For infants, breast-feeding is the easiest and best ways to receive nutrition. It not only feeds your infant but also provide required anti-bodies to fight various diseases. But due to breast-feeding most of the women suffer from a common problem of cracked or sore nipples. It causes lots of discomfort and pain. If the sore is mild then it will heal itself within few days but if the soreness is major then you have to consult some doctor. You can treat this problem of cracked nipples with the home remedies for cracked nipples.
Some of the symptoms of cracked or sore nipples are:
1. Itchiness and swelling in the nipple
2. Tenderness and intense pain
3. Bleeding
4. Heaviness in the breast
5. Discharge from the nipple
6. Frequent or severe headaches
7. Irregular menstrual cycle
8. Hot flashes
9. Severe mood swings
10. Sleepiness
Some of the causes of this problem are pregnancy, post menstrual syndrome, pre-menopause and menopause, medication, heart problems, heavy breasts, breast cancer, some chemical, breast-feeding, infections etc.
Several home remedies for cracked nipples are there which can treat your problem effectively. Women should go for home remedies for cracked nipples so that they may not discontinue the breast-feeding to their baby. Some of the important home remedies are given below, which can be tried easily without any worry:
1. You can apply cool compress on your nipples as it will bring down your swelling and also alleviate some of the symptoms of cracked nipples.
2. You should change your bra every day and wear it only after washing it properly. Sometimes harsh chemicals may irritate your skin and also increased the symptoms of cracked nipples.
3. Sometimes in some cases stress and anxiety are also responsible to increase the soreness in the nipples and breasts. You should follow some relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation and deep breathing or you can use the massage therapy which is very effective in solving your problem.
4. During pregnancy you can apply small amount of olive oil to your nipples in order to alleviate the problem and discomfort. This is an effective home remedy for cracked nipples during pregnancy period.
5. Overall you should follow healthy diets during all these periods in order to avoid this problem. You should increase the intake of citrus fruit like oranges, limes etc as citrus fruits are good source of Vitamin C. You should also increase the intake of strawberries, papaya, guavas, kiwis, kale, broccoli, sprouts etc.
