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 mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

to the

nipple The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast from which, in females, milk leaves the breast through the lactiferous ducts to feed an infant. The milk can flow through the nipple passively or it can be ejected by smooth ...

for the purpose of

breastfeeding Breastfeeding, or nursing, is the process by which human breast milk is fed to a child. Breast milk may be from the breast, or may be expressed by hand or pumped and fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that bre ...

infant An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used t ...

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 occurs ...

. The

symptom Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showi ...

s are a tender, localised lump in one

breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and sec ...

, 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 Trauma most often refers to: *Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source *Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic inju ...

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.

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.

Symptoms

A blocked milk duct has the following common

symptoms Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showi ...

: * Low

fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...

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 Breastfeeding infant

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, also 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. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

*Acupuncture *Gua-Sha *Proteolytic enzymes A blocked milk duct can result from a

nipple bleb A nipple bleb is a blister on the nipple that can be filled with serous or other fluid. It may be pink or light yellow. It is thin-walled and may appear as a small blister, more than 5 mm in diameter. It can also be referred to as a bulla. Som ...

. Both of these can lead to

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 occurs ...

References

Breast anatomy Human female endocrine system {{Womens-health-stub