What is the common symptom of lactational mastitis in a postpartum woman?

Lactational mastitis typically presents with symptoms directly related to the breast tissue, making red, swollen, and painful breast a hallmark indicator of this condition. In postpartum women, mastitis often develops due to milk stasis or blocked milk ducts, leading to infection and inflammation in the breast.

The redness and swelling indicate localized inflammation, while pain is a common symptom due to irritation of the breast tissue and surrounding areas. Recognizing these signs is crucial because prompt identification and treatment, usually with antibiotics and continued breastfeeding or milk expression, are important to resolving the condition and preventing complications.

While other symptoms such as fever with chills may accompany the infection, they are more general and not as specific to lactational mastitis as the symptoms involving the breast itself. Therefore, the combination of redness, swelling, and pain in the breast is the definitive symptom that identifies mastitis in postpartum women.