Honey cake for mastitis - traditional medicine treatment

Useful properties and effectiveness of cabbage leaves

Cabbage is a commonly available cruciferous vegetable with high biological activity. Its beneficial properties are explained by the presence in the composition:

macro- and microelements;
B vitamins;
amino acids;
ascorbic acid;
phytoncides;
indoles;
beta-carotene;
fiber.

Cabbage is endowed with a long list of medicinal properties, so it is actively used in folk medicine. Cabbage leaves have antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and anesthetic effects. But to obtain a positive effect in the treatment of inflammation of the mammary gland, you need to know exactly how to properly use cabbage leaves for lactostasis.

What are the benefits of cabbage leaf?

A cabbage leaf compress for lactostasis is used quite often. This can be explained by the beneficial properties of the plant. Cabbage leaves can not only eliminate congestion during lactation, but also get rid of cracked nipples. Fresh plant juice prevents the development of mastopathy and benign tumors in the breast. When the first symptoms of lactostasis occur, it is recommended to apply a compress of fresh cabbage leaves. After all, the plant contains:

Phosphorus and potassium salts. Substances increase the permeability of channels located inside cells and also promote the outflow of fluid from tissues.
16 amino acids. These components are building materials for the human body.
Enzymes. Substances promote the removal and breakdown of toxins.
Phytoncides. The components have a local anesthetic effect and also prevent the active growth of bacteria.
Organic acids. Substances accelerate the process of healing and restoration of body tissues.
Vitamins B6, B1, P, C, A and very rare U. These components help strengthen the immune system, speed up metabolic processes in the body, increase vitality and so on.

Each of the components has one effect or another. For example, phytoncides and lysozyme prevent pathogens from penetrating the mammary glands. The substances have a bactericidal effect. Vitamin A accelerates the process of tissue regeneration. Thanks to this, the healing of small wounds, abrasions and scratches in the nipple area proceeds faster.

Causes of lactostasis

The term “lactostasis” in the medical community usually refers to inflammation of the mammary glands that occurs due to stagnation of milk. The problem is typical for nursing mothers, but sometimes women in late pregnancy face it.

The main reason for milk stagnation is the “human factor”. That is, the problem is provoked by the woman herself, who does not follow the basic rules, the existence of which experienced mothers know. Provoking factors include:

Wearing tight and uncomfortable bras that tighten the milk ducts.
An incorrectly formulated diet, which is dominated by products that reduce the fluidity of breast milk and make it more viscous.
Long intervals between feedings.
Features of the physiological structure of the mammary glands (concave nipples and narrow milk ducts).
Sleeping on your stomach, resting during the day, or feeding your baby on one side.
Frequent expression of milk due to increased milk production.
Hypothermia, colds.
Injury to the mammary glands.
Negative emotions, stress.
Constant pinching of the milk ducts with your fingers (during feeding).

It is necessary to carefully protect the mammary glands from hypothermia, as this leads to vasoconstriction, which is the main cause of lactostasis.

Compress technique

Cabbage leaves require preliminary preparation. Cup-shaped leaves of moderate size are suitable for compresses, which must be washed with warm running water and dried with a towel before use.

All coarse elements (veins) are removed using a sharp knife. Cabbage juice has a healing effect, and in order for it to begin to stand out, you need to lightly beat the leaf with a wooden mallet. After this, you should apply the sheet to the mammary gland, ignoring the nipple area. For fixation, a bandage made of pure cotton fabric is used. An old but comfortable bra is put on over it.

The best time to apply a cabbage leaf compress is after feeding. The question: how long to keep a cabbage leaf during lactostasis should not arise. You need to keep it until the child gets hungry again and demands food. In any case, the duration of the procedure cannot be less than 2-3 hours.

If possible, it is better to apply a compress at night. Because this will not cause much discomfort that occurs when the bandage is dislodged. Before the next feeding, you need to wash off traces of cabbage juice from the mammary gland.

Cabbage leaf for mastopathy

Since today we are talking about problems with female breasts and treatment with cabbage leaves, I will talk a little about mastopathy, a common disease that women of different ages face.

Mastopathy is a fibrocystic change in breast tissue associated with hormonal imbalance and benign in nature. However, mammologists warn that such changes increase the risk of developing breast cancer, especially in older women, so mastopathy should be taken seriously.

To protect yourself from harm, it is necessary to conduct an annual ultrasound, and for women during menopause, mammography of the mammary glands.

With mastopathy, painful lumps appear in the breast tissue, pain is felt during certain phases of the menstrual cycle, and sometimes this pain is constant, especially when pressed. This problem cannot be ignored; the doctor will advise you to avoid stress, establish regular sleep, give up bad habits and certain foods, and prescribe medications necessary to treat a specific phase of the disease.

Cabbage leaf for mastopathy is one of the reliable, proven methods of treating the disease with folk remedies. But keep in mind that mastopathy cannot be cured in a couple of sessions; you need to be patient for several months and carry out treatment in weekly courses with breaks of 3 to 4 days. The duration of treatment will depend on the severity of the disease and how quickly you begin treatment after diagnosis.

There are several ways to use it, let's look at the most commonly used.

Clean cabbage leaf

Cabbage leaf for mastopathy can be used in its pure form, for which it is prepared in the same way as for lactostasis and mastitis, and applied to the chest overnight, securing it with underwear.

Cabbage leaf with honey

For mastopathy, it is very good to lubricate the cabbage leaf with a thin layer of honey and also apply a compress overnight, rinse the breasts with warm water in the morning and wipe dry. Honey enhances the effect of cabbage juice, warms well, improves blood circulation, and enhances lymph flow.

How to apply cabbage leaf for lactostasis

When the first symptoms of lactostasis occur, it is recommended to apply a cabbage leaf compress, which can be with or without “fillers”. Women who are faced with this pathology are advised to consult a specialized specialist - a mammologist or gynecologist. Because compresses help in the early stages of the disease, at the very beginning of the inflammatory process. The following signs indicate the need for urgent action:

General malaise, weakness, increased body temperature up to 380C.
A feeling of intense heat in the armpit adjacent to the inflamed mammary gland.
Pain in the chest area.
Induration and redness of the soft tissues of the breast.

The cabbage leaf applied to the chest should be cool, but not cold. To achieve an optimal therapeutic effect, it is recommended to replace the leaves with fresh ones every hour.

Cabbage leaf with honey

Lubricate the pre-prepared cabbage leaf with natural honey, apply to the inflamed area, cover with plastic wrap and a clean cloth on top. Wear a comfortable bra.

The maximum exposure time is no more than three hours, after which you need to wash the mammary gland with warm water and wipe with a towel - without applying excessive force.

To achieve maximum therapeutic effect, it is better to apply the compress at night. To give the compress more pronounced healing properties, namely an anti-edematous effect, it is recommended to add a couple of tablespoons of raw beets, grated on a fine grater, to the honey.

Cabbage leaf without additives for milk stagnation

Information on how to properly apply a cabbage leaf for lactostasis is already presented in this article. But there are certain rules, compliance with which will speed up the healing process. Also, this will eliminate the occurrence of unpleasant surprises in the form of leaking cabbage juice, which tends to stain clothes and linen.

Increased juice secretion is observed during the first hour from the moment the cabbage face is applied to the chest. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures.
For a compress, it is better to take a leaf from the middle of the head of cabbage.
For lactostasis, a breast pump must be used, the use of which improves the outflow of stagnant milk and eliminates the infected “product”.
The sheet is applied with the concave side. You should not skimp and limit their quantity, because you can use several pieces at once.

How long should you keep cabbage leaves for lactostasis?

If you apply one cabbage leaf to your chest, and not a compress, then there is no exact time. Some experts say that you can keep it until it withers. Then it can be changed to another. Therefore, it is best to apply the sheets themselves during the day.

The time for which you need to keep the compress is slightly different. It can be applied at night. Honey will not only enhance the absorbent effect of cabbage, but will also prevent the leaf from withering almost until the morning. If for some reason you can’t use honey, you can simply add not one, but several sheets.

Prevention of lactostasis

To prevent stagnation of milk, it is necessary to carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene, as well as the temperature regime when performing water procedures. For example, a contrast shower for a nursing mother is unacceptable, because a sudden change in water temperature can lead to lactostasis.

It should be remembered that female breasts do not like hypothermia and overheating. After a shower, be sure to wipe the mammary glands dry with a towel and lubricate them with a neutral cream (for children).

If abrasions and cracks are found on the nipples, it is recommended to treat them with wound-healing ointments. There are a few more useful tips that are worth listening to:

You cannot feed your baby while constantly being in the same position. There are many options, and you can choose several suitable ones using the “individual selection method”.
The remaining milk must be expressed after each feeding.
The mammary glands should be protected from hypothermia, overheating, drafts, injuries and other negative influences.
It is not recommended to feed your child “on a schedule”, but only according to his need for food.

If the ducts of the mammary glands have a special anatomical structure, then the intervention of a competent specialist is required to eliminate the problem.

Alternative compresses for lactostasis

To restore the child's normal feeding function and eliminate the consequences of milk stagnation, drug treatment is sometimes required. But in the initial stages, when the inflammatory process has not yet gone too far, you can use publicly available means.

Magnesium sulfate (magnesium)

A drug that has several therapeutic effects at once. The use of this remedy helps relax muscle fibers and dilate milk ducts. But it has side effects such as decreased blood pressure and decreased respiratory function.

To eliminate milk stagnation, the drug is used in the form of a compress, so there will be no side effects. To prepare the base for the compress, you need to mix 3 ampoules of the drug and pour the contents onto a piece of gauze folded in several layers.

Apply a compress to the problem area, with a dry cloth and plastic film on top. The exposure time is 2 hours, after which you should do self-massage of the breasts, followed by expressing milk.

Chlorhexidine

An antiseptic intended for external use, improving blood circulation, preventing secondary infection, eliminating swelling. To prepare a highly effective compress, it is advisable to mix chlorhexidine with magnesium in equal proportions. The algorithm of actions is similar to the previous paragraph.

Alcohol compress

Before carrying out the procedure, you should take into account that the skin on the chest is thin and sensitive. Therefore, the alcohol is diluted to a concentration of 30%. It is noteworthy that official medicine is against alcohol compresses for lactostasis, since the warming effect they have can aggravate the situation. In addition, alcohol reduces lactation. Even so, this method of treatment is popular due to its simplicity and accessibility.

Camphor oil

Helps only in the initial stages. The product is endowed with analgesic, decongestant, warming, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. To prepare a compress, you need to mix camphor oil and water in a 1:1 ratio, moisten a cotton swab with the mixture and apply only to the area where there are seals. The tampon is fixed with a gauze bandage, and the chest should be wrapped in cellophane and wrapped in a scarf. Maximum exposure time is 5 hours.

How to use

Mammologists draw the attention of patients to the fact that the use of honey cakes is justified and effective only in the early stages of the development of the pathological condition. As a first example, it is necessary to note the composition of May honey, as well as rye flour. They are collected in equal proportions and form a mass resembling a cake. About the use of ultrasound in the framework of lactostasis here.

Is purulent mastitis dangerous and why should you consult a mammologist?

The resulting mass is used as the basis of a compress, which is recommended to be left exclusively in the breast area for 20 minutes. It is also possible to use another recipe that includes other basic ingredients. We are talking about aloe, flour, honey and some others.

The second recipe is as follows: you need to collect ingredients such as aloe, honey, flour, and butter. Each ingredient must be used in equal proportions. After this, the resulting mass is applied exactly to the breast that is affected by stagnation. This should be done as a heat compress for at least 20 minutes. Mammologists insist on their use for lactostasis immediately before pumping or feeding.

Experts are confident that the recipes presented can achieve several goals, namely:

they quickly relieve swelling;
contribute to the subsidence of painful sensations;
have a positive effect on the process of establishing milk flow.

However, despite this more than impressive result, a woman should be aware that after using such compositions it is recommended to take some actions that are necessary for lactostasis. The point is to try to express milk that has stagnated. In this case, it is necessary to use exclusively soft massage and gentle, non-traumatic kneading of the mammary glands.

Contraindications

Cabbage leaf compresses have absolutely no contraindications for use. Except in cases of individual intolerance to this vegetable and the presence of open wounds on the surface of the skin.

Treatment and elimination of symptoms through the use of such a technique is not recommended in cases where lactostasis has already turned into the cystic fibrous form of mastopathy. Because the only correct way to eliminate the problem is to prescribe drug therapy.

You should not use compresses that contain, in addition to cabbage leaves, other ingredients that are allergens. For example, honey.

Are there any contraindications

An acute allergic reaction to the components used should be considered an absolute contraindication. Especially often we are talking about honey, in more rare cases it is flour, cabbage or aloe. In this regard, it is undesirable to use this remedy without prior consultation with a mammologist. It is he who will indicate the desired frequency of use of the product and name those components that are the most effective in the given situation.

In addition, it is important to pay attention to the fact that honey cake is one of the medicines for lactostasis that are warm. The use of such compresses is not always permissible. In some situations, this can provoke the development of even more significant inflammation, which is certainly undesirable.

Is it important to massage the breast if you have breast lactostasis?

Thus, when thinking about treatment using the described remedy, it is necessary to take into account how useful it will be for the mother and child. If therapy using other components is expected to give a greater result, it is recommended to use this particular remedy. An equally important criterion for restoring the normal state of the breast during lactostasis is a successful combination with medicinal components.