Summary
Mastitis, an infection of breast tissue, is most common
in women breast feeding in the first three months after
birth. The bacterial infection comes from the bacteria
entering in the milk ducts of the breast thru small cracks
in the skin of the nipple. The bacteria source may be
from the baby or from the surrounding skin. Although
less common, women not breast feeding may also develop
mastitis. Especially susceptible would be those with
compromised immune systems from other health issues.
The inflammation in the fatty tissue of the breast can be
accompanied by redness, warmth, swelling, and/or lumps and
can be quite painful with fever, chills and extreme
exhaustion. Although the symptoms can be very
uncomfortable the common advice is to continue
breast-feeding, the infection will not be detrimental to the
baby.
Essential oils, with their antibacterial
properties, may be of assistance. The oils basil and
frankincense along with the blend OnGuard have helped
others. They can be applied topically directly to the
affected area or taken internally. For topical
application consider using a carrier oil especially around
and on the nipple. For internal use oils can be put in
capsules or for drinking oils may be mixed with juice.
Others using the oils at the outset have begun with
application of oils as often as every hour with 1 or 2 drops
of each oil, then reducing the frequency in the following
days.
As with any infection mastitis should not be considered
lightly. If there is any question consult a qualified
medical professional.
Oils, blends & products
recommended:
Oils & Blends:
basil, frankincense, OnGuard
Essential oils based
products:
Also consider:
Citrus Bliss, lavender
Experiences and Testimonials of others
Sharon - Does
anyone know of a blend that will help mastitis and not dry
up the milk? She is on antibiotics, which can do the same
thing, but she is in a lot of pain.
Rob - Mastitis or inflammation in the
breast can be can be very serious. I would recommend you
consult a health care professional, if you do not start
seeing improvement straightaway. Later stages of mastitis
can present systemic symptoms like fever and flu-like
symptoms and abscesses can even develop. These symptoms can
develop very quickly without any warning.
With essential oils consider OnGuard, basil and
frankincense as they will all be helpful for inflammation.
Consider direct topical application to the breast, however I
would suggest NOT applying directly to the nipple area
without a carrier. And I would suggest that
VCO used as a
carrier would be ideal. A frequency of 3 times daily would
seem reasonable.
Also taking OnGuard internally will help reduce the
inflammation. 2 drops every 4 hours or so.
Elea - Has anyone
used oils to help prevent or cure mastitis while nursing?
Tamera - I wanted to share an experience
I had on Friday night. I thought I had experienced mastitis
before. I was wrong. I am trying to wean my baby off of a
few feeding so I can sleep. He is 11 months and still nurses
like a champ all day and night even though he eats solids
and drinks water. I started to feel tenderness in my
right breast in the morning. It was normal, I thought. By
that evening around 4 or 5 I was feeling a little weak
and achy I got out my peppermint and put it where the pain
was and then I got out my modern essentials book and looked
up mastitis it said lavender and citrus bliss. I let my
sister borrow my citrus bliss the night before. I used
lavender, grapefruit, lemon and wild orange.
I laid down and then the chills started. My dear friend
Brianna and I were suppose to go out. I told her it wasn't
going out tonight. She jumped on the Google group and asked
for help. The reply was immediate frankincense, OnGuard and
basil. I didn't have basil. I put lemon, OnGuard and
frankincense and coconut oil in bath sea salt . I
soaked for 30 minutes. The chills stopped and the gravity
was off my breast. Still I was in a lot of pain. I kept
breathing deeply. I got out and laid down.
The chills were back. My feet, hands and nose were cold
and my body was hot. My husband put OnGuard2 on my feet and
gloves. I put a cold pack on my breast to reduce the
swelling and nursed my baby. I took a capsule of
lemon, OnGuard and oregano. I put OnGuard and frankincense
and lemon on my breast. The warming of the OnGuard
seemed to be helping. Then I used cypress on my feet
and breast for circulation. I was feeling pretty hot. I
didn't check my temperature in my opinion I was borderline
at a dangerous temperature. At 9 pm I was about to
give up and go to the hospital I felt like dying. I
was dizzy and nauseous. I stood outside in the cold to cool
off. I laid had down again nursed my baby again and fell
asleep.
I woke up 30 minutes later sweaty but feeling better. I
went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face got some
water and an apple. I had a bad headache. I put
peppermint and eucalyptus and frankincense on my temples
forehead and neck. I slept until 4 am. nursed and did the
headache oils again and woke in the morning a new women!!
I was still a little tender. I was afraid it would come
back. I applied OnGuard everyday. I am 100% now.
I am so grateful I was able to heal myself naturally and
that I had support from my husband, Brianna and the Google
group. I can't believe it was only 5 hours and I was feeling
so much better. I just wanted to share this learning
experience I hope it will help someone in some way.
CeriAnn - My
neighbor has a twelve year old daughter who has mastitis.
She knows it is mastitis because her daughter was diagnosed
with it last year. They treated with two rounds of
antibiotics before the infection went away. My
neighbor would like to heal this without antibiotics.
We read in the oils book to use lavender and citrus bliss,
which the girl applied three times with a hot compress
through the night. This morning the infection seems to
have spread to the whole breast. If anyone has
experience with this, to know what might help I would
greatly appreciate it!
Pat - Stay away from the hot compress.
It will spread the oil but it will also spread the
infection. Use frankincense, OnGuard and basil, rub
generously on the affected area and the bottom of the feet.
Repeat every hour the first day and every 2 hours the second
day. Be aggressive and consistent. It would help if she
would take the frankincense and OnGuard internally. It could
be considered not tasty but you could drop it in some
applesauce and have her take it every two hours, at least 2
drops of each.
Wendy - I had mastitis just last week. I
started this very procedure with essential oils before the
fever, chills and all over body aches set in. It
works! The only thing I would add is to take the
OnGuard in orange juice (it tastes better since there is
wild orange in the blend) with a straw. I first drank
it without the straw and the cinnamon in the OnGuard blend
slightly burned my lips.
Samara - Has anyone
used green clay? Would that interfere with oil use or
does the oils absorb into the body fast enough? I know
clay helps remove toxins.
Julia - I love using green clay.. also
known as bentonite clay. Clay has a negative charge and will
pick up the positive charged toxins in the body, and EO's
work the same way and have a negative charge as well. I
don't think that the clay will interfere with the oils. I
don't know that for sure, and it would be an interesting
thing to research. Look into how clay and oils resonate, and
the frequencies that they are and how they effect the body
in clearing toxins.
When I was recovering from my c-section when by daughter
was born, I got a severe mastitis infection followed by a
kidney infection. It was awful. My doctor put me on Keflex,
which made it even worse. After 2 weeks of horrid bowel
aches and problems, I called my herbalist/midwife and she
took me off the antibiotics and gave me green clay and a
kidney herb combo. My bowels felt better that day on the
clay, and within 3 more days my kidneys cleared up and my
mastitis cleared 5 days later.
How wonderful it would have been to have had oregano and
OnGuard then. I don't see clay hurting you, only supporting
the oils. Try it and see what happens
Ready, Set, Grow
