Why does mastitis cause breast pain?

Breast Pain is a common presentation of Mastitis. Inflammation can narrow milk ducts, increase tissue pressure and stimulate pain-sensing nerves. The breast may feel warm, heavy or hard in one area, with discomfort during feeding or touch. Mastitis can occur during breastfeeding, but breast pain has many possible causes, so pain alone does not identify mastitis.

Rest, drink to thirst and use a cool compress for comfort. Continue breastfeeding or expressing milk if you can, without forceful massage or trying to empty the breast repeatedly. Check positioning and attachment if feeding is painful. A clinician can advise on pain relief and assess whether infection needs treatment; take prescribed medicines exactly as directed.

Contact a clinician if symptoms are worsening, you feel unwell, or improvement does not begin with supportive care. Prompt assessment is needed for fever, spreading redness, pus, a fluctuant swelling or severe pain, because an abscess may need specific treatment. Seek urgent help if you feel faint or seriously ill.

Ask whether your symptoms fit inflammatory or infectious mastitis, how to continue feeding safely, which pain relief is suitable, and when you should expect improvement. Ask how to recognise an abscess and where to return if symptoms persist.