On from last week, my right breast now is in pain. This time though it has progressed to a large lump on the underside, inflamed and red. I also have a bad headache and aches, but no fever.
Does this mean it is only a blocked duct and not mastitis? Is the fever the key with mastitis?
As per normal when I start to get mastitis I feel like I've been hit by a truck, just lacking the high temp.
Do I treat a blocked duct any different than mastitis?
From memory when I had a blocked duct/start of mastitis I kept a wheat pack on it all evening and massaged it as baby fed. I forced her on the boob every time she moved lol.
Do you feel fluish or like you're coming down with something, even without a fever? If so *could* be beginnings of mastitis. With my blocked ducts the boob itself got very achy but no general aches and pains and no headaches.
With DS1 I remember getting a red lump in my boob which never progressed to mastitis thankfully. Kept massaging, feeding , having warm showers and hand expressed till it was gone. Maybe keep at it and it will clear.
Yes, it sounds like mastitis. Mastitis can be infective, or not, so doesn't always present with signs of infection - fever, aches, etc. Treatment is the same as for a blocked duct, plus antibiotics if required for infection.
Often lumps take a while to shift completely. If it doesn't improve at all, or gets worse, then I would suggest seeking medical treatment even if you don't have signs of infection.
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