Underarm pain can be caused by glandular swelling, colds, cysts, muscle strains, and shingles. Swollen lymph glands are a common cause, but usually not a cause for alarm. Cysts can also cause pain and should be checked by a doctor. Muscle strains can be excruciating and treated with heat, ice, and anti-inflammatories. Shingles can cause a painful rash and armpit pain. Most cases of underarm pain are not serious and will fade with time.
The most common causes of underarm pain include glandular swelling, colds, cysts, muscle strains, and shingles. Many fear the worst when they experience a painful underarm area, but in most cases, the pain is not indicative of any serious or life-threatening ailment. As long as armpit pain isn’t long-lasting or chronic, it’s typically a minor discomfort that will fade as soon as it arrives.
Underarm pain is often caused by swollen lymph glands. Lymph nodes include the region under the arm and, in women, around the breast; lymph nodes are extremely sensitive and can swell easily, but fortunately, this is rarely a cause for alarm. The swelling tends to go away in a few days. However, individuals with enlarged lymph glands are advised to monitor the condition; if it persists, you may need medical attention. In those unusual cases where swollen glands don’t go away on their own, there’s a small chance they could indicate a strain of serious viral infection or cancer.
The common cold can cause pain throughout the body. Upper respiratory tract infection is known to cause pain throughout the body and a frequent symptom is pain in the armpits. Healthcare professionals recommend plenty of rest, vitamin C, and over-the-counter medications if needed to help ease the physical pain associated with a cold. Typically, the pain in the arm subsides and eventually heals with the rest of the body.
Cysts can develop quite easily in the armpit. Small pockets of fluid and debris tend to build up in this warm, moist, dark area and, in the vast majority of cases, are completely benign—just the body’s way of getting rid of excess dirt and toxins. Despite their usually harmless nature, cysts can cause quite significant underarm pain. If an individual experiences a cyst in the armpit, it is commonly advised to have it checked out by a doctor. Some cancers initially manifest this way, although in most cases a cyst is just a natural byproduct of the body’s cleansing processes.
Another frequent cause of underarm pain is a muscle strain. This can often be one of the most excruciating types of armpit pain. The pectoral muscle can be strained from an strenuous round at the gym or just by taking a lot of groceries. Doctors suggest heat, ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories as a good course of treatment.
Shingles, or shingles, is a painful condition in which a virus attacks the body and causes an annoying rash. They tend to break out only on one side of the body, the back, chest and arms. Armpit pain is a common byproduct of shingles.
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