Private health

Q:

I have been having some burning when I urinate. The other day, while washing off in the shower, I felt a small lump in the opening of what I think is my urethra. I’m 71. Should I be worried?

A:

Probably not. Because of your stage of life and the location of the lump, it sounds like a benign growth called a urethral caruncle, the most common lesion of the urethra in women after menopause. In fact, the most important risk factor for developing a caruncle is low estrogen, so it occurs primarily in postmenopausal women. These soft, pink or red raspberry-like nodules tend to be small—usually less than a half inch in diameter—and 32% of cases are asymptomatic, so many women don’t even know they have them unless their doctors spot them during a pelvic exam. However, sometimes patients can feel a lump or experience pain, burning, a sense of pressure or the inability to fully empty their bladder. Because caruncles are made up mostly of vascular tissue, it’s also not unusual for them to bleed.

Although these symptoms can feel scary, caruncles are typically harmless and usually disappear quickly with DIY strategies such as taking daily sitz baths and applying an antiinflammatory cream like over-thecounter 1% hydrocortisone. You can find a sitz bath—a small plastic tub insert that fits over your toilet seat, allowing you to soak your genital area—for less than $20 at your local drugstore, or you can simply fill your bathtub with enough warm water to cover your thighs. Try to soak for 10 to 20 minutes once or twice a day.

If these home remedies don’t work in eight to 12 weeks and your symptoms are still bothersome, talk to your doctor about a topical estrogen cream, which should clear it up.