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Gland infections related?
by hmozachsown, Mar 30, 2009 01:29PM
Good day, this is my first time on this form. I have come because I am getting quite concerned about a series of events this past year.
I am a 24 year old female in relatively good health (slightly overweight but no other medical conditions).
In January of 2008 I took a trip overseas to Egypt. Had a wonderful time , on the flight back and over the coming two days I developed a very painful spot on my right thumb. It felt like a blood blister, and was quite hot and painful to the touch. Over the course of the two days the tip of the thumb grew in size exponentially to where I truly felt it would break open. I finally sought medical help when it started to turn black. The doctor diagnosed it as cellulitis. I was given oral antibiotics (if memory serves ezithromyacin) and was told if it did not go away within 5 days to return and it would have to be lanced. It did resolve and I thought nothing else of it.
Two weeks later I woke up with a very sore feeling cheek also on the right side. Upon looking in the mirror I had a very large bump sticking out of my cheek. Nothing like acne, it was much larger. Perhaps the size of a marble. It was also very red and warm to the touch. It got progressively worse, swelling rapidly to cover all of the excess skin in my cheek also protruding into my mouth. I did not tolerate that pain as well, and was very concerned by its bizarre appearance. I went to the emergency room. They referred me to an ENT telling me it was probably an abcess (abscess). The ENT saw me the following day, and told me immediately, that it was not an abcess (abscess), and in fact was a cyst inside my cheek that had become irritated. He prescribed oral antibiotics (again I believe ezythromyacin) and told me to return in a week. The swelling subcided and I did return in a week. At the follow up there was still a very solid feeling to an area of my cheek and the ENT told me that it would resolve itself and again said that many people have small sebacious cysts that can irritate surrounding tissue on occasion causing an infection like that one. He suggested perhaps after it healed that I have the cyst surgically removed.
Two months later I had a reoccurrance of the right thumb infection. It presented the same way and was treated the same way.
I moved to Egypt to reside in August of 2008.
In February 2009 when using the restroom I noticed a small bump on the inside of my labia majora (again the right side). I have on occasion had ingrown hairs in the area which present that way, and resolve on their own after minor annoyance; so I thought nothing of it. Two days later however, there was significant pain and swelling in the area, and the "hard area" that had been quite deep in the tissue had migrated seemingly much closer to the surface. Over the following four days the area became excruciatingly painful, very swollen (about the size of an egg), and very red. It was very easy to diagnose what this was; a bartholyns gland cyst. I treated it with warm compresses and tylenol for the pain as recommended and it ruptured on the sixth day. It has sense fully resolved.
Now, I have developed a stye on my eye (yet again right side).
All of these things individually are minor medical concerns, and all have resolved without any major medical intervention. However, together the picture is very worrisome to me. Each of these separate infections attack the same kinds of glands, with the same type of bacteria. I have VERY good hygene. I shower daily (many times twice daily) with antibacterial soap. I am not in an unclean environment. I am in good health aside from being slightly overweight. I have had acne since puberty, which has YET to resolve but I can not fathom what it is that is making me suceptable to these infections. I am also concerned that they may be linked somehow.
Does this ring any bells for anyone? I have a fear of walking into a doctors office and looking like a hypocondriac, but I do want to know what in the world is causing all of this.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
hmozachsown
24yr old female.
I am a 24 year old female in relatively good health (slightly overweight but no other medical conditions).
In January of 2008 I took a trip overseas to Egypt. Had a wonderful time , on the flight back and over the coming two days I developed a very painful spot on my right thumb. It felt like a blood blister, and was quite hot and painful to the touch. Over the course of the two days the tip of the thumb grew in size exponentially to where I truly felt it would break open. I finally sought medical help when it started to turn black. The doctor diagnosed it as cellulitis. I was given oral antibiotics (if memory serves ezithromyacin) and was told if it did not go away within 5 days to return and it would have to be lanced. It did resolve and I thought nothing else of it.
Two weeks later I woke up with a very sore feeling cheek also on the right side. Upon looking in the mirror I had a very large bump sticking out of my cheek. Nothing like acne, it was much larger. Perhaps the size of a marble. It was also very red and warm to the touch. It got progressively worse, swelling rapidly to cover all of the excess skin in my cheek also protruding into my mouth. I did not tolerate that pain as well, and was very concerned by its bizarre appearance. I went to the emergency room. They referred me to an ENT telling me it was probably an abcess (abscess). The ENT saw me the following day, and told me immediately, that it was not an abcess (abscess), and in fact was a cyst inside my cheek that had become irritated. He prescribed oral antibiotics (again I believe ezythromyacin) and told me to return in a week. The swelling subcided and I did return in a week. At the follow up there was still a very solid feeling to an area of my cheek and the ENT told me that it would resolve itself and again said that many people have small sebacious cysts that can irritate surrounding tissue on occasion causing an infection like that one. He suggested perhaps after it healed that I have the cyst surgically removed.
Two months later I had a reoccurrance of the right thumb infection. It presented the same way and was treated the same way.
I moved to Egypt to reside in August of 2008.
In February 2009 when using the restroom I noticed a small bump on the inside of my labia majora (again the right side). I have on occasion had ingrown hairs in the area which present that way, and resolve on their own after minor annoyance; so I thought nothing of it. Two days later however, there was significant pain and swelling in the area, and the "hard area" that had been quite deep in the tissue had migrated seemingly much closer to the surface. Over the following four days the area became excruciatingly painful, very swollen (about the size of an egg), and very red. It was very easy to diagnose what this was; a bartholyns gland cyst. I treated it with warm compresses and tylenol for the pain as recommended and it ruptured on the sixth day. It has sense fully resolved.
Now, I have developed a stye on my eye (yet again right side).
All of these things individually are minor medical concerns, and all have resolved without any major medical intervention. However, together the picture is very worrisome to me. Each of these separate infections attack the same kinds of glands, with the same type of bacteria. I have VERY good hygene. I shower daily (many times twice daily) with antibacterial soap. I am not in an unclean environment. I am in good health aside from being slightly overweight. I have had acne since puberty, which has YET to resolve but I can not fathom what it is that is making me suceptable to these infections. I am also concerned that they may be linked somehow.
Does this ring any bells for anyone? I have a fear of walking into a doctors office and looking like a hypocondriac, but I do want to know what in the world is causing all of this.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
hmozachsown
24yr old female.
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Thanks for writing to the forum!
Recurrent infections in the body at the same place or in different places are usually due to underlying high sugar as in diabetes. You should get your blood sugar checked, both fasting and two hours after food. Also you may need to take a glucose tolerance test. Please consult your PCP regarding this.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!