Alternatively, you can try a warm compress. Just sit in a tub with a few inches of warm water a few times a day for several days. To help with discomfort, promote healing, and encourage a cyst to drain on its own, you can take a sitz bath.In these cases, you can try a few at-home approaches before your appointment with your gynecologist to help it resolve as quickly and painlessly as possible: Sometimes, a lump may be a little larger or more tender, or you might notice it growing in size. However, it’s always best to have any lump looked at by a gynecologist, which allows for identification and treatment-as well as possible biopsy or testing-in order to determine the exact cause. Genital skin is sensitive occasional bumps are common, often innocuous, and many resolve without issue all on their own. How worried should I be if I find a lump in my vagina?Īlmost everyone will get a vaginal lump at some point in their lives. Different STDs generally produce distinct bumps, from the small blisters of Herpes to the cauliflower-like clusters of genital warts caused by HPV. Skin tags (tissue that forms after injury, most commonly)Īnd because your mind almost certainly went there right away: yes, lumps inside the vagina or on the vulva may also be signs of an STD.HPV or condyloma infection (genital warts).If you’ve discovered a lump or bump outside your vagina, somewhere on your vulva or the surrounding skin, there are any number of additional explanations. What if the lump is near my vagina, not in it? However, if you notice any signs of infection-drainage, fever, tenderness, fluid or pus-you should get a professional assessment. Thankfully, they often clear up on their own within a few weeks. Symptoms of Bartholin’s cysts include discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse, walking, wiping, inserting menstrual products, or even sitting. They aren’t usually contagious, though of course, if you get one as a result of an STI, the STI is. No one knows why, exactly, but some women are simply predisposed to getting them. What causes Bartholin’s Cyst?īartholin’s cysts can occur as a response to an injury or irritation in the area, an STI, or a bacterial infection. This creates a fluid-filled sac that can form on-you guessed it-your Bartholin gland, located on both sides of your vaginal opening. The Bartholin’s glands provide lubrication ( wetness) to the vagina when the opening to the glands gets blocked, fluid builds up. What is a Bartholin’s cyst?Īs one of the more common types of vaginal cysts, it can be useful to have a clearer understanding of what, exactly, a Bartholin’s cyst is. Vaginal cancer can cause lumps to grow inside the vagina, which might require any number of treatments based on the stage of progression. Vaginal CancerĪlso rare, though again, more common in those over 40. Or, quite commonly, hard poop in your rectum can feel like a bump in your vagina. Sometimes the uterus, rectum, or bladder can press against the vaginal wall, causing a bump or lump to form. Endometriosis Cysts → Small cysts formed from lumps of endometrial-type tissue.Ī less likely explanation for a vaginal lump, though one that becomes more common with age.Gartner’s Duct Cysts → Generally only associated with pregnancy.Bartholin’s Cysts → Also relatively common, these lumps near the vaginal opening can form on either one or both sides (I’ll get into more detail below).Vaginal Inclusion Cysts → Very common, these cysts develop in response to trauma or injury (like birth) and they are most likely to be found at the base (or bottom) of the vagina.Vaginal cysts fall into a few categories: They’re typically no larger than a pea and are rarely painful. The most likely culprit behind a bump or lump in your vaginal area, vaginal cysts are small projections found on the walls of the vagina. Now that we’re on the same page…if you’ve found a lump in your vagina (not your vulva), it could be a few different things. Vulva: The vulva refers to all of the external genitalia: the labia minora and majora, mons pubis, clitoris, urethra, vaginal opening, Bartholin’s glands, and a few other structures.It’s part of your internal genitalia, along with the uterus, cervix, uterine tubes, and ovaries. Vagina: The vagina itself is actually just the interior muscular canal, which extends from the cervix to the vaginal opening.We often use “vagina” as a catchall for a region that deserves a bit more specificity-feel free to skip this section if you’re intimately familiar with the anatomy of your genitalia. Even if it’s not, vaginal lumps are surprisingly common and often harmless.īefore we go further, it’s worth clarifying a few terms. What you’ve found may simply be a natural part of your anatomy. I know finding a lump on your genitals can be alarming, but keep in mind that every vagina is different-they have different folds, ridges, bumps, and lumps.
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