What should you know about mastitis infection treatment?

Mastitis can involve inflammation, infection, or both. A clinician considers pain, redness, swelling, fever, discharge, breastfeeding status, recent skin injury, and how symptoms are changing. Mild inflammation may improve with rest, comfortable support, and careful milk removal when relevant. Suspected bacterial infection may require a prescribed antibiotic. A collection of pus may need separate assessment and drainage.

Take prescribed medicine exactly as directed and complete the plan unless the prescriber changes it. Keep breastfeeding or expressing milk only as advised; many people can continue, but severe pain or a specific medicine may change the plan. Use a cool compress, rest, drink fluids, and avoid deep massage or pressure on the breast. Arrange follow-up if symptoms are not clearly improving.

Seek prompt care for fever, rapidly spreading redness, worsening swelling, pus, severe pain, or feeling faint or very unwell. Contact the clinician again if symptoms persist despite treatment, a lump becomes more defined, or the skin develops a new change. These findings can signal a complication or a different diagnosis.

Ask whether the problem appears inflammatory or infectious, how to take each medicine, whether feeding should continue, and what improvement should occur first. Ask when an examination, imaging, milk testing, or drainage would be considered.