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Armpits

Pain under Left Armpit Female, no Lump, Male, Causes, How to Get Rid and Relief

December 26, 2017

Pain under armpit can be caused by different factors or reasons. There are many lymph nodes in the armpits which can become inflamed and cause pain in the armpits both left and right arm. Inflamed or damage nerves, tendons, and muscles are also the reasons for underarm pain. Here is a deep insight.

Pain under Armpit Causes

pain under left armpit female

Many causes of underarm pain are harmless and they do go away on their own after some time. There should be a concern when pain associates other symptoms such as lumps and swelling in armpits.

It is recommended to seek medical attention since there are numerous causes that are behind pain in the armpit. Some causes could be life threatening if not treated on time. The article provides information about the causes of pain in the armpits and the effective treatment of the same.

The Floowing are main causes of underarm pain:

Swollen Lymph Nodes

Armpit pain can be due to swollen lymph nodes. Different parts of the body are made up of lymphatic system which is one of the immune system and it is made up of lymph nodes. Armpit is one of the regions that comprise of lymph nodes.

According to Dr. Jennifer Robinson on WebMD, either bacterial or viral infection in the body can result in swelling of lymph nodes that causes pain in the armpit. Tenderness and pain in the armpits is a sign of body immune system trying to fight with the infections.

Also, according to Dr. Robinson, you may also experience development of hard lump under armpit. In case that lump does not cause pain and it is immobile, seek medical attention from a specialist.

Lymphangitis is another body condition that is linked to lymphatic system and can also result in underarm pain. According to medical research, the condition is said to be caused by streptococcal bacterial skin infection.

According to Dr. Jatin M. Vyas from Harvard Medical School, lymphangitis is accompanied with symptoms such as fever, enlarged and tender lymph nodes in the armpit, elbow or groin. You may also develop red streaks from the infected area to the armpit or groin, and pain.

Armpit Rash

You may also develop discomfort and pain in the underarm due to armpit rash. In most cases these armpit rashes are accompanied with red itchy armpit skin as well as flaky skin.

Armpit rashes can develop due to many reasons and it may result in underarm pain. Some of the common causes of armpit rashes may include:

Dermatitis or psoriasis
Fungal infections
Candidiasis
Ringworms
Staphylococcus infection

Coconut oil can be used to help to treat rashes on the affected region on the body. This is because, coconut oil is endowed with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties. These properties of coconut oil help to get rid of pain that is caused by armpit rashes.

Also, coconut oil helps to get rid of yeast infection on the skin. It is advisable to apply the coconut oil on the affected part of the armpit several times until the factors causing the discomfort disappear completely.

To make the treatment to be effective, add some tablespoon of tea tree oil to the essential oil eg coconut oil and apply on the underarm. Tea tree has many antifungal properties that can help to kill infections and soothe the pain that is caused by a rash in the underarm areas.

According to some experts, aloe vera helps to reduce the pain and discomfort caused by the armpit rashes. Research shows that aloe vera has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects and you can use it to treat various skin problems including underarm rash.

It is also recommended to use natural deodorant to avoid development of rashes in the armpit especially those caused by artificial deodorant. Also avoid the habit of switching the deodorant from one manufacturer to another.

Pulled Muscle

Armpit pain can also occur due to strained armpit muscles. When you strained your arm, you are likely to develop pulled muscles that cause a lot of pain. This condition occur when exercising or lifting heavy items, or from doing a repetitive action over a long period of time.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, it is recommended to rest the affected arm in order to relieve the underarm pain caused by a pulled muscle.

You can also apply ice pack around three times a day in order to ease the pain caused by the pulled muscles. It is advisable not to apply the ice directly on your skin. You should be aware that a cold treatment should be used for 24 to 48 hours after an injury. After this period you need to use heat therapy.

Shoulder Dislocation

Shoulder dislocation can result in pain around both the armpit and the shoulder region. Some other symptoms that are associated with shoulder dislocation are tingling, weakness, or numbness in your neck and arm.

Seek immediate medication from a specialist in case of shoulder dislocation. According to mayo clinic, apply ice pack on the tender part of the armpit for a couple of three hours in order to ease the pain. Do this for the first two days. Then switch to using a heat pack and apply for 20 minutes.

Brachial Plexus Injury

This is a medical term to a type of injury that occurs on the nerves that come from your neck to either side of your body. Any forms of movement in the arms are enhanced by these nerves. These nerves can get injured by any kind of trauma on the arms especially during playing sports or being in a car accident.

Brachial plexus injury will cause severe pain in all the areas where the nerves have been damaged, including pain under the armpit. It is recommended to seek medical treatment. The condition can cause loss of any form of movement of the arm.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

This is another condition that can result in pain underarm although in a rare situations. According to research done by Dr. Mark Babyatsky, the condition can trigger the diaphragm to become inflamed and this can affect the nerves in the spine causing pain in the arms and shoulders.

Fortunately, there are so many ways on how to get rid of digestive problems like GERD and heartburn naturally such as baking soda, as well as other treatments. Stomach pain after eating can also be caused by GERD.

Breast Pain

According to the research done by experts from the Breast Cancer Foundation, breast pain is also marked by discomfort, tenderness, or pain in the breast or underarm region. Both breast pain and underarm pain mainly affect women during menstrual periods.

Breast pain is not a symptom of breast cancer as show by the journal published by breast pain foundation in 2015 since it is considered to be normal and harmless.

Breast Cancer

It is recommended for women to go breast cancer check once after six months in order to stay healthy. Presences of lumps in the breast, armpits or collarbone are the early signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

According to the research done by the American Cancer Society, swelling or lumps in your armpits can occur before you feel a lump in your breast. This is because cancer tissues in the breast have the ability to spread in the lymph nodes in the armpits.

If you have swollen lymph nodes in your armpit or pain, you should have it checked out by a doctor. Breast cancer is more successfully treated if it is discovered early.

Pain under Left Armpit Female Causes

pain under left armpit

Do you experience pain under your left armpit? You may also experience a pinching or burning sensation, and others feel numbness in the area. There are many reasons that can result in armpit pain. Some of the common causes may include:

Muscle Strain

The major muscle found around the chest is known as pectoralis muscle. During intense exercise or warm up, you may strain the muscles that could result in pain under armpit. A pulled muscle under the right armpit may cause pain, but this is not usually serious.

Swollen Lymph Nodes

These are small and oval tissues that are mainly found around the neck, armpits and groin as well as other parts of the body. In case of bacterial invasion in the body, you may experience swollen lymph nodes.

Pain under Left Armpit Male Causes

There are numerous reasons that can result in underarm or armpit pain. It is recommended to take note of the pain in order to help the doctor in diagnosis.

Some of the common causes that result in sharp, shooting pain in your armpit area are cerebrovascular accident, heartburn, peripheral artery disease, neuropathy issues or a swollen underarm lymph node.

The presence of the pain is not a disease since there is some instance it goes away without treatment. Consult your doctor especially when the pain is recurring and unbearable.

Cerebrovascular Accident

In case you experience a cerebrovascular accident, it causes damage to a certain part of your brain that can result in headaches, dizziness or the overall faulty operation of certain brain functions.

Also, nerve endings in the armpit can get damaged and in the process you may develop a painful, electric-current-like sensation of pain in your armpits.

Neuropathy

Nerve damage has many complications and in case it occurs in your armpit, it can result in a very sharp, shooting pain radiating from your underarm up to the inner section of your elbow.

According to experts, this condition can also occur due to adult chicken pox or vitamin B complex deficiency. Also, some minor damage of the nerves can trigger radiating pain in the armpit.

Swollen Lymph Nodes

Swollen lymph nodes mean that there is an ongoing fight between your white blood cells and an invading bacteria or virus in your body.

Lymph nodes are collections of white blood cells. When they are fighting an infection, more white blood cells are produced, thus enlarging the lymph nodes and making them appear swollen.

Heartburn

This problem occurs due to indigestive issues which cause stomach acids travel upward. The burn travels through the esophagus and sometimes up towards your heart area, giving the impression that your heart is burning.

This heat can sometimes extend to your underarm region, where a sharp pain can be felt, which often goes away after a minute or two.

Peripheral Artery Disease

This is an obstruction of any of the arteries outside of those found near the heart or the brain. This includes arteries running through your arms and legs, which can also become clogged and hamper proper blood flow.

When this happens in the area near your shoulders or armpits, it manifests itself through a sharp pain that can spread from the underarms to the rest of the shoulder area.

Pain in Both armpits Causes

Underarm or armpit pain can be caused by many factors. Armpit is made up of many lymph nodes that can enlarge and swell due to many reasons. Some types of underarm pain require medical intervention to help resolve the underlying cause of the symptoms.

Here are some common causes of pain in the armpit. They include:

Brachial Plexus Injury

This injury can result in underarm pain. The brachial plexus is composing of many nerves that run from the neck region to the armpit area. This network of nerves can be damaged by pressure, stretching or trauma.

Strain or pulled brachial plexus nerves could result in injuries that occur when the head and neck are forced away from the affected shoulder, toward the opposite side.

Some of the common signs and symptoms of brachial plexus injuries include underarm pain, numbness and tingling in the arm and reduced motor control of the arm muscles.

Lymphadenitis

This is a bacterial infection that results in the swelling of the lymph nodes and sweat glands in the armpit. Lymphadenitis manifests when the lymph nodes become enlarged due to inflammation. The inflammation is usually a reaction to invading bacteria, viruses or fungi.

This condition is marked by swollen, tender and hard lymph nodes and red, tender skin over the affected nodes.

Shoulder Dislocation

Either slight or severe dislocation can result in pain around the shoulder and the armpits. The majority of shoulder dislocations involve a downward and forward slippage of the upper arm bone. Consult your physician in case you have swelling, numbness, weakness and bruising in the affected shoulder and underarm.

Pain in Armpit no Lump

How to get rid of left underarm pain

There are some causes that may result in pain only without formation of the lumps. Some of these causes may include the following. These causes have also been discussed as mentioned above. They include:

Waxing Pain or shaving pain
Inflammation of Hair Follicles
Shingles or Herpes Zoster
Pulled muscles
Diabetes
Peripheral Artery Disease

How to Get Rid of Pain under Armpit

Treatment of pain in the armpit depends with the exact cause. In case the pain is mild, they do disappear on their own without any form of treatment. You can use simple home remedies in case the cause is strained or pulled muscles.

In case of severe symptoms, you may require prescriptions in order to ease the pain. Some of the common home remedies may include the following:

Warm Bath

A warm bath can help to relieve armpit pain. You can try soaking in a warm bath for 20 minutes. You can add to the bath 1/2 cup of baking soda or 1/2 cup of sea salt or Epsom salt. This can help to clean and remove toxins from the skin and soothe irritated skin.

Massage

You could try massaging some oil into the painful underarm area to get a relief. You could add 2-3 drops of lavender oil to 1 tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil and gently massage into the sore area. This can provide needed relief and increase blood circulation to the armpit.

Good hygiene

Always practice good hygiene and keep your underarm, and other areas that are prone to infection, clean and dry. Always shower and dry yourself thoroughly after activities where you sweat.

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