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Hi there Aunt Vadge,
I noticed a small lump on the inside lip of my vagina today. I’ve read about it and think it might be a Bartholin’s cyst. I’m worried and don’t know what to do. I’d like to treat it without going to the doctor, as I’m embarrassed to tell anyone. There’s no pain, but there seems to be blood inside it. Can you help?
Sincerely,
Lumpy
Northern Ireland
Dear Lumpy,
First, some reassurance: a small, painless lump just inside the labia is very often something harmless, like a Bartholin’s cyst, a blocked oil gland, or an ingrown hair. So try not to panic. But I do want to steer you away from one thing straight away: please don’t cut, squeeze, or pop it open yourself.
I know older advice (including, once upon a time, ours) suggested you could drain these at home like a spot. We don’t recommend that any more. Digging into a cyst with your fingers can push bacteria deeper and turn a quiet little cyst into a painful abscess, and it usually just refills anyway because the underlying blockage is still there. The blood you can see inside it is another reason to leave it well alone rather than open it up.
What is safe and helpful at home is warmth. Sitting in a warm, shallow bath (a sitz bath) for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day, or holding a warm compress against the area, encourages a small cyst to soften and often to drain on its own, gently and cleanly. Keep the area clean and dry otherwise, and don’t irritate it.
Please do see a doctor if the lump grows, becomes painful, red or hot, if you develop a fever, or if it simply isn’t settling after a few days of warm baths. That’s when it needs draining properly – done with sterile technique, and sometimes with a tiny device left in place to stop it coming straight back. It’s a five-minute, very routine job for them, and nothing to be embarrassed about; they see this all the time, and the appointment is confidential.
If this keeps happening, it’s worth finding out why rather than just draining it each time – recurrent cysts usually have a reason behind them. You can read more about the other harmless kinds in our guide to vulvar lumps and bumps, and if you’d like help working out the pattern, you can book an appointment.
If you get stuck on anything, let us know.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
