How to Prevent Acute Mastitis

Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
Updated on June 19, 2025
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The key to preventing acute mastitis lies in avoiding milk stasis, preventing nipple injury, and maintaining cleanliness. It is essential to frequently wash both nipples with warm water and soap. If the nipples are inverted, they can often be corrected by pinching and pulling. It is important to establish a regular breastfeeding schedule, ensuring that the baby does not sleep with the nipple in their mouth. After each breastfeeding session, the milk should be fully drained; if there is any accumulation, massage or use a breast pump to remove the milk completely. The nipples should be cleaned after breastfeeding. If there is any damage or cracking on the nipple, it should be treated promptly. Attention should also be paid to the oral hygiene of the baby.

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Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
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Can acute mastitis be treated by stopping lactation?

It is not recommended to stop lactation during acute mastitis. Because breast milk is the best culture medium, bacteria have already caused local inflammatory invasion. If lactation is stopped at this time, the milk will accumulate in the milk ducts, leading to a large invasion of bacteria, which can eventually cause cellulitis. If untreated, it may lead to an abscess and then septicemia. Generally, for acute mastitis, breastfeeding is stopped, local heat application is necessary, and then a lactation masseuse or family member should be found to completely empty the residual milk, which needs to be done daily. Then, the use of antibiotics can achieve the purpose of treatment.

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Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
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Can acute mastitis be treated with hot compresses?

Acute mastitis can be treated with hot compresses, which can reduce local pain, dilate the milk ducts, and facilitate the expulsion of milk. To completely cure mastitis, it is essential to visit a hospital for examination. Under a doctor's guidance, taking antibacterial drugs for anti-infection treatment is recommended. For women who are breastfeeding, the priority in treating mastitis is to empty the breast milk first; thereafter, taking antibacterial drugs for anti-infection treatment is advisable. For severe cases of mastitis, it may be necessary to perform puncture aspiration or incision and drainage to achieve optimal treatment results. Patients with mastitis should pay attention to their diet and eat lightly in daily life, avoiding particularly greasy foods. It is advisable to eat light meals, vegetables, and fruits.

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Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
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Does acute mastitis require daily milk expression?

If acute mastitis is severe, breastfeeding is not advisable, and it is necessary to express milk daily. Prevention of acute mastitis is more important than treatment, especially during breastfeeding periods where it is crucial to keep the nipples clean. Frequently wash them with warm soapy water and clean the nipples before and after breastfeeding with 3% boric acid solution. For those with inverted nipples, gently extract the nipple before cleaning; however, do not use ethanol wipes as ethanol can make the nipple and areola skin brittle, which can lead to cracking. Develop good breastfeeding habits, nurse regularly, and ensure that the milk is thoroughly drawn out each time. If unable to completely draw out the milk, use hand massage to express it or a breast pump. Additionally, do not let the baby sleep with the nipple in their mouth. If there is nipple damage or cracking, stop breastfeeding and use a breast pump to express the milk until the wound heals, and then resume breastfeeding.

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Written by Cui Yu Rong
Breast Surgery
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Is hot compress effective for acute mastitis?

An important factor in acute mastitis is the accumulation of milk during breastfeeding, which leads to mastitis. Applying heat can be somewhat effective, as it helps to unblock the milk, thus further alleviating and controlling the symptoms of mastitis. However, heat application is mainly used in the initial stage of mastitis. If the condition progresses further, with more apparent systemic symptoms or pus formation, then heat application is not very effective. Further anti-infection treatment and, if necessary, incision and drainage surgery are needed to control the condition.

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Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
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What should be noted for acute mastitis?

For acute mastitis, it is important to keep the nipples clean. The nipples should often be washed with soapy warm water, and rinsed with clean water before and after breastfeeding. Patients with inverted nipples should gently extrude the nipple before cleaning it, but should not use alcohol to clean the area, as alcohol can make the skin of the nipple and areola brittle and prone to cracking. It is important to develop good breastfeeding habits, breastfeeding on a regular schedule, and ensuring that all the milk is drawn out each time. If the milk cannot be fully expressed, it should be manually massaged out or extracted using a breast pump. Additionally, do not let the baby sleep with the nipple in their mouth. If there are any nipple injuries or cracks, stop breastfeeding, use a breast pump to extract the milk, and resume breastfeeding only after the wounds have healed.