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Lumps in the chest are not always dangerous but often cause discomfort and worry for the sufferer. Lumps in the chest can be caused by many things and can be treated with various medical procedures.
Lumps in the chest have different shapes and sizes, depending on the cause. Lumps that are fixed in size and without pain usually tend to be harmless. These lumps are also generally harmless and will disappear by themselves.
However, in certain cases, lumps in the chest can be caused by more serious conditions, such as tumors. Therefore, it is important for you to know what types of lumps in the chest you need to be aware of in order to get appropriate treatment.
Causes of Lumps in the Chest
There are several conditions which causes lumps in the chest and each has different symptoms. The following is the explanation:
1. Lipoma
Lipomas are fatty lumps that can grow under any skin, including the chest. Lumps due to lipomas move easily when touched, do not feel painful, and grow slowly. However, lipoma lumps can be annoying if they are large enough.
The exact cause of lipomas is still unknown, but there are several factors that can increase the risk of lipomas, such as being between 40-60 years old and genetic factors.
2. Pectus carinatum
Lumps in the chest can also be caused by congenital abnormalities in the form of pectus carinatum or what is known as pigeon chest i>. This disorder is caused by an overgrowth of cartilage that connects the ribs to the breastbone, making the chest protrude like a bird's chest.
The cause of excessive cartilage growth is not known for certain, but pectus carinatum usually experienced by people who have Marfan syndrome, Noonan syndrome, scoliosis, asthma, bronchitis, and mitral valve prolapse.
Most sufferers of pectus carinatum do not experience any symptoms. However, chest pain can occur when doing certain activities, such as exercising.
3. Warts
Warts are lumps caused by infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). Lumps on the chest due to warts feel rough to the touch, are brown or black in color, and are dome-shaped.
The HPV virus that causes warts has fast growth and can attack any part of the skin, including the chest. The spread comes from direct contact with the sufferer or indirect contact through the use of towels or personal items belonging to the sufferer.
Anyone can get warts, but children, the elderly and adults with weak immune systems weak are more susceptible to infection.
4. Abscess
An abscess is a lump that occurs due to a buildup of pus caused by a bacterial infection, especially the bacteria Staphylococcus.
When bacteria enter the body, the immune system sends white blood cells to fight the infection. This process can cause inflammation and death of the surrounding tissue, resulting in the formation of an abscess bag filled with pus.
Due to infection and inflammation, a lump in the chest due to an abscess will feel warmer than the surrounding skin and feel painful. Apart from that, abscesses can also be accompanied by fever, decreased appetite, easy fatigue and excessive sweating.
There are several factors that can increase the risk of abscesses, such as living in an unclean environment, suffering from diabetes or obesity, frequent consumption of alcohol, close contact with people infected with Staphylococcus bacteria, and a weakened immune system.
5. Cysts
Cysts can also cause lumps to appear in the chest. Cysts are lumps under the skin that are filled with inflammatory fluid, blood, air, or solid objects such as hair. If infected and filled with pus, the cyst lump will become an abscess.
Cysts are caused by blocked channels in the body, cell damage, or genetic disorders. Cyst lumps are not contagious and form over a long period of time.
Lumps due to cysts generally do not feel painful, but if they get bigger they will cause discomfort.
6. Tumors
Tumors are formed from excessive production of new cells, so that these cells accumulate and form lumps, including lumps in the chest.
Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors will not attack the normal cells around them and will not spread to other parts of the body. On the other hand, malignant tumors occur due to the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, so they spread and damage the normal cells around them.
Tumors can be experienced by all age groups. However, there are factors that can increase the risk of tumor growth, such as genetic changes, having a family history of cancer, smoking habits, exposure to pollution and chemicals, and obesity.
Tumor symptoms vary depending on location and size. , and types. In general, malignant tumors are usually larger in size, painful and bleed easily, and cause sufferers to experience fatigue, fever or chills, loss of appetite, excessive sweating, body aches and drastic weight loss.
Treatment of Lumps in the Chest
To find out the exact cause of the lump in the chest, the doctor will carry out an examination including a chest X-ray, CT scan, or MRI. After knowing the cause, the doctor will provide appropriate treatment, including:
Non-operative
The following are several non-surgical treatment methods that can be used by doctors to treat lump in the chest:
- Chest corset to treat abnormalities caused by pectus carinatum. This corset should be used from childhood because the chest wall is still flexible to change to a normal shape.
- Wart medication, such as salicylic acid, to erode the wart layer so that it peels off.
- Antibiotics, such as penicillin and cephalosporin, to treat abscess lumps caused by bacterial infections.
- Chemotherapy, using drugs to reduce the size of the tumor and slow the spread of tumor cells.
- Radiation therapy, to destroy tumor cells and prevent their growth using radiation rays.
- Pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, to relieve pain.
Surgery
If the enlargement of the lump in the chest becomes uncontrollable, is difficult to treat with medication, or is malignant, surgery needs to be performed. The type of surgery is adjusted to the cause and location of the lump, including:
- Mastectomy, for lumps in the breast caused by tumors, for example breast cancer. This procedure is carried out by removing the tumor in the breast and the surrounding tissue, so that abnormally growing tissue can be removed.
- Incision and drainage, for large abscesses. This method is done by making an incision above the abscess so that the pus can flow out.
- Excision, for lipomas that are getting bigger and accompanied by pain. This operation is performed by removing the lipoma from the skin.
- Cryosurgery, for warts that do not improve and are at risk of spreading to other people. This operation is carried out using cold liquid nitrogen to freeze the growth of warts.
If you experience a lump on your chest that is getting bigger, feels painful, bleeds, or is accompanied by other complaints such as fever, loss of appetite eating, or drastic weight loss, don't hesitate to consult a doctor to find out the cause and get appropriate treatment.
Label : Health
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