Your armpit is a sensitive area because so many blood vessels and nerves pass through this area. You may experience pain under armpit for many different reasons. It is quite natural to become worried because the area is so close to the breast and often makes you wonder if you have breast cancer. Fortunately, you do not need to worry about pain in your armpit because it is usually harmless and goes away without any medical intervention. Keep reading to find out what you can do to alleviate pain and when you should see your doctor for assistance.

Pain Under Left Armpit, Why?

As mentioned, you can experience left armpit pain due to any issues and here are some of the most common reasons why you may end up dealing with pain in your armpit.

1. Cosmetic Products

Your pain may well be due to the use of deodorants that contain harsh chemicals. Antiperspirants and soaps may also contain harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin and cause a burning sensation as well. An allergic reaction may also occur after using certain cosmetic products – this will make you feel redness, itching, and pain with inflammation in your armpit.

2. Hair Removal

You may develop folliculitis when using an improper hair removal procedure. Using a dull blade to shave may lead to inflammation of the hair follicles and even form bumps under your arm. Using a wrong method increases the risk of having ingrown hair, which can be quite a painful situation.

3. Brachial Plexus Injury

You get this injury when something makes you press your shoulder down while pulling your head away from that shoulder. These types of injuries are quite common in contact sports, but you can sustain an injury after a fall. You may also develop pain in this area due to problems with the nerves or brachia plexus, such as dysfunction or neuropathy.

4. Muscle Strain

Some sports injuries that make muscles in your armpit to over-stretch may cause axillary myalgic pain. These injuries are quite common in sports such as javelin, tennis and baseball. You may also develop the condition in sports that involves forceful arm swinging movements.

5. Infection

You may experience pain under left armpit due to certain infections. An acute streptococcal infection of the skin may cause a condition called lymphangitis in which the lymph node ducts under the arm becomes infected. Similarly, skin abscesses and other infections can also cause lumps to form under your arm. You will have to take antibiotics to treat these infections. Some abscesses require drainage as well.

6. Sporotrichosis

The condition refers to a type of fungal infection, which is quite common in gardeners. That is mainly because the fungus schenckii and sporothrix is present in soil, moss and rose bushes, and exposure to these may cause pain under armpit.

7. Degeneration of Connective Tissues

Your armpit pain could be the result of decay or degeneration of connective tissues. This also makes it difficult to move your arm. If you develop this condition, you usually do not notice any lump in your armpit but still experience soreness.

8. Painful Lumps

You may develop lumps in your armpit due to many different reasons, including cancer such as metastasized breast cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma. These lumps will be quite painful. You may also develop painless lumps under your arm, which basically consist of fatty growths, blocked cysts, and excess breast tissue. Besides, some painful lumps develop as a result of infection mononucleosis and chickenpox.

9. Cancer Related Causes

Pain in the armpit is usually nothing serious, but in rare cases, it indicates breast cancer or lymphoma. If this is due to breast cancer, you will soon notice a cancerous lump appear around the breast. It could be lymphoma if you experience pain extending to your finger. The condition damages your nerve system.

10. Other Common Causes of Armpit Pain

You may also experience pain under left armpit due to some other conditions as well. For instance:

• You may experience heartburn due to indigestion. The pain under your armpit is due to stomach acids traveling up towards your heart and may extend to the left armpit as well. The pain usually lasts for a few minutes only.
• Shingles are common in people who may have had chickenpox in the past. The condition usually affects one area of your body and pain often starts from the armpit.
• Your pain under armpit could be due to cysts that develop easily in this area because it is moist, dark and warm. These cysts are usually harmless, but they may sometimes cause severe pain. It is a good idea to have your armpit cysts checked by your doctor to ensure it is not any type of cancer.
• Hyperthyroidism may cause glands in your armpit to swell and become painful. You are more likely to develop this condition if you take a high daily dose of iodine.

When to Seek Professional Help

Pain under your armpit is usually nothing serious, but in rare cases, it may indicate a life-threatening condition. Therefore, it is important to have it evaluated by a professional. You should never overlook your underarm pain, especially if you have other symptoms as well. For instance, you should talk to your doctor if you have underarm pain with the following symptoms:

• Uncontrolled, heavy bleeding
• Severe pain under left armpit that comes suddenly
• Breathing problems, including wheezing, choking, shortness of breath, etc.
• Paralysis or difficulty moving part of the body
• Tightness in the chest or chest palpitation