A blocked milk duct (sometimes also called plugged or clogged milk duct) is a blockage of one or more ducts carrying

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

to the

nipple The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast from which, in lactating females, breast milk, milk from the mammary gland leaves the body through the lactiferous ducts to Breastfeeding, nurse an infant. The milk can flow th ...

for the purpose of

breastfeeding Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the process where breast milk is fed to a child. Infants may suck the milk directly from the breast, or milk may be extracted with a Breast pump, pump and then fed to the infant. The World Health Orga ...

infant In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to juveniles of ...

that can cause

mastitis Mastitis is inflammation of the breast or udder, usually associated with breastfeeding. Symptoms typically include local pain and redness. There is often an associated fever and general soreness. Onset is typically fairly rapid and usually occ ...

. The

symptom Signs and symptoms are diagnostic indications of an illness, injury, or condition. Signs are objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported subjective experiences. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature ...

s are a tender, localised lump in one

breast The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryology, embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is ...

, with redness in the skin over the lump. The cause of a blocked milk duct is the failure to remove milk from part of the breast. This may be due to infrequent breastfeeding, poor attachment, tight clothing or trauma to the breast. Sometimes the duct to one part of the breast is blocked by thickened milk. A blocked milk duct can be managed by improving the removal of milk and correcting the underlying cause.

Symptoms and signs

A blocked milk duct has the following common

s: * Low

fever Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...

and breast infection * Pain in a particular side of the breast * Swollen or tender lump in the breast * Slower milk flow * a small white

blister A blister is a small pocket of body fluid (lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus) within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled ...

on the nipple called a milk bleb * swelling or redness of the breast * areas of the breast that are hot or warm to touch * the infant may feel fussy when feeding from the affected breast

Causes

Blocked milk ducts are a common breastfeeding problem and can be caused due to a number of reasons: * When the infant does not latch properly * Wearing a tight bra or tight clothing can restrict the breasts and put pressure on them leading to a blocked milk duct * A bad or weak pump could lead to a drainage issue * When the breast milk is not removed regularly, the milk can back up and create a blockage * A nipple bleb can also block the milk duct * When the body produces milk in over abundance, it can engorge the breast and hence lead to a blockage * Other reasons include fatigue, over exercise, dehydration and weaning.

Diagnosis

Treatment

The most effective treatment against blocked milk ducts is to empty the affected breasts by frequent breastfeeding or pumping. Numerous other treatment approaches have been suggested, however, there is insufficient clinical research to determine the effectiveness. Treatments that have been studied but have no strong evidence for or against their use: * A gentle massage of the affected breast Sometimes after gentle massage over the lump, a string of the thickened milk comes out through the nipple, followed by a stream of milk, and rapid relief of the blocked duct. * Ensuring a correct positioning and latching of the baby * Wearing loose clothing items that do not bind the breasts * Applying warm compresses * Drinking a specialized

herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...

* Acupuncture * Gua-Sha * Proteolytic enzymes A blocked milk duct can result from a nipple bleb. Both of these can lead to

References

{{Infants and their care Breast anatomy Human female endocrine system