Whether it’s throbbing, aching, or sharp, everyone has been in pain. The uncomfortable sensation is a red flag. Pain in your armpit could mean that you’ve simply strained a muscle, which is eased with ice and rest. It could also be a sign of more serious conditions, like an infection or breast cancer.
Muscle Strain
Your armpits and the surrounding chest and arm area are made up of blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. Like other muscles in your body, you can strain armpit muscles by overdoing things, like lifting something heavy.
Symptoms of a muscle strain depend on how serious the strain is. They can include:
- Pain or tenderness, especially after movement that stretches the muscle
- Redness or bruising
- Muscle twitching or spasm
- Swelling
For mild strains, doctors suggest that you rest the muscle by taking a break from the activity that caused the pain. You can also put ice on the area and take over-the-counter medicine to ease pain and swelling. Call a doctor if your symptoms get worse or the strain doesn’t heal within a few weeks.
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Lymph nodes are found in many areas of your body, including your neck, groin, and armpits. If they’re swollen and painful, it’s usually a sign that your body is fighting a viral infection such as:
- A common cold
- Strep throat
- Measles, an infection of the respiratory system that’s easily spread
- An ear infection
- A tooth infection
- Mononucleosis, an infection that’s usually spread through bodily fluids like saliva
- Skin or wound infections
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS
When your lymph nodes swell, you may also have a runny nose, sore throat, fever, and night sweats.
Pain due to infection goes away when the condition causing it gets better. In the meantime, to feel better:
- Place a warm, wet washcloth under your armpit.
- Take over-the-counter pain medicine.
- Get plenty of rest.
There are other, less common but more serious causes of swollen lymph nodes, including a malignancy or lymphoma. See your doctor if yours:
- Appear for no reason
- Continue to grow
- Don’t get better after 2 weeks
- Feel hard or rubbery, or don’t move when you press them
- Come with a fever, night sweats, or weight loss that you can’t explain
Breast cancer happens when cells in your breast grow uncontrollably. They usually form a tumor.Breast Cancer
A common symptom of breast cancer is pain and swelling around your armpit. It may come from:
- The spread of breast cancer to your lymph nodes
- Lymph nodes
The swelling and pain may come before you feel a lump in your breast, so if things don’t feel right, be sure to see a doctor.
There are several treatments for breast cancer that has spread to your lymph nodes. The one you and your medical team will choose depends on the stage and type of cancer:
Surgery. During breast-conserving surgery (called a lumpectomy), doctors will remove the cancer and leave as much normal breast as possible. They’ll also take out some lymph nodes and healthy tissue. When this type of surgery isn’t an option, doctors will remove your entire breast (mastectomy).
Radiation therapy. Doctors use high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells, lower the chance of the cancer coming back, and help you live longer.
Chemotherapy and other drugs. Hormone therapy is used after surgery to lower the chance of your breast cancer coming back. For larger tumors, tumors that grow fast, or ones with certain features, your doctor may recommend anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapy).
SOURCES: American Cancer Society: “Breast Cancer Symptoms: What You Need to Know,” “What Is Breast Cancer?” “Mastectomy,” “Breast-conserving Surgery (Lumpectomy),” “Radiation for Breast Cancer,” “Treatment of Breast Cancer Stages I-III,” “Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer.” The heart on the left shows the typical outer lining of the heart (pericardium). The heart on the right shows a swollen and infected lining (pericarditis). Pericarditis is swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding the heart (pericardium). Pericarditis often causes sharp chest pain. The chest pain occurs when the irritated layers of the pericardium rub against each other. Pericarditis is usually mild and goes away without treatment. Treatment for more-severe cases may include medications and, rarely, surgery. Early diagnosis and treatment may help reduce the risk of long-term complications from pericarditis. Chest pain is the most common symptom of pericarditis. It usually feels sharp or stabbing. However, some people have dull, achy or pressure-like chest pain. Pericarditis pain usually occurs behind the breastbone or on the left side of the chest. The pain may: Other signs and symptoms of pericarditis may include:Show Sources
Symptoms
- Cough
- Fatigue or general feeling of weakness or being sick
- Leg swelling
- Low-grade fever
- Pounding or racing heartbeat (heart palpitations)
- Shortness of breath when lying down
- Swelling of the belly (abdomen)
The specific symptoms depend on the type of pericarditis. Pericarditis is grouped into different categories, according to the pattern of symptoms and how long symptoms last.
- Acute pericarditis begins suddenly but doesn't last longer than three weeks. Future episodes can occur. It may be difficult to tell the difference between acute pericarditis and pain due to a heart attack.
- Recurrent pericarditis occurs about four to six weeks after an episode of acute pericarditis with no symptoms in between.
- Incessant pericarditis lasts about four to six weeks but less than three months. The symptoms are continuous.
- Chronic constrictive pericarditis usually develops slowly and lasts longer than three months.
When to see a doctor
Seek immediate medical care if you develop new symptoms of chest pain.
Many of the symptoms of pericarditis are similar to those of other heart and lung conditions. It's important to be thoroughly evaluated by a health care provider if you have any type of chest pain.
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