What are scabs on nipples?

It is very common to have scabs on the nipples. It may be caused by breast hyperplasia or other reasons. No matter what the reason is, you must pay attention to the local cleanliness of the nipples. You can clean the nipples with warm water. It is best not to squeeze or stimulate the nipples with your hands to avoid nipple inflammation. Eat less spicy and irritating foods, and try to eat light food.

Breast health is very important during breastfeeding, as it not only affects the baby's diet but also the mother's physical health. Mothers who have breastfeeding experience will know that some breast diseases can be diagnosed by appearance. For example, many mothers will encounter breast problems during breastfeeding, such as nipple scabs and white granular substances. Don’t underestimate these white spots, as they hide a lot of information that you don’t know.

What are the white spots on my breasts during breastfeeding?

1. Smell

1. In the later stage of lactation, the amount of milk secretion is large, accompanied by a lactation reaction. Even if the nipple and nipple pores are not squeezed hard, milk will be secreted automatically. If the milk dries up, it will form a scab around the nipple pores to form white granular milk scale.

2. Milk stains should be cleaned in time to avoid accumulation over time, which will clog the nipple pores and affect breastfeeding. In severe cases, it may also induce mastitis and other breast diseases. When cleaning, make sure your hands are clean. It is best to use a sterilized medical cotton swab, dip it in warm water to soften the milk stains, and then gently scrub the nipples and areola.

3. Avoid using a towel to clean yourself when taking a bath. Towels hung in the humid environment of the bathroom for long-term use will breed a large number of bacteria. Towels that have been used for a long time will become harder, and the skin around the nipples is very fragile and can be easily scratched when used with towels. Don't use shower gel or soap, as these toiletries have too strong a cleaning power and will destroy the acid-base environment around the nipples.

2. Hair follicle blockage

During breastfeeding, prolactin is secreted vigorously, and at the same time, the sebaceous glands around the breasts are more active than at other times. When the milk secretion is large and the nipple environment is humid, sebum secretion may not be discharged smoothly, so the white particles on the breast are likely to be caused by folliculitis clogging the pores. It can be treated with Bactroban. Apply the ointment to the skin around the nipples, not directly on the nipples. Be sure to wash the ointment off before breastfeeding, because the medicine contains antibiotic ingredients, which may cause nephrotoxicity and other adverse sequelae if inhaled by the baby.

3. Mastitis

If white spots appear on the nipples and breast pain worsens, it is likely that milk stasis and mastitis have caused duct inflammation and narrowing. Do not pick the nipples with needles or other objects, otherwise the blockage will only make the mastitis more serious. You can increase the number of times the baby sucks and reduce the time interval. If the baby's appetite is limited, you must use a breast pump to empty the breasts. After feeding, use medical sterilized cotton swabs and alcohol or disinfectant to protect the nipples.

4. Fat particles

Mothers should not think it is strange to have fat particles on the nipples. Many breastfeeding mothers are worried that their babies are not full, so they feed them a lot of high-fat lactation-promoting soups. In addition, some of the irritating foods they eat every day have a high fat intake. Many mothers often let their babies sleep with the nipple in their mouths at night. Various bad habits can easily cause fat particles to grow on the nipples, resulting in blockage of the nipple pores and milk ducts, which can cause milk to flow out unsmoothly and lead to various breast problems.