Pain in the axilla.

Pain in the armpit is caused by various reasons, some of which are fairly simple in terms of treatment, others are quite serious, requiring a thorough examination and complex therapeutic measures.

The armpit (cavum axillare) is the area of the body located between the arm, or more precisely, the shoulder joint, and the sternum. The cavity is limited by fairly large muscles - the pectoral muscle and the back muscle (Musculus pectoralis major and Musculus latissimus dorsi). In the area of the armpit there are many glands - fat, sweat, as well as nerve endings and lymph nodes.

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What causes armpit pain?

A painful symptom in the armpit area may indicate the following diseases and conditions:

• An injury to the shoulder or arm that causes severe pain, including pain in the armpit area.
• The pain can be explained by surgical intervention in the area of the shoulder, sternum, mammary gland - mastectomy, when the entire breast is removed.
• Cyclic or non-cyclic mastalgia – painful, pulling, aching sensations in the mammary glands and armpits.
• Breast tumors - both benign and malignant.
• Lymphadenopathy is an enlargement of one or more lymph nodes.
• An allergy that causes pain in the armpit due to irritation and rash on the skin.
• Hidradenitis is an inflammation of the sweat (apocrine) glands, often purulent.
• Lymphadenitis and lymphangitis of infectious etiology are inflammation of the lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels.
• A large subcutaneous lipoma is an atheroma (benign formation).
• Dermatological purulent disease of the skin in the armpit area - pyoderma.
• Furunculosis.
• Phlegmon and abscesses.
• Viral infection (flu, acute respiratory viral infection).
• Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast tissue – the mammary gland (parenchyma, interstitial tissue).
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Description of the causes that provoke pain in the armpit

Traumatic injury to the arm, shoulder, lateral part of the sternum, mammary gland – blows, bruises, sprains of ligaments, muscles, tendons of the shoulder. The pain is most often of a nagging nature, the sensations intensify with physical exertion, sudden movements of the hands. Pain in the armpit caused by a minor injury is not a threatening symptom and often goes away on its own if the arm and shoulder are immobilized for a while and not subjected to additional loads.

Pain caused by the postoperative condition. The cause of painful sensations are surgical incisions that damage not only the skin and nerve endings, but also temporarily disrupt the blood supply to tissues and muscles. Pain in the armpit caused by surgery can last for quite a long time, but as blood flow is restored and tissues regenerate, it gradually subsides. For some time, a person may be bothered by itching and loss of sensitivity in the armpit area, but these symptoms also pass.

Pain in the armpit caused by courses of chemotherapy and radiation for cancer.

Pain when draining a purulent wound in the chest or armpit area. The pain symptom is explained by damage to the skin and disruption of blood flow and lymph drainage due to the wound.

Pain in the armpit can be explained by a physiological reason - the menstrual cycle. Cyclic mastalgia is not a disease, rather it is a typical symptom of the end of the monthly cycle. The pain occurs due to changes in hormonal levels and impaired lymph flow. The painful sensations are aching, pulling and subside after the end of menstruation. Cyclic pain in the armpits goes away with age and the onset of menopause.

Pain in the armpit is often provoked by taking hormonal drugs (progesterone and estrogen-containing). This condition can be observed both in young women taking oral contraceptives and in women during menopause.

Pain can be a pathological symptom, a consequence of an oncological disease - a breast tumor, a sternum tumor. It should be noted that pain in the armpit is a bad sign, since at the first, supervised stages, oncological processes proceed almost asymptomatically, that is, without pain. Most often, pain in the armpit is accompanied by anatomical changes in the mammary gland (nipple retraction, change in its color, atypical discharge from the nipple, deformation of the mammary gland).

Allergy to chemical components of perfumes or deodorants. The reaction may occur to zinc, aluminum compounds, essential oils, scented soaps or detergents. Synthetic fabrics also provoke allergies, and tight clothing aggravates allergic skin irritation.

Swollen lymph nodes due to inflammation in nearby internal organs can also cause pain in the armpit. Lymph node enlargement has various causes, including fungal infection, parasitic invasion, infectious mononucleosis, HIV, streptococcal infections, tuberculosis, severe pneumonia, and others. Inflammation of the lymph nodes can be chronic, acute, and even purulent. In addition to pain in the armpits, a person develops a fever, headache, and sweating. Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly (enlargement of the spleen and liver) develop, and inflammation of the tonsils and pharyngitis may be observed. Lymph node enlargement is considered a complex polysymptomatic disease, and pain in the armpits is just one of its symptoms.

A cystic lipoma or atheroma can also cause pain in the armpit. Atheroma is a benign formation under the skin that occurs due to chronic blockage (occlusion) of the sebaceous gland duct. In appearance, this is a rather voluminous formation of a dense structure, the skin above the lipoma is very stretched, it is impossible to grab it in a fold. Pain symptoms are most often provoked by purulent atheroma, since a simple lipoma usually does not cause pain. In addition to pain, there may be an increase in body temperature, swelling at the site of the atheroma. Until the abscess breaks through, the pain persists. As soon as the purulent contents pour out, the symptoms subside. Atheroma is recognized as a benign formation, however, independent actions to open it, introducing an infection into the wound or unacceptable warming of the armpit can lead to malignancy of the process (transformation into an oncological disease).

Hidradenitis is another reason for the development of pain in the armpit. The most common hidradenitis is of staphylococcal origin. The disease develops very slowly and almost unnoticeably. Then itching, redness and pain appear in the armpit area, which is provoked by an internal formation with purulent contents. Apocrine glands (sweat glands) are, in principle, very vulnerable to infections, and with constant irritation and damage to the skin, hidradenitis appears as a completely understandable consequence. Multiple abscesses are treated with adequate antibacterial therapy; in exceptional cases, local surgical intervention is indicated.

Furunculosis is an infectious inflammation, a process that has passed into an acute stage, accompanied by purulent accumulation in the hair follicles of the armpit area. Most often, furunculosis is of staphylococcal origin, it is also provoked by non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, injury to the skin under the arms, hyperhidrosis - increased sweating, reduced immune functions. Furunculosis is treated in a complex manner with the help of antibiotics, both local and internal drugs, vitamins and immunomodulators. 1

Pain in the armpit can be caused by a heart attack. Most often, radiating pain is part of the general symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD). The pain is felt not only in the armpits, but also behind the breastbone, in the left shoulder blade, shoulder, arm. This disease requires immediate medical attention, as it can develop into a life-threatening consequence - myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction does not always demonstrate specific symptoms. There are often cases when a heart attack looks like completely different diseases - gastrointestinal, inflammatory, and so on. Therefore, if the pain in the armpit is localized on the left and does not go away within two to three hours, accompanied by radiating pain in the left arm, left shoulder, nausea, weakness and slow heart rate, it is necessary to call for medical help as soon as possible.

Pyoderma is a local, external skin problem. Skin infection in the armpit area can be caused by cuts, unsuccessful depilation, and poor personal hygiene. In advanced cases, pyoderma causes pain in the armpit, which lasts exactly as long as the inflammation lasts.

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How to treat armpit pain?

The choice of therapeutic actions is directly related to the underlying cause of the pain, that is, to a specific diagnosis. Since pain in the armpit can be caused by both external factors and internal diseases, including quite serious ones, such as angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, oncological process, any painful sensation in the armpit area requires the help of a doctor. Self-medication of the area, in which there are many lymph nodes, is strictly unacceptable. Uncontrolled rubbing, warming, compresses and application of ice can only aggravate the pathological process. Even if the pain in the armpit is associated with a physiological cause - the menstrual cycle, you should tell your gynecologist about this symptom, since the monthly cycle of a completely healthy woman should proceed with minimal painful sensations. Pain in the armpit should not be considered as something insignificant and frivolous; this symptom requires a comprehensive examination, after which adequate therapy will be prescribed for the disease (or primary provoking condition).