Treatment
As women are naturally prone to suffer from some degree of breast engorgement, the main part of treatment is prevention. This means breastfeeding the baby whenever he or she seems hungry and making sure that the baby is latching on and feeding well. In cases when the baby is not hungry enough to empty the breasts, the breast should be nursed or pumped.
Avoiding caffeine and chocolate as well as wearing a well fitting maternity bra with wide straps that do not scratch and with a cup that comfortably holds the entire breast usually help in easing the discomfort and other symptoms.
If the symptoms persist and tend to worsen, the patient is advised to seek a doctor. Depending on the severity of the condition, the doctor may recommend pain killers such as ibuprofen, cool water compresses, massaging and nursing the breasts.
If the cause is not due to pregnancy then the best remedy is self therapy (milking of the breast).
Read more about this topic: Breast Engorgement
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)