Breast Infection and Breast Abscess

A breast infection is an infection in the tissue of the breast.

The Breasts

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If your breast infection goes untreated, it can become a breast abscess.

• A breast abscess is a pocket of pus that forms a lump in your breast

• A breast abscess is very rare

If you have a breast infection, an area of your breast gets:

• Tender

• Swollen

• Red

• Warm

• Breast infections are rare but happen more often around childbirth, after an injury, or after surgery

• You’re more likely to get a breast infection if you have diabetes or if you take corticosteroids (medicine to lower swelling and pain)

Doctors have you take antibiotics to treat the infection.

Doctors usually drain an abscess. To do this, doctors will:

• Do an ultrasound (a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the insides of your body) to see where to place the needle

• Drain the abscess with a needle