Soreness on labia

**JNJ91** · 07-15-2011 08:34 PM

Hello all,

This morning I noticed a slight soreness on my labia that felt worse as I walked. Upon inspection it doesn't look swollen, but there seems to be some sort of bump under the skin that is tender to the touch. There is no abnormal discharge; maybe a slight dryness but nothing else.

I am 20 years old and sexually active. I last had sex a few days ago and am expecting my period in about a week and a half. My boyfriend was tested about a year ago, right before we started dating, and I have only had one partner besides him, so everything should be okay in that department. I unfortunately have a history of ovarian cysts and am prone to UTIs, so of course something else going wrong makes me automatically assume the worst.

I have heard of Bartholin cyst and think this might be it. Unfortunately my gyno is closed until Monday and I know I'm going to do nothing but worry until then...anyone have any thoughts on what might be wrong?

Thanks in advance!

**JNJ91** · 07-16-2011 11:57 AM

UPDATE: I woke up this morning and the swelling area was twice as big...I can't sit and can barely lie down comfortably. I can't risk a hospital visit--just can't deal with the bill right now and last time I was there the OBGYN completely man handled me. I'm trying warm compresses and sizt baths but I'm still sort of at a loss. Any help right now would make me feel a lot better...

**chaya** · 07-16-2011 12:50 PM

When I was 15 I got a boil on my labia. It started out as a small painful bump under the skin and was getting bigger. I had to suck it up and ask my father, who is a doctor, to look at it. He said it was a boil and would not go away until it came to a head and drained. Hold me it was caused by an infected hair follicle. He was right, it took about a week even with warm compresses. After it drained it went away quickly.

**Belladonna** · 07-16-2011 07:23 PM

Your bartholin's glands are located either side of the entrance of the vagina.You mention your labia which is higher up so it cant be a bartholin's cyst.If you shave your pubic area,there is a good chance that what you are describing is an ingrowing hair which has become infected.Is the area red and warm to the touch?You need to go and see a doctor to get a right diagnosis and treatment.

**WildChild** · 07-16-2011 10:56 PM

Heat those warm compresses up a bit to more of a hot compress. If its an ingrown hair or a cyst this will help bring it to a head. If you get it to a head you can use some bituminous clay to further draw it out.

**JNJ91** · 07-19-2011 10:46 PM

Thanks everyone. I went to the doctor yesterday and she confirmed that it is in face a Bartholin cyst. It swelled up to the size of a golf ball and it was painful to do just about everything but lay down before finally rupturing in the bath. Everything is fine now, I'm on antibiotics and I can actually function normally! The only problem is that it's excruciatingly painful to urinate, like dumping alcohol on an open wound. There's nothing I can really do about it (except discover new awkward angles to pee) so I'm just continuing the meds and hoping for the best.