One of the causes of breast pain is breast infection. Also known as mastitis, breast infection results in tender swollen breasts with a burning pain and mostly affects women who are nursing. However, under certain circumstances, the condition also affects other women as well though rarely.
According to WebMD, an online health platform run by health experts, breast infection occurs when bacteria, mostly from the baby’s mouth, enter a milk duct through a crack in the nipple or when milk gets trapped in the breast due to clogged ducts. This causes the breast to become engorged and inflamed. Other resulting symptoms of breast infection include body aches, abscess, pus oozing from the nipple, fever, and chills.
Due to the extremely painful nature of the infection, women around the world have used cabbage leaves to help reduce the breast inflammation and relieve the pain and discomfort for years. The popular practice which originated in western countries is medicinal and not cosmetic or aesthetic as many would think.
How the therapy is administered
Fresh cabbage leaves are washed to remove dirt and pesticide residues then refrigerated for 2-3 hours. The choice of the leaves should be big enough to cover one’s breasts. One should also wipe the breasts clean before covering them with the very cold leaves. The leaves covering the breasts are then covered with a loose fitting bra.
The therapy which soothes the breasts for up to one hour has been observed to reduce breast engorgement within 12 hours of starting it. According to an online women health specialist, the cabbage leaves absorb some of the fluid from the glands within the breast area, reducing the fullness in the tissue hence reducing the inflammation.