Patient's question:
At 3 months postpartum, a small lump appeared on the left areola 5 days ago. Initially, it was the size of a grain of rice, but after two days, it grew to the size of a peanut. It was very painful. Three days ago, I started taking oral cephalexin and have been using povidone-iodine to disinfect the affected area followed by applying erythromycin ointment. During this time, I did not stop breastfeeding. Yesterday, the affected area ruptured, and after expressing a lot of yellow pus, the pain subsided significantly. Do I need any special treatment? Thank you!Doctor's answer:
According to the symptoms you mentioned, a small bump has appeared on the areola, and the affected area burst yesterday, releasing a lot of yellow pus. It should have been infected. Now it's basically not painful anymore, but it may not have healed completely. Many antibiotics should be used for treatment. If you don't want to stop breastfeeding, you can take potassium penicillin V tablets, which have less interference on the baby compared to cephalosporin. It is recommended to pay attention to local hygiene and observe carefully. You can use povidone-iodine to sterilize the affected area daily and then apply erythromycin ointment.