Armpit pain can be caused by several factors such as intense muscular effort, water, suppurative hydrosadenitis and in more severe cases, it can be the result of lymphoma or breast cancer.
The associated symptoms and treatment depend on the cause of the pain, which can be simple if it is a muscle injury or infection, or more difficult to treat, such as cancer.
1. Armpit tongue
Lingua consist of swelling of the lymph nodes, which usually happens due to an infection or inflammation of the region in which it arises, because the lymph nodes are part of the immune system, helping to fight infections because they attack and destroy the germs that are carried by the lymphatic fluid.
The presence of tongue in the groin, neck or armpit is also called adenopathy or lymph node disease, which, in most cases represents a mild and transient inflammation, but which can also be caused by more serious diseases, such as cancer or autoimmune diseases., when it persists for more than 1 month or grows more than 2 cm.
What to do: treatment is generally not necessary, rest and hydration are sufficient. However, it is important to identify and eliminate what is causing the inflammation and infection, because it may be necessary to take antibiotics.
In addition, it may be necessary to take analgesic or anti-inflammatory drugs, guided by the doctor, to relieve pain or tenderness in the area.
2. Muscle effort
Overexertion or injury to the chest and arm muscles can cause armpit pain. These can be caused by playing sports like tennis, weight training, volleyball or baseball, for example.
What to do: to alleviate the pain, what can help is the placement of ice in the affected area, about three times a day, muscle compression and rest. In addition, analgesic medications such as paracetamol or dipyrone and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, for example, can be taken to relieve pain and inflammation.
3. Breast cancer
Breast cancer is one of the main types of cancer that affect women, and although breast cancer does not cause symptoms in the early stages, the main sign that may indicate the presence of the tumor is the palpation of a hardened lump.
In addition, symptoms such as swelling and pain may appear in the armpit lining which may radiate to the arm, pain, redness or discharge from the nipples, sore breasts, for example. See the main symptoms of breast cancer.
What to do: breast cancer can be cured, depending on the type and stage it is in, so prevention is very important, through self-examination and mammography.
4. Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes and that usually develops in the armpits, groin, neck, stomach, intestine and skin, leading to lumps that can cause symptoms such as pain, fever, malaise being and tiredness. See more about how to identify lymphoma symptoms.
What to do: Treatment depends on the type of lymphoma, the stage in which it is located, the affected region and the general condition of the patient, which may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or bone marrow transplantation, with Hodgkin lymphoma being more likely to cure than than Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with better results being obtained when the disease is discovered and treated early.
5. Hydrosadenitis suppurativa
It consists of the presence of inflamed lumps in the armpit or groin caused by an inflammation in the sweat glands, which are the glands that produce sweat. This disease leads to the formation of several small wounds, mainly in regions of the body that produce a lot of sweat, such as armpits, groin, anus and buttocks.
The symptoms associated with this problem are itching, burning and excessive sweating and the affected skin areas become swollen, stiff and red. In addition, these nodules can burst, releasing pus before the skin heals. Learn more about this disease.
What to do: Hydrosadenitis has no cure, but the treatment can control the symptoms and consists of using creams with antibiotics and injections of corticosteroids in the affected area. Medicines that control hormone production can also be prescribed, especially in women, and in more severe cases it may be necessary to resort to surgery to remove the region of the skin with defective glands and replace them with healthy skin grafts.
