Fever, headache and achy all over? If you're a breastfeeding mom, take a second look at your symptoms before you reach for the flu medicine – you may be exhibiting signs of mastitis. Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast that occurs in some breastfeeding women. While not life threatening, mastitis can be a painful and inconvenient surprise.

When my daughter was a month old, I woke up feeling like I had the flu. I turned to my husband and said over the hungry cries of my daughter, "Great! Just what I need." I disregarded the soreness in my breast as a normal part of early breastfeeding. It wasn't until after I developed a fever and found hard, tender spots on my breast that I became concerned. I contacted my doctor and was diagnosed with infectious mastitis.

There are two types of mastitis: noninfectious and infectious. Noninfectious mastitis is the inflammation of parts of the breast or breasts as a result of blocked milk ducts. There is no fever associated with this condition; however, you may have some discomfort. Symptoms of noninfectious mastitis include tenderness in the breast, hardened areas of the breast and some redness in the area over the mass.

Infectious mastitis is cause by a bacterial infection and requires medical attention. A fever over 100.4 degrees and hardened areas of the breast or breasts accompanied by red wedges on the skin are symptoms of infectious mastitis. Many times these symptoms are accompanied by flu-like conditions including body aches, shivers and nausea. With infectious mastitis, the breast can also take on a shiny, tight appearance.

While mastitis can affect anyone, experts agree that it more often appears in women during the first couple of postpartum weeks. During that time, women are still learning how to breastfeed or are reacquainting themselves with the process, which can result in poor latch-on, nipple damage and not completely emptying the breast. These issues can lead to mastitis.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.