic acid fermentation and coagulation of milk, as well as damage to the epithelium of the excretory ducts.

Curdled milk, together with particles of desquamated epithelium, clog the milk passages, resulting in lactostasis. Quite quickly, the amount of microflora, intensively multiplying in a confined space, reaches a critical level, and infectious inflammation develops. At this stage, secondary stagnation of lymph and venous blood occurs, which further aggravates the condition.

The inflammatory process is accompanied by severe pain, which in turn makes it difficult to express milk and aggravates the state of lactostasis, so that a vicious circle is formed: lactostasis increases inflammation, inflammation increases lactostasis.

In 15% of women, purulent mastitis develops against the background of cracked nipples. Such damage occurs due to a discrepancy between a sufficiently strong negative pressure in the child's oral cavity and a weak elasticity of the nipple tissue. A significant role in the formation of cracks can be played by purely hygienic factors, such as, for example, prolonged contact of the nipple with wet bra tissue. In such cases, irritation and wetting of the skin often develops.

The occurrence of cracks often forces a woman to refuse to feed the baby and carefully pumping, which causes lactostasis and the development of purulent mastitis.

To avoid damage to the nipple during feeding, it is very important to put the baby to the breast at the same time. In such cases, the correct biorhythm of milk production is established, so that the mammary glands are, as it were, prepared for feeding in advance: there is an increase in milk production, the milk ducts expand, the lobules of the gland contract - all this contributes to the easy release of milk during feeding.

With irregular feeding, the functional activity of the glands increases already in the process of feeding, as a result, individual lobules of the gland will not be completely emptied and lactostasis will occur in certain areas. In addition, with an “unfinished” breast, the child has to expend more effort during sucking, which contributes to the formation of nipple cracks.

Non-lactation mastitis

At non-lactational mastitis infection, as a rule, penetrates the gland through damaged skin due to accidental injury, thermal injury (hot water bottle, tissue burn in an accident), or mastitis develops as a complication of local pustular skin lesions. In such cases, the infection spreads through the subcutaneous adipose tissue and the fatty capsule of the gland, and the glandular tissue itself is damaged a second time.

(Non-lactational mastitis, which arose as a complication of a breast furuncle).

Symptoms and signs of mastitis

Serous stage (form) of mastitis

Expression with lactostasis is painful, but milk flows freely. The general condition of the woman is not disturbed and the body temperature remains within the normal range.

As a rule, lactostasis is a temporary phenomenon, so if within 1-2 days the compaction does not decrease in volume and persistent subfebrile condition appears (body temperature rises to 37-38 degrees Celsius), then serous mastitis should be suspected.

In some cases, serous mastitis develops rapidly: quite unexpectedly, the temperature rises to 38-39 degrees Celsius, there are complaints of general weakness and pain in the affected part of the gland. Expression of milk is sharply painful and does not bring relief.

At this stage, the tissue of the affected part of the gland is saturated with serous fluid (hence the name of the form of inflammation), into which leukocytes (cells that fight foreign agents) enter a little later from the bloodstream.

At the stage of serous inflammation, spontaneous recovery is still possible, when the pain in the gland gradually subsides, and the seal completely resolves. However, much more often the process passes into the next - infiltrative phase.

Given the severity of the disease, doctors advise any significant breast engorgement, accompanied by an increase in body temperature, to be considered the initial stage of mastitis.

Infiltrative stage (form) of mastitis

Elevated temperature in the serous and infiltrative stages of mastitis is associated with the flow through the damaged milk ducts into the blood of female milk from the foci of lactostasis. Therefore, with effective treatment of lactostasis and desensitizing therapy, the temperature can be reduced to 37-37.5 degrees Celsius.

In the absence of adequate treatment, the infiltrative stage of mastitis passes into a destructive phase in 4-5 days. In this case, serous inflammation is replaced by purulent, so that the tissue of the gland resembles a sponge or honeycomb soaked in pus.

Destructive forms of mastitis or purulent mastitis

Body temperature rises significantly (38-40 degrees Celsius and above), weakness appears, headache, sleep worsens, appetite decreases.

The affected chest is enlarged, tense. In this case, the skin over the affected area turns red, the skin veins expand, often increase and become painful regional (axillary) lymph nodes.

Abscess mastitis characterized by the formation in the affected gland of cavities filled with pus (abscesses). In such cases, softening is felt in the infiltrate area, in 99% of patients a fluctuation symptom is positive (feeling of overflowing liquid when the affected area is felt).

(Localization of abscesses with abscess mastitis:
1. - subalveolar (near the nipple);
2. - intramammary (inside the gland);
3. - subcutaneous;
4. - retromammary (behind the gland)

Infiltrative-abscess mastitis, as a rule, proceeds more severely than abscessing. This form is characterized by the presence of a dense infiltrate, consisting of many small abscesses of various shapes and sizes. Since the abscesses within the infiltrate do not reach large sizes, the painful induration in the affected gland may appear homogeneous (the fluctuation symptom is positive in only 5% of patients).

In approximately half of the patients, the infiltrate occupies at least two quadrants of the gland and is located intramammary.

Phlegmonous mastitis characterized by a total increase and severe swelling of the mammary gland. At the same time, the skin of the affected breast is tense, intensely red, in places with a cyanotic tint (bluish-red), the nipple is often retracted.

Palpation of the gland is sharply painful, most patients have a fluctuation symptom. In 60% of cases, at least 3 quadrants of the gland are involved in the process.

As a rule, disturbances in laboratory blood parameters are more pronounced: in addition to an increase in the number of leukocytes, there is a significant decrease in hemoglobin levels. The indicators of the general analysis of urine are significantly violated.

Gangrenous mastitis develops, as a rule, due to the involvement of blood vessels in the process and the formation of blood clots in them. In such cases, as a result of a gross violation of the blood supply, necrosis of significant areas of the mammary gland occurs.

Clinically, gangrenous mastitis is manifested by an increase in the gland and the appearance on its surface of areas of tissue necrosis and blisters filled with hemorrhagic fluid (ichorus). All quadrants of the mammary gland are involved in the inflammatory process, the skin of the breast acquires a bluish-purple appearance.

The general condition of patients in such cases is severe, confusion is often observed, pulse quickens, blood pressure drops. Many laboratory indicators of blood and urine tests are violated.

Diagnosis of mastitis

As a rule, the diagnosis of mastitis does not cause any particular difficulties. The diagnosis is determined on the basis of the patient's characteristic complaints and examination data of the affected breast.
From laboratory studies, as a rule, they carry out:

• bacteriological examination of milk from both glands (qualitative and quantitative determination of microbial bodies in 1 ml of milk);
• cytological examination of milk (calculation of the number of red blood cells in milk as markers of the inflammatory process);
• determination of milk pH, reductase activity, etc.

In controversial cases, which often occur in the case of a chronic course of the process, an X-ray examination of the breast (mammography) is prescribed.

In addition, in chronic mastitis, it is imperative to carry out a differential diagnosis with breast cancer; for this, a biopsy (sampling of suspicious material) and a histological examination are performed.

Mastitis treatment

The diagnosis of a destructive process can be unequivocally made in the presence of softening foci in the mammary gland and/or a positive fluctuation symptom. These signs are usually combined with a violation of the general condition of the patient.

However, erased forms of destructive processes in the mammary gland are often found, and, for example, with infiltrative-abscessed mastitis, it is difficult to identify the presence of softening foci.

Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that banal lactostasis often occurs with a violation of the general condition of the patient and severe soreness of the affected breast. Meanwhile, as practice shows, the question of the need for surgical treatment should be resolved as soon as possible.

In disputable cases, to determine medical tactics, first of all, thorough decantation of milk from the affected breast is carried out, and then after 3-4 hours - a second examination and palpation of the infiltrate.

In cases where it was only about lactostasis, after decanting the pain subsides, the temperature decreases and the general condition of the patient improves. In the affected area, fine-grained painless lobules begin to be palpated.

If lactostasis was combined with mastitis, then even 4 hours after pumping, a dense painful infiltrate continues to be palpated, the body temperature remains high, and the condition does not improve.

Conservative treatment of mastitis is acceptable in cases where:

• the general condition of the patient is relatively satisfactory;
• the duration of the disease does not exceed three days;
• body temperature below 37.5 degrees Celsius;
• there are no local symptoms of purulent inflammation;
• soreness in the area of ​​the infiltrate is moderate, the palpable infiltrate occupies no more than one quadrant of the gland;
• parameters of the general blood test are normal.

Operation for mastitis

• when choosing a surgical access (incision site), the need to preserve the function and aesthetic appearance of the mammary gland is taken into account;
• radical surgical treatment (thorough cleansing of the opened abscess, excision and removal of non-viable tissues);
• postoperative drainage, including with the use of a drainage-washing system (long-term drip washing of the wound in the postoperative period).

With extensive destructive processes in the lower quadrants of the gland, as well as with a retromammary abscess, the incision is made under the breast.

With subalveolar abscesses located under the nipple, the incision is made parallel to the edge of the nipple.
Radical surgical treatment includes not only the removal of pus from the cavity of the focus, but also the excision of the formed abscess capsule and non-viable tissues. In the case of infiltrative-abscessing mastitis, the entire inflammatory infiltrate is removed within the boundaries of healthy tissues.

Phlegmonous and gangrenous forms of mastitis suggest the maximum volume of the operation, so that in the future, plastic surgery of the affected mammary gland may be necessary.

The establishment of a drainage-flushing system in the postoperative period is carried out in case of damage to more than one quadrant of the gland and / or a severe general condition of the patient.

As a rule, drip washing of the wound in the postoperative period is carried out for 5-12 days, until the general condition of the patient improves and such components as pus, fibrin, necrotic particles disappear from the washing water.

In the postoperative period, drug therapy is carried out, aimed at removing toxins from the body and correcting the general disorders caused by the purulent process in the body.

Antibiotics are prescribed without fail (most often intravenously or intramuscularly). In this case, as a rule, drugs from the group of cephalosporins of the first generation (cefazolin, cephalexin) are used, when Staphylococcus aureus is combined with Escherichia coli - II generation (cefoxitin), and in case of secondary infection - III-IV generation (ceftriaxone, cefpir). In extremely severe cases, tiens are prescribed.

In destructive forms of mastitis, as a rule, doctors advise stopping lactation, since feeding a child from an operated breast is impossible, and pumping in the presence of a wound causes pain and is not always effective.
Lactation is stopped medically, that is, drugs are prescribed that stop milk secretion - bromocriptine, etc. Routine methods for stopping lactation (breast bandaging, etc.) are contraindicated.

Treatment of mastitis without surgery

In such cases, women are prescribed conservative therapy.

First of all, you should ensure the rest of the affected gland. To do this, patients are advised to limit motor activity and wear a bra or bandage that would support, but not squeeze, the sore breast.

Since the trigger for the occurrence of mastitis and the most important link in the further development of pathology is lactostasis, a number of measures are taken to effectively empty the mammary gland.

1. A woman should express milk every 3 hours (8 times a day) - first from a healthy gland, then from a sick one.
2. To improve the discharge of milk, 20 minutes before pumping from a diseased gland, 2.0 ml of the antispasmodic drotaverine (No-shpa) is administered intramuscularly (3 times a day for 3 days at regular intervals), 5 minutes before pumping - 0.5 ml of oxytocin, which improves milk yield.
3. Since milk expression is difficult due to pain in the affected gland, retromammary novocaine blockades are performed daily, while the anesthetic novocaine is administered in combination with broad-spectrum antibiotics in half the daily dose.

Since many of the unpleasant symptoms of the initial stages of mastitis are associated with the penetration of milk into the blood, the so-called desensitizing therapy with antihistamines is carried out. At the same time, preference is given to new generation drugs (loratadine, cetirizine), since drugs of previous generations (suprastin, tavegil) can cause drowsiness in a child.

Vitamin therapy (group B vitamins and vitamin C) is prescribed to increase the body's resistance.
With positive dynamics in a day, ultrasound and UHF therapy are prescribed, which contributes to the speedy resorption of the inflammatory infiltrate and the restoration of the mammary gland.

Alternative methods of treatment of mastitis

In cases where conservative therapy is indicated, traditional medicine is often used in the complex of medical measures.

So, for example, in the initial stages of mastitis, especially in combination with cracked nipples, you can include procedures for washing the affected breast with an infusion of a mixture of chamomile flowers and yarrow grass (in a ratio of 1: 4).
To do this, 2 tablespoons of raw materials are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and infused for 20 minutes. This infusion has a disinfectant, anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic effect.

It should be remembered that in the initial stages of mastitis, in no case should warm compresses, baths, etc. be used. Warming up can provoke a suppurative process.

Prevention of mastitis

Such prevention includes the following activities:

1. Early attachment of the baby to the breast (in the first half hour after birth).
2. Development of a physiological rhythm (it is desirable to feed the baby at the same time).
3. If there is a tendency to stagnation of milk, it may be advisable to carry out a circular shower 20 minutes before feeding.
4. Compliance with the technology of correct expression of milk (the most effective manual method, while special attention should be paid to the outer quadrants of the gland, where milk stagnation is most often observed).

In addition, wearing a cotton bra helps prevent the occurrence of nipple cracks. In this case, it is necessary that the tissue in contact with the nipples is dry and clean.

Predisposing factors for the occurrence of mastitis include nervous and physical overexertion, so a nursing woman should monitor her psychological health, get enough sleep and eat well.
Prevention of mastitis not associated with breastfeeding consists in observing the rules of personal hygiene and timely adequate treatment of skin lesions of the breast.

Can I breastfeed with mastitis?

There are the following indications for interruption of lactation:

• severe destructive forms of the disease (phlegmonous or gangrenous mastitis, the presence of septic complications);
• the appointment of antibacterial agents in the treatment of pathology (when taking which it is recommended to refrain from breastfeeding)
• the presence of any reasons why a woman will not be able to return to breastfeeding in the future;
• the desire of the patient.

With serous and infiltrative forms of mastitis, doctors usually advise trying to maintain lactation. In such cases, a woman should express milk every three hours, first from a healthy, and then from a diseased breast.

Milk expressed from a healthy breast is pasteurized and then fed to a child from a bottle; it is impossible to store such milk for a long time either before pasteurization or after it. Milk from a diseased breast, where there is a purulent-septic focus, is not recommended for a baby. The reason is that with this form of mastitis, antibiotics are prescribed, during which breastfeeding is prohibited or not recommended (the risks are assessed by the attending physician), and the infection contained in such a mastitis can cause severe digestive disorders in the infant and the need for treatment of the child.

Natural feeding can be restored after the complete disappearance of all symptoms of inflammation. To ensure the safety of restoring natural feeding for a child, a bacteriological analysis of milk is preliminarily performed.

What antibiotics are most commonly used for mastitis?

Today it is customary to select antibiotics, focusing on the sensitivity data of microflora to them. Material for analysis is obtained by puncture of the abscess or during surgery.

However, at the initial stages, it is difficult to take material; moreover, such an analysis takes time. Therefore, antibiotics are often prescribed prior to such a study.

At the same time, they are guided by the fact that mastitis in the majority of cases is caused by Staphylococcus aureus or the association of this microorganism with Escherichia coli.

These bacteria are sensitive to antibiotics from the groups of penicillins and cephalosporins. Lactational mastitis is a typical hospital infection, therefore it is most often caused by strains of staphylococci that are resistant to many antibiotics and secrete penicillinase.

To achieve the effect of antibiotic therapy, antibiotics resistant to penicillinase, such as oxacillin, dicloxacillin, etc., are prescribed for mastitis.

As for antibiotics from the cephalosporin group, in mastitis, preference is given to first and second generation drugs (cefazolin, cephalexin, cefoxitin), which are most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, including penicillin-resistant strains.

Do I need to do compresses for mastitis?

Among folk methods, you can use a cabbage leaf with honey, grated potatoes, baked onions, burdock leaves. Such compresses can be applied both at night and between feedings.

After removing the compress, the chest should be rinsed with warm water.

However, it should be noted that the opinion of the doctors themselves regarding compresses for mastitis was divided. Many surgeons point out that warm compresses should be avoided because they can aggravate the disease.

Therefore, when the first symptoms of mastitis appear, you should consult a doctor to clarify the stage of the process and decide on the tactics of treating the disease.

What ointments can be used for mastitis?

Compresses with Vishnevsky ointment are used in many maternity hospitals. At the same time, a significant part of surgeons considers the therapeutic effect of ointments for mastitis to be extremely low and indicates the possibility of an adverse effect of the procedure: a more rapid development of the process due to stimulation of bacterial reproduction by elevated temperature.

Mastitis is a serious disease that can lead to serious consequences. It is untimely and inadequate treatment that leads to the fact that 6-23% of women with mastitis have relapses of the disease, 5% of patients develop severe septic complications, and 1% of women die.

Inadequate therapy (insufficiently effective relief of lactostasis, irrational prescription of antibiotics, etc.) in the early stages of the disease often contributes to the transition of serous inflammation to a purulent form, when the operation and the unpleasant moments associated with it (scars on the breast, violation of the lactation process) are already inevitable . Therefore, it is necessary to avoid self-medication and seek help from a specialist.

Which doctor treats mastitis?

Often, women confuse the infectious and inflammatory process in the mammary gland with lactostasis, which can also be accompanied by severe pain and fever.

Lactostasis and initial forms of mastitis are treated on an outpatient basis, while purulent mastitis requires hospitalization and surgery.

With mastitis, which is not associated with childbirth and feeding the child (non-lactational mastitis), they turn to the surgeon.

Once upon a time, physiotherapy was treated only as additional, rather, preventive auxiliary measures that did not deserve special attention.

Fortunately, doctors quickly noticed and re-evaluated their attitude towards physiotherapy methods for breastfeeding problems.

Today, physiotherapy for lactostasis is used as widely as possible.

And most women are immensely grateful to just such treatment methods that could quickly and effectively correct their breastfeeding of newborn babies.

And all because modern medicine has begun to treat physiotherapy treatment as the most effective, proven over the years procedures that allow for adequate.

Various physiotherapy techniques allow you to quickly and most importantly effectively get rid of painful seals in the chest. And besides, physiotherapy helps prevent the development of more complex infectious processes of the mammary gland (mastitis, for example).

The main advantage of a full-fledged physiotherapy treatment for lactostasis can be considered the absolute absence of even minimal pain during the procedure, and in addition, the complete and unconditional safety of such treatment, both for the mother and for her child.

In addition to a full-fledged physiotherapy treatment for lactostasis, the correctness of breastfeeding is of great importance. It is important that the nursing mother understands how to properly attach the baby to the breast, what the feeding regimen should be, and what positions to use. However, we will not get ahead of ourselves, and we will deal with everything in order.

The main types of physiotherapeutic treatment of lactostasis

As we have already noted, physiotherapeutic methods of treatment are the most effective and safe ways to rid women of painful stagnant processes that occur in the mammary gland.

All physiotherapy techniques are absolutely safe, quite effective and can give the fastest possible desired effect.

Most often, with lactostasis, women who have difficulty with the outflow of breast milk are recommended to undergo:

• Several sessions of ultrasound therapy.
• UHF therapy sessions.
• Electrophoresis sessions with certain drugs, herbal infusions, etc.

It is these techniques that make it possible to eliminate dangerous congestion as quickly as possible, avoiding the degeneration of the process into inflammatory forms. When using such physiotherapeutic techniques, along with congestion, painful cracks in the nipples can also pass faster, and other microtraumas of the chest can be eliminated.

The mechanism of action of such procedures, first of all, consists in a noticeable improvement in the outflow of breast milk, in improving blood circulation, in increasing lymphatic outflow, etc.

First of all, such body reactions to procedures occur due to a moderate increase in temperature in the treated areas, due to a moderate massage effect.

In addition, all three of the above procedures have an important anti-inflammatory effect in such a disease, which is excellent as an excellent prevention of the development of mastitis.

Note that in some cases, physiotherapy for congestion in the breast of a nursing mother can use methods of stimulation of the adrenal cortex. We are talking about reconciliation with this disease of low-intensity high-frequency magnetotherapy.

Lymphatic drainage techniques, such as alcohol compresses, and drug electrophoresis with the addition of oxytocin, can also be more than effective in milk stagnation.

But the most important thing that needs to be said about the choice of physiotherapy treatment for women suffering from lactostasis is the fact that only a doctor should prescribe such treatment, who can first make sure that the soreness of the mammary gland is associated precisely with stagnation of milk, and not with other, more dangerous , diseases.

How to correct feeding during stagnation

It is believed that you need to put the baby to the breast as often as possible. It is very important to understand exactly how to attach a baby, so that he is able to properly grasp the mother’s breast and, as a result, empty it as much as possible.

E. Malysheva: Recently, I have been receiving many letters from my regular spectators about breast problems: MASTI, LACTOSTASIS, FIBROADENOMA. To completely get rid of these problems, I advise you to familiarize yourself with my new method based on natural ingredients...

• The first rule is the convenience of the mother while feeding the child. At the same time, it is important to try to ensure maximum comfort not only for the baby, but also for yourself. Feeding for both should be similar to rest!
• The second rule is choosing the perfect pose. Literally in the very first days of meeting the baby, try to try several different options for the convenient location of the child when feeding him. In this case, you need to choose not one, but two or even three convenient positions, which it is desirable to alternate later.

It is important to remember that there are situations when changing the position of the baby when feeding is not only desirable, but very important and even necessary.

We are talking about nipple injuries, when the baby needs to be laid so that he does not injure the affected area, etc. So, we would like to dwell on choosing the right positions when feeding.

What are the best breastfeeding positions?

Of course, each mother should choose a comfortable and correct position for feeding a child strictly individually. The choice of positions depends on the activity of the baby, on the shape of the mother's breasts, and on the individual preferences of both.

However, we want to describe some of the most successful positions to make it easier for moms to make their choice.

• Cradle position. In this position, the mother sits comfortably, the baby's head is located on the mother's elbow, the baby lies with her tummy to the mother. The position provides maximum comfort for the newborn because he lies almost like in a cradle, but only in his mother's arms.
• Under arm feeding position. When the baby lies on a pillow directly under the mother’s arm (like a bundle under the armpit), facing the chest. The position is comfortable with the complete absence of pressure on the mother's abdomen and a comfortable grip on the breast for the baby.
• Position - both on the side. This is a position when the baby and his mother lie on their side, facing each other. The position is most convenient for milk stagnation, since it allows you to avoid even minimal pressure on the affected chest, and in addition, the second breast will also be in the most favorable physiologically correct position.

Of course, we have given far from all possible positions for proper feeding, but nevertheless, these are exactly the location options that allow you to most effectively deal with the manifestations of lactostasis, resorting to the help of your baby.

Do you still think that it is completely impossible to cure your body?

How can they be identified?

• nervousness, sleep disturbance and appetite;
• allergies (watery eyes, rashes, runny nose);
• frequent headaches, constipation or diarrhea;
• frequent colds, sore throat, nasal congestion;
• pain in the joints and muscles;
• chronic fatigue (you get tired quickly, no matter what you do);
• dark circles, bags under the eyes.