Acute Mastitis-Breast Lumps

Acute Mastitis-TCM called Breast Abscess

Breast-feeding is a difficult task for new mother. Some has milk, some don't. It is often a stressful task at first but bring a bond between the mother and a baby. Milk duct sometime is obstructed due to postnatal depression, sometime due to stagnation of heat in the stomach.

Breast abscess is an acute purulent disorder of the breast mostly found in lactation period after delivery. Obstruction of the milk duct lead to retention milk in the breast and lump grow in the breast. Local redness, swelling, pain of the breast, difficult lactation may cause fever and chills.

In TCM study, Liver and Stomach channels run through breasts and nipple. When metal depression affecting the qi of the liver will cause stagnation. Over taking fatty food cause stagnation in the stomach then create toxic fire. Accumulate phlegm fire cause the lumps in the breast.

Treatment principle: regulate the liver qi, remove stagnation and stress, clear toxic heat and infection.

Case study:

Patient is breast-feeding for four months since delivery. Her left breast has form a big lump toward armpit. The lump area of the skin is red, feeling hot and inflamed. She looked very upset and stress. She expressed difficulty to handle a four years old child plus a four months old baby. She is constant tired, her eye filled up with tear when she talked to me. Few months ago, patient had mastitis. She took anti-biotic then caused her thrush (yeast infection on the nipple). She had to stop breast-feeding and very painful. She hope there are some herbs can help her. 

First treatment: I prescribed some herbs to help clear toxic heat (infection), promo lactation, and break up the lumps. Seven days later, patient’s condition is greatly improved. Skin redness was complete gone. The size of the lump was greatly reduced and no more pain. There is no trouble lactation. 

Second treatment: Beside the original prescription, I added some herbs to help the fatigue, release the stress and clam the mind. 

Patient’s breast lump is gone and seems much more relax and clam. Mostly she is able to enjoy breast -feeding her newborn baby. Acupuncture SI 1 was needle at this time.