Mastitis is a painful inflammation of the breast tissue, which can lead to bacterial infection. The disease usually occurs in women, but men can also get mastitis.
Mastitis in men is often related to an underlying disease such as diabetes, trauma to the nipples, chest wall, or infection. Some risk factors such as smoking, damage from breast piercing, eczema on the chest, weakened immunity due to diabetes, and shaving or plucking hair around the chest can also cause inflammation in the mammary glands.
The disease is often caused by bacteria on the skin surface entering the breast through a crack in the skin of the nipple or through the opening of the milk duct, triggering an immune response in the breast tissue and causing inflammation. The infection can spread beyond the breast tissue to other parts of the body. The bacteria that causes mastitis is usually staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial mastitis can form an abscess.
Doctor Vinh advises patients. Illustration photo: Tam Anh General Hospital
Symptoms include pain, breast tenderness or warmth to the touch, breast swelling, hard lumps, and red spots. When breast tissue is infected, the patient has symptoms of fever, chills, and white or bloody discharge from the nipples. Symptoms of mastitis can be confused with breast cancer. Men with the above symptoms should see a doctor in the Department of Breast – Head, Face and Neck Surgery. If cancer is suspected, the doctor will prescribe an ultrasound, mammogram, or biopsy.
To relieve chest pain, men can apply cold compresses, rest, drink plenty of water, and take pain relievers or fever reducers. Massaging the lymph nodes above the collarbone and in the armpit helps circulate fluid in the mammary glands, reducing swelling. If the above methods do not improve symptoms, the doctor determines the type of bacteria and prescribes appropriate antibiotics. Patients should not apply hot compresses, wear tight clothing, press hard on the chest, apply petroleum jelly or cosmetics on the chest.