A blocked milk duct (sometimes also called plugged or clogged milk duct) is a blockage of one or more ducts carrying milk to the nipple for the purpose of breastfeeding an infant that can cause mastitis. The symptoms are a tender, localised lump in one breast, with redness in the skin over the lump. The cause of a blocked milk duct is the failure to remove milk from part of the breast. This may be due to infrequent breastfeeding, poor attachment, tight clothing or trauma to the breast. Sometimes the duct to one part of the breast is blocked by thickened milk. A blocked milk duct can be managed by improving the removal of milk and correcting the underlying cause.
A blocked milk duct has the following common symptoms:
Blocked milk ducts are a common breastfeeding problem and can be caused due to a number of reasons:
The most effective treatment against blocked milk ducts is to empty the affected breasts by frequent breastfeeding or pumping. Numerous other treatment approaches have been suggested, however, there is insufficient clinical research to determine the effectiveness. Treatments that have been studied but have no strong evidence for or against their use:
A blocked milk duct can result from a nipple bleb. Both of these can lead to mastitis.
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