Top Natural Home Remedies for Mastitis
Mastitis is known as an infection coming from breast tissue and mostly impacts women who are giving birth and breastfeeding. It happens during first three months after giving birth and can occur at any time during the period of breastfeeding. Basically, mastitis has an influence on one breast.
Mastitis is usually caused by a blocked milk duct, leading to the fact that milk retains in your breast, hence, triggering infection. Also, it is bacterial going inside the breast through a crack or a break on mothers’ nipple that highly contributes to the problem.
As you are about to become a mother, there are some symptoms of mastitis you truly need to know. They include:
● Breast pain
● Inflammation
● Redness
● Swelling
● Warmth to the touch
● Redness
● Chills
● Fever
This problem can make mothers feel exhausted, turning out to be a difficulty in taking care of her baby.
The most important thing is that even though you have mastitis, you still need to keep breastfeeding. However, this does not put any threat to the baby. Interestingly, it brings about the additional benefit of clearing the infection in the breast. In case you see that breastfeeding is too much pain, you can try hand expressing or pumping the milk to protect milk ducts from being clogged.
Apart from that, home remedies to treat mastitis are also recommended and help you ease the discomfort. As the problem lasts for a couple of weeks and your condition gets painful, let’s see your doctors as soon as possible.
Following are top effective treatments for mastitis.
1. Massage
As you are having mastitis, let’s try massage first. Massage is believed to unblock the milk ducts that are plugged and then eliminating the swelling. You can try to massage from outer breast too the nipples in circles.
How to apply:
● Mix apricot with wheat germ oil in an equal amount
● Massage the breast by using this mixture
● Perform the same process several times per day
Another option is to add some drops of camphor oil to two teaspoons of olive oil and massage your breast with it for several times on a daily basis.
Note: Before breastfeeding the baby, you need to clean the nipples with warm water
2. Cold and Hot Compress
Hot and cold compress is beneficial for those who are having mastitis. A cold compress is able to ease the swelling and reduce the pain, while a hot one clears the blockage, thereby enhancing your blood circulation and support the flow of milk.
How to apply:
● Wrap a bottle of hot water into a towel to make a hot compress
● Wrap some ice cubes in a towel to make a cold compress
● Put the hot compress over your affected breast for about 15 minutes
● After that, place the cold one for another 10 minutes
● Perform the same process from twice to thrice
● Apply this home remedy if necessary
3. Cabbage Leaves
This treatment might sound strange to some people, however, it turns out to be one of the safest and most natural home remedies for mastitis. Cabbage leaves contain sulfur properties which aid in relieving the swelling and inflammation. In addition, the leaves can help nursing mother relive the clogged ducts and engorgement.
How to apply:
● Have some cabbage leaves chilled in the fridge for about 30 minutes
● Place one of the cold leaves on your affected areas
● As the leaf comes to cool down, replace it with the new one.
● Perform the treatment on a daily basis to help cure the infection.
4. Garlic
As you are suffering from mastitis, don’t forget garlic. Garlic is loaded with antibiotic effects that help clear bacteria triggering infection. Apart from that, this ingredient can improve your weak immune system and then boost recovery quickly.
How to apply:
● Consume about 3 cloves of garlic on your empty stomach. You can consume some cloves of garlic entire day. In case you cannot eat garlic, let’s have them with plain water or orange juice. Perform the same process for a couple of weeks.
● Alternatively, you can opt for taking a garlic supplement, but before using, consult your doctor.
5. Echinacea
Echinacea is known as a popular herb that confers many amazing health benefits, including boosting your weak immune system to allow your body to fight the infection. Echinacea is loaded with flavonoids providing antimicrobial, antibiotic as well as anti-inflammatory properties.
How to apply:
● Rub the echinacea root over your affected areas for 5 times per day
● Wash the area carefully with warm water before letting the baby feed
Or,
● Insert 3 drops of the tincture into a cup of water
● Consume it up to 4 times daily within a week
You should not use this herb for a long time.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the most excellent home treatments for women who are suffering from mastitis. The reason comes from its package of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that aid in reducing the inflammation, curing the infection and protecting it from spreading. ACV also provides an additional energy booster.
How to apply:
● Add a part of apple cider vinegar to 2 parts of warm water
● Rub the solution over your infected areas by using a cotton ball.
● Leave it on for about 15 minutes
● Wash it off with little warm water
● Perform the same process up to thrice per day until your condition gets significantly improved
Alternatively, mix a teaspoon of unfiltered ACV to some drops of honey with a glass of water. Then take in the mixture thrice per day for two weeks.
7. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is another perfect treatment for mastitis because of its healing as well as pain relief effect that can assist in reducing symptoms of mastitis.
How to apply:
● Prepare an aloe vera leaf to help extract the gel
● Rub the fresh gel over your affected skin area
● Leave it on for about a few minutes
● Wash it off with warm water and pat them dry with a clean towel
No comments