Print Overview Mastitis Enlarge image Close Mastitis Mastitis Mastitis, which mainly affects breast-feeding women, causes redness, swelling and pain in one or both breasts. Mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection. The inflammation results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness. You might also have fever and chills. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding (lactation mastitis). But mastitis can occur in women who aren't breast-feeding and in men. Lactation mastitis can cause you to feel run down, making it difficult to care for your baby. Sometimes mastitis leads a mother to wean her baby before she intends to. But continuing to breast-feed, even while taking an antibiotic to treat mastitis, is better for you and your baby.Products & ServicesBook: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th EditionNewsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital EditionProduct for Nursing from Mayo Clinic StoreShow more products from Mayo Clinic SymptomsSigns and symptoms of mastitis can appear suddenly. They may include: Breast tenderness or warmth to the touch Breast swelling Thickening of breast tissue, or a breast lump Pain or a burning sensation continuously or while breast-feeding Skin redness, often in a wedge-shaped pattern Generally feeling ill Fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or greater When to see a doctorSee your doctor if you have breast symptoms that concern you. Request an appointment There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. 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Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry CausesMilk that is trapped in the breast is the main cause of mastitis. Other causes include: A blocked milk duct. If a breast doesn't completely empty at feedings, one of your milk ducts can become clogged. The blockage causes milk to back up, leading to breast infection. Bacteria entering your breast. Bacteria from your skin's surface and baby's mouth can enter the milk ducts through a crack in the skin of your nipple or through a milk duct opening. Stagnant milk in a breast that isn't emptied provides a breeding ground for the bacteria. Female breast anatomy The structure of the female breast is complex — including fat, glandular and connective tissue, as well as lobes, lobules, ducts, lymph nodes, blood vessels and ligaments. Lobules and ducts Each breast has a number of sections (lobules) that branch out from the nipple. Each lobule holds tiny, hollow sacs (alveoli). The lobules are linked by a network of thin tubes (ducts). If you're breast-feeding, ducts carry milk from the alveoli toward the dark area of skin in the center of the breast (areola). From the areola, the ducts join together into larger ducts ending at the nipple. Fat, ligaments and connective tissue Spaces around the lobules and ducts are filled with fat, ligaments and connective tissue. The amount of fat in your breasts largely determines their size. The actual milk-producing structures are nearly the same in all women. Female breast tissue is sensitive to cyclic changes in hormone levels. Most women's breast tissue changes as they age, with more fat relative to the amount of dense tissue. Muscles The breast has no muscle tissue. Muscles lie underneath the breasts, however, separating them from your ribs. Arteries and capillaries Oxygen and nutrients travel to breast tissue through the blood in your arteries and capillaries — thin, fragile blood vessels. Lymph nodes and lymph ducts The lymphatic system is a network of lymph nodes and lymph ducts that helps fight infection. Lymph nodes — found under the armpit, above the collarbone, behind the breastbone and in other parts of the body — trap harmful substances that might be in the lymphatic system and safely drain them from the body. Risk factorsRisk factors for mastitis include: Previous bout of mastitis while breast-feeding Sore or cracked nipples — although mastitis can develop without broken skin Wearing a tightfitting bra or putting pressure on your breast when using a seat belt or carrying a heavy bag, which may restrict milk flow Improper nursing technique Becoming overly tired or stressed Poor nutrition Smoking ComplicationsMastitis that isn't adequately treated or that is due to a blocked duct can cause a collection of pus (abscess) to develop in your breast. An abscess usually requires surgical drainage. To avoid this complication, talk to your doctor as soon as you develop signs or symptoms of mastitis. PreventionTo get your breast-feeding relationship with your infant off to its best start — and to avoid complications such as mastitis — consider meeting with a lactation consultant. A lactation consultant can give you tips and provide invaluable advice for proper breast-feeding techniques. Minimize your chances of getting mastitis by following these tips: Fully drain the milk from your breasts while breast-feeding. Allow your baby to completely empty one breast before switching to the other breast during feeding. Change the position you use to breast-feed from one feeding to the next. Make sure your baby latches on properly during feedings. If you smoke, ask your doctor about smoking cessation. By Mayo Clinic Staff Request an appointment Diagnosis & treatment Sept. 13, 2022 Print Share on: FacebookTwitter Show references AskMayoExpert. Mastitis. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2017. Ferri FF. Mastitis. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2018. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed May 17, 2018. Dixon JM. Nonlactational mastitis in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed May 17, 2018. Lobo RA, et al. Breast diseases: Detection, management, and surveillance of breast disease. In: Comprehensive Gynecology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2017. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed May 17, 2018. Mastitis. La Leche League International. https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/mastitis/. Accessed May 17, 2018. Dixon JM. Lactational mastitis. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed May 17, 2018. Gabbe SG, et al., eds. Lactation and breastfeeding. In: Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2017. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed May 17, 2018. Related Mastitis Associated Procedures Breast biopsy Mammogram Products & Services Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition Product for Nursing from Mayo Clinic Store Show more products and services from Mayo Clinic MastitisSymptoms & causesDiagnosis & treatmentDoctors & departments Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. 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There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry