Breast scabs during pregnancy should not be picked off and are recommended to be cleaned by a medical professional and may require medication or surgery if necessary.
During pregnancy, a woman’s body produces significantly higher levels of estrogen and progesterone and may produce milk. Milk tends to accumulate in the nipple area, and if not cleaned carefully, crusts may form. In addition, if localized inflammation develops, scabs may also form. If a pregnant woman picks it off by herself, it is likely to cause damage to the nipple tissue and induce infection, which is not conducive to breast health.
It is recommended that the patient consult a doctor for examination. If it is only the accumulation of milk that forms a scab, it can be soaked in warm water to soften the scab and then slowly peeled off. If the local inflammation is formed, it is necessary to use iodine povine soaked gauze, covering the nipple area for 3~5 minutes, soften the scab and then clean it up. Erythromycin ointment can then be applied to the nipple area, which has a better anti-inflammatory effect and can prevent the reappearance of scabs.
Some patients may form mastitis or even breast abscess, in which case surgery is also needed to incise the abscess cavity to remove the pus, combined with anti-infective treatment with antibiotic drugs such as penicillin and cephalexin after the surgery to ensure cure of the lesion. It is recommended to consult a doctor in time and follow the doctor’s instructions to receive treatment, do not treat and use medication without authorization, so as not to aggravate the condition.