When worry builds up, it helps to breathe and let go of the fear for a moment. A clear head makes every next step easier.
In this photo an older woman with grey hair sits in a clinic gown while a doctor checks a red, raised lump on her upper back, just beside the shoulder blade.
This kind of lump is most often a sebaceous or epidermoid cyst. They are very common on the upper back and usually not dangerous, even when they look alarming.
A cyst starts when a pore or hair follicle gets blocked. Skin cells and oil keep building up behind the blockage and form a round pocket under the skin.
Over time the pocket can stretch the skin and grow to several centimetres. If bacteria get in, it turns red, warm and sore, especially when pressed by a bra strap or the back of a chair.
