Underarm Lymph Nodes

Is My Underarm Pregnant?

As you apply deodorant you notice a bump and it isn’t an ingrown hair. What could it be? You know underarms can’t get pregnant so you can’t refer to it as a “baby bump”, so what is going on under there? Some of the causes of an underarm bump include a cyst, a rash, an ingrown hair, or an abscess. These are often easily treatable and may not even need medical attention.

Another cause of bumps underarms (aka-armpits) is a lymph node that has become enlarged. Maybe you never knew that you even had underarm lymph nodes until they swelled up. The clear fluid that travels through your body's arteries and circulates through your tissues cleaning them up, is lymph. It also keeps tissue firm. Lymph drains away through the lymphatic system. Lymph nodes are strategically placed filters along the lymphatic system that trap bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and other unwanted substances, and then safely eliminates it from the body. Lymph nodes, when not swollen, are about the size of a bean.

The most common reason a lymph node will swell up under the arms or other places on the body is because of infection. The lymph nodes have an important role of fighting off infection, viruses, bacteria, and other causes of illness. It also filters out dead tissue from the lymphatic system. Other locations of lymph nodes other than underarms, that lymph nodes are located include the following:

  • Inguinal (perineum or genitalia/pelvis)
  • Neck/head
  • Auxiliary (underarm and mammary)
  • Mediastinal (chest)
  • Lung
  • Arm (underarm)
  • Mesenteric front (intestines)
  • Mesenteric back (posterior abdominal wall
  • Legs front (groin)
  • Legs back (lower leg)

Lymph nodes may become enlarged, inflamed, or swollen because of bacterial or viral infection, cancer, fungal infection, breast tissue pressure, or vaccinations. Most swollen lymph nodes will return to their normal size without treatment once the trigger (allergen) or infection is no longer present.

Women with swollen underarm lymph nodes should pay special attention because it may be a sign of breast cancer being present. The best way to diagnose the cause of a lymph node is to see a health care professional. A health care professional may use blood tests, an examination, X-ray, CT scan, or a lymph node biopsy to diagnose the cause of a swollen underarm lymph node.

When the lymph nodes become overwhelmed with cancer cells, the cancer can begin to grow in the lymph nodes. When cancer spreads to the lymph nodes it is not the death sentence that it use to be, but it affects the determination of which stage the cancer is in and the type of treatment the cancer patient will receive.

To relieve the discomfort of swollen, inflamed lymph nodes (lymphadenitis) you can apply warm compresses and take over-the-counter pain relievers. The underlying cause of the swollen lymph nodes should be determined and treated. Some infections may need to be treated with antibiotics.

Any swollen lymph node should be watched carefully and a health care professional should be contacted if there is no apparent cause, it is rapidly growing, general swelling of lymph nodes throughout your body, or anything else that causes concern.

Lymph Nodes

Learn more about Lymph Nodes.