Whatever is behind you, the next good day is ahead. Look forward, get the right help and let today be the day things start to improve.
This photo shows a woman sitting on an exam table, looking down at a large red swelling on the outside of her upper arm. The skin over it is stretched and shiny, with a small yellowish head off centre.
A lump like this is most often an epidermoid cyst. It forms when a follicle on the arm becomes blocked and keratin slowly collects underneath the skin.
The upper arms rub against sleeves and bag straps every day, and small bumps there are easy to pick at, which can turn a quiet cyst into an inflamed one.
As the cyst grows it becomes firm and tender, and the redness spreads into the surrounding skin. Lifting the arm, sleeping on that side or wearing tight sleeves can all hurt.
