Kym Marsh visits doctors after fans urge her to get armpit lump checked – what should we be looking out for?
Actor Kym Marsh has visited the doctors after fans urged her to get a lump in her armpit checked.
The 44-year-old posted a workout photo on her Instagram page that showed one of her arms above her head holding a kettlebell.
It prompted remarks from concerned followers encouraging Marsh to get the lump visible under her arm checked out by doctors.
The Coronation Street actor revealed to her followers that the lump was a “bit of inflammation to a muscle” in an updated caption under the photo.
Followers had been quick to question if she was all right. One said: “I was just wondering is your arm okay there seems to be a lump?”
“You have a lump in your underarm,” another stated.
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Marsh updated the caption on the photo to address her follower’s concerns.
It said: “Just so you guys know....after the recent photo and people’s concerns over the ‘lump’ in my armpit, I went and had it checked anyway. It’s all good guys and is just a bit of inflammation to a muscle. Thank you all for your concern xxx.”
She went into more detail about it in her OK! Magazine column, saying the lump had been playing on her mind for a while.
“I noticed the lump for a while and assumed it was nothing, but it had been playing on my mind and I knew I had to get it sorted,” she wrote.
“I was lucky to get a doctor's appointment straight away and went to a clinic for an ultrasound.
“I am so grateful to everyone who reached out and urged me to get it looked at. It could have been something more serious, so thank goodness people online are looking out for each other.”
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Regular checking of your lymph nodes is recommended by cancer charities. Although lumps can be caused by a myriad of things – as Marsh discovered – it’s always important to get them assessed by a GP.
People should check their lymph nodes once per month, according to UK charity Skin Support.
The charity says: “Lymph node are usually too small to feel except in slim people when they can be felt as smooth pea-sized lumps in the groin.
“Another common exception is when people get a sore throat or an ear infection, which can make the neck lymph nodes enlarged, painful and tender.”
“Lymph nodes can also become enlarged if cancer cells lodge in them. In this case, they are usually painless.”
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At the same time as checking your armpits, doctors recommend also doing a general check of your body – including moles – to note any other changes.
To check a lymph node in the armpit, Skin Support recommends placing four fingers inside of the armpit and gradually feeling your way from top to bottom.
As well as feeling the centre of the armpit, it’s important to move your fingers along the front border and the back border as well as the inner border of the arm.
