SOS for a new pain ‘down there’

Q:

I’ve been treating myself for chronic yeast infections. They seem to be getting more severe, and now it feels like I have paper cuts down there—all the way to my backside. I’m 65. What’s going on?

A:

It sounds like you’re not dealing with yeast infections but an inflammatory skin disorder called lichen sclerosus (LS). It’s often mistaken for chronic yeast infections because the two have overlapping symptoms, like itching and pain during urination or sex. But LS, an autoimmune condition, also causes thin, wrinkled, shiny, white parchment-like skin and intense burning and blisters or the tearing and bleeding you described. And it’s common in menopause since a drop in estrogen can thin vulval skin, which may trigger the condition.

The good news is that LS is treatable, but your doctor will need to prescribe a topical steroid ointment, which should relieve the itching within days. While waiting to see your doctor, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream may bring some relief.

Yes! It’s likely that what you’re feeling is actually a swollen lymph node. Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that one in six patients reported swollen lymph nodes after their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The lumps usually disappear on their own within days or weeks.

In normal times, your doctor would want you to come in right away, likely for a mammogram and biopsy. However, the Society of Breast Imaging released guidelines earlier this year recommending that if you haven’t gotten your annual mammogram before your COVID vaccination, you should wait at least four to six weeks after your second dose before scheduling a screening. At your appointment, be sure to tell the tech the date you were vaccinated, in which arm and about the lump you felt.

I delayed my mammogram until

I got my COVID vaccine, but now, a few days after the shot, I feel a lump in my armpit. Could it be related to

the shot?