Contents:
- Medical Video: What Causes Armpit Pain Medical Course
- Why can a lump in the armpit grow?
- What causes the armpit lump?
- What are the characteristics of a lump in the armpit?
- Be careful if a lump appears in the female armpit
Medical Video: What Causes Armpit Pain Medical Course
Ever felt your armpit? Did you find a lump there? Sometimes, there is a lump in the armpit without you even knowing it. This can be caused by various diseases or conditions in your body. So, it is important for you to feel your armpits on a regular basis as a step of early examination.
Why can a lump in the armpit grow?
Lumps in the armpit can arise due to enlargement of the lymph nodes under your arms. Lymph nodes are glands that are present throughout the body and play an important role in your immune system. When you feel your armpit, you can feel the lump in a very small form, or it may be bigger and feel more when touched.
Most lumps in the armpit are harmless. This lump often arises due to abnormal tissue growth. However, armpit lumps can also be caused by more serious health problems.
What causes the armpit lump?
Lumps in the armpit can be caused by many things, such as cysts or infections, for example because you often shave underarm hair. However, this lump can also be a sign of a more serious health problem.
Some common causes of armpit lumps are:
- Fibroadenoma, is a growth of fibrous connective tissue not cancer Bacterial or viral infections
- Lipoma, where there is a growth of harmless fat tissue
- Cyst
- Lymphoma
- Breast cancer
- Leukemia
- Lupus
- Fungal infections
- An allergic reaction to deodorant or soap
- Adverse reactions due to vaccination
What are the characteristics of a lump in the armpit?
The most visible symptom is of course the lump itself. You can find it by touching it slowly. You can find these lumps in very small to large sizes. The texture of the lump can also vary depending on what caused it.
Lumps caused by cysts, infections, or lipomas are usually soft-textured when touched. Whereas, lumps caused by breast cancer have a harder texture and do not move when touched. It is different from lumps due to breast cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia, because these lumps usually have symptoms, such as changing their size quickly or not lost.
Lumps caused by infection or allergic reactions are usually often associated with pain in the armpit and the lump feels softer. Lymph node infection can also cause a lump in the armpit to hurt.
Lumps caused by infection can also show other symptoms, such as the following:
- Fever
- Sweating at night
- Swelling in all lymph nodes in the body
Be careful if a lump appears in the female armpit
Although a lump in the armpit can be found in women and men, but the most often experienced this is women. Lumps under the arm in women can be a sign of breast cancer and women are more at risk of experiencing the disease compared to men.
Preferably, women routinely carry out breast self-examination (BSE) every month, especially in about one to three days after menstruation ends. This is to check whether there are lumps around your breast or not. If there is one, you can check it as soon as possible to see a doctor.
Look, your breasts during menstruation may tend to be softer and have lumps. This is because hormonal changes occur during the menstrual cycle and this is normal. This is why you are advised to do your own breast examination at 1-3 days after menstruation is complete.
