What is breast cancer?
Lumps in the breast, changes in the skin, changes in the size of the nipples, hardening of the breast, lumps around the breast (under arms), blood or fluid coming from the nipple or feeling of pain in the breast can be breast cancer. Consumption of alcohol or cigarettes, delayed first conception, non-breastfeeding of children, excessive weight gain, changing lifestyle, taking birth control pills, or genetics (if someone in the family has had breast cancer) May also increase the risk of cancer.
Women above the age of 25 to 30 years should definitely do a breast self examination. However, in many cases people mistake breast infection for breast infection.
What are breast infections?
breast infection
Breast infection is also called mastitis. Breast infection can also occur in lactating women or women who are not breastfeeding. Breast infection in lactating women is caused by bacteria present in the mouth of the newborn or the newborn is unable to drink milk properly, which is called lactation mastitis. At the same time, research is still being done on why women who do not breastfeed get infections.
According to the American Cancer Society, sometimes due to cracks in the skin of the nipple, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus enters the breast, causing mastitis.
What are the symptoms of breast infection?
Mastitis may have the following symptoms. These symptoms include:
*Redness and swelling of the breast (somewhere)
*Pain when touching the red and swollen area
* be stressed and anxious
* Increase in body temperature
*feeling tired
*feeling pain in the body
*Fluid discharge from the nipple
*Itching of breast
*Mastitis can occur in both breasts simultaneously.
*Men are more likely to develop mastitis, but this is less common.
*Mastitis occurs due to blockage of milk duct.
What can cause breast infection?
* The child is not able to drink milk properly
* Delay in getting the feed or getting the feed done too soon
*Blocking of milk duct
*excessive milk production
*breastfeeding twins
*cracking of the nipple skin
* Wearing too tight clothes (bra) and poor quality of clothes
*weakened immune system
*anemia
* Consumption of excessive fat and salt in the diet
* Trouble during delivery of the baby
*Women's age should be 21 to 35 years
*Have had a breast infection before
* get nipple piercing
* smoking
*Healthy women are less prone to breast infection but, sometimes chronic disease, diabetes or weakened immune system can increase the chances of breast infection.
There may also be an increased risk of breast infection during or after menopause.
How is breast infection treated?
According to experts, the feeding woman should feed the baby at the right gap. This milk duct will remain empty and dry for some time.
Antibiotics are given to reduce the infection.
If the problem does not subside, the doctor should be contacted again.
Do not ignore the changes in the breast and contact the doctor as soon as possible.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The following symptoms point towards breast cancer:
* Lumps in breast.
*Changes in the skin of the breast.
*Change in the size of the nipple.
* Hardening of the breast.
*There is also a lump around the breast (under arms).
*Blood or fluid coming from the nipple.
*Feeling of pain in the breast.
Women are also troubled by the problem of lump in the breast and get stressed. However, breast lumps are not always cancer.
What are the causes of breast cancer?
Breast cancer can occur due to the following reasons –
* Consumption of alcohol or cigarettes.
* Delay in first conception.
* Do not breastfeed babies.
*Excessive body weight gain.
* Changing lifestyle.
*Using contraceptive drugs.
The risk of cancer can also increase due to genetic (if someone in the family has had breast cancer) reasons.
How is breast cancer treated?
*Surgery – Lumpectomy and Mastectomy – There are several types of surgery options available to treat breast cancer. The surgeries depend on the stage of your cancer. Along with this, in most surgeries, the tumor is taken out.
Radiation therapy – A laser with a high power beam kills breast cancer cells.
Chemotherapy – With its help, cancer cells are destroyed. In some cases it may also be used along with radiation therapy.
When to go to the doctor?
If you notice lumps, swelling or rashes around your breasts, contact your doctor immediately. This can happen while breastfeeding or not.
*You have abnormal discharge from your nipples.
*Difficulty in daily activities due to breast pain.
*Having pain in the breast for a long time without any reason.
*Difficulty breastfeeding due to swelling, burning, or red rash. In this condition, you may feel a lump on the breast while breastfeeding, which goes away on its own later.
Note- Hope this article will prove useful for you. Now you must have understood the difference between breast cancer and breast infection. It is important to take care of both the things. If you feel any discomfort in the breast, then do not consider it as cancer, as well as do not ignore the symptoms of discomfort because it can be a symptom of breast cancer. Consult an expert for more information on this.
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