Acute suppurative mastitis: what you need to know

It can cause a painful, hot, swollen area, skin redness, fever or feeling generally unwell. Pus may collect in an abscess, which sometimes requires drainage as well as antibiotics.

The term describes sudden breast inflammation caused by infection, with suppuration meaning that pus is present or forming. It may occur during breastfeeding, particularly when milk is not draining well or the nipple is damaged, but it can also occur outside breastfeeding.

A clinician examines the breast for inflammation and a possible collection beneath the skin. Ultrasound may be used when an abscess is suspected. A sample of milk or drained fluid may help guide antibiotic choice when symptoms are severe, recurrent or not improving.

Arrange a prompt clinical assessment. Take any prescribed antibiotic exactly as directed and complete the course unless the prescriber changes it. A confirmed abscess may be drained with a needle or a small procedure; antibiotics alone may not clear a walled-off collection.

If breastfeeding, continue feeding or gently expressing to maintain comfortable milk flow unless your treating clinician advises otherwise. Avoid forceful massage or repeated deep pressure on the inflamed area. Rest, fluids, a supportive bra and a cool compress can ease discomfort. A lactation specialist can check attachment and milk removal without traumatising the breast.

Seek urgent medical help for rapidly spreading redness, severe or worsening pain, high fever, shaking chills, confusion, faintness, fast breathing, marked weakness or inability to keep fluids down. These features can signal a spreading infection.

Contact the treating clinician promptly if a soft or bulging lump develops, pus drains from the skin, symptoms worsen after treatment begins, or improvement does not follow as expected. Recurrent inflammation in the same area also needs reassessment rather than repeated self-treatment.

Ask whether an ultrasound is needed, whether there is an abscess to drain, how soon improvement should begin, and which changes should bring you back urgently. If you are breastfeeding, ask how to feed or express comfortably and whether the medicine is suitable for you and your baby.