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What Is That Painful Bump Between Your Buttocks?
Nanja Bongers
Most types of skin inflammations cause very little discomfort and generally go away on their own. But some skin problems can linger and cause a great deal of pain, including the bump between your buttocks. The bump between your booty cheeks is called a pilonidal cyst, which usually forms close to or on your tailbone. However, some cysts can develop on the insides of your buttocks. The inflamed growth makes it difficult to sit in a chair or perform activities that create pressure on your bottom. Here are facts about pilonidal cysts and what you can do to treat yours.
How Does a Pilonidal Cyst Form?
Cysts are growths that develop below the skin's surface. The growths can be as tiny as a green pea, or they can be much larger. People often confuse pilonidal cysts with other skin infections, including boils and abscesses. But unlike those growths, which develop from bacteria called staph, pilonidal cysts are thought to develop from pressure and friction.
Repeatedly placing stress on the skin between your buttocks can potentially force hair to grow or penetrate your skin. Your body's immune system will attempt to remove or contain the hair by forming a pocket, or cyst, around it. If you don't aggravate the cyst between your buttocks, it goes away without too many problems. However, some of the things you do each day can trigger an inflammation in the cyst.
For example, sitting on your bottom for long periods of time or riding your bike can create pressure on your skin. Wearing tight pants, jeans or leggings can cause friction the skin over the cyst. Even wearing thong underwear or boxers that ride up the buttocks can be a problem.
It's possible for staph bacteria to invade the opening of your cyst and cause an infection. This may be the reason why your cyst is so painful. In any case, treating the cyst properly and promptly may be the best way to get rid of it.
How Do You Treat a Pilonidal Cyst?
A painful butt cyst requires immediate treatment if it oozes pus, blood or both. If you have a fever or feel nauseous, also seek medical treatment for your cyst. Although it doesn't apply in every case, some cysts can break open beneath the skin and spread infection to your blood or other areas of the buttocks and body. An emergency doctor will generally prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection and prevent sepsis, which can be life-threatening.
It's also possible for a doctor to excise, or surgically cut into, drain or remove, painful cysts. This procedure usually doesn't require hospitalization unless you are very ill or need medical supervision. A emergency center doctor may tell you to monitor the location and return to the hospital or clinic if anything changes. For instance, you may need to see a doctor again if the infection becomes worse, you develop a high-grade fever, you experience severe pain in the excision site.
You can follow a few home care precautions when treating or monitoring your skin cyst. If a doctor allows it, soak your bottom in warm water and Epsom salt to alleviate the tenderness and inflammation. But you must clear this type of treatment with the physician or medical center assisting you.
Also, don't apply pressure to the excision site. If necessary, sleep on your sides and place pillows behind your back to keep you from rolling over during the night. You can also place a pillow between your legs to relieve pressure from your sore bottom.
If you need emergency care for your painful pilonidal cyst or more information about it, contact a medical center such as Premier Urgent Care Centers of California, Inc.
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