How to remove bumps from injections

Why do bumps appear from injections

This is an individual reaction. Perhaps this is exactly how - with local edema and irritation - your body personally reacted to a microtrauma from a needle, an injected drug, or both at the same time.

The risk of getting a painful lump increases. Is a subcutaneous injection painful? if the injection technique is violated: for example, the needle is inserted at the wrong angle or does not hit the right place the first time.

What to do if a lump appears after an injection

As a rule, you don't need to do anything. In most cases, seals are unpleasant but safe. And they pass by themselves pretty quickly.

In a few hours, or at most a day or two after the injection, not a trace of the lump will remain.

If the injection site is not only thickened, but also aches or itches, you can get rid of the discomfort using Injection-Site Reactions and How to Manage Them.

Apply a cold compress to the bump. It can be a cloth dipped in ice water, or an ice pack wrapped in a thin cloth.
Try an over-the-counter pain reliever to relieve pain. For example, based on ibuprofen.
If you want to relieve itching, use an over-the-counter antihistamine.

When to see a doctor urgently

In some cases, a lump at the injection site can be caused by an infection that got under the skin with a non-sterile needle, or an allergy to the injected drug. Both of these conditions are potentially dangerous When to Call Your Doctor About an Injection Side Effect. And, if you're unlucky, they can cost you your life.

Here are four signs, each of which says you need to see a therapist right away or even call an ambulance.

1. A high fever that you associate with a recent injection

Fever (temperature above 38, 3 ° C) is not always dangerous: it can be one of the expected adverse reactions to the medicine or vaccine injected into you. But sometimes it is the rise in temperature that allergies and infections manifest themselves.

Prescription medications and antibiotics may be needed to stop the pathological process. Which ones, the doctor will tell you - after he has made an accurate diagnosis.

2. Severe pain at the injection site that does not subside

The lump formed after the injection is often painful. Normally, however, the pain gradually decreases and disappears completely within a few hours or at most a couple of days. Situations are considered abnormal when:

The pain does not diminish over time. And even more so if it gets stronger.
The pain seems to spread throughout the body.
The lump looks inflamed and hurts not only at the surface of the skin, but also somewhere deep.
The pain is accompanied by an increase in temperature above 38, 3 ° C.

These signs do not necessarily indicate something dangerous. This may be an expected side effect of the drug that was given to you during the injection. But there is a risk that the increased pain is associated with an infection that must be diagnosed and treated before it spreads throughout the body.

3. Lump and swelling that does not go away after a couple of days

If the bump persists, becomes denser, grows in size, or changes color, this could also be a sign of infection.

You need to be especially careful if the seal feels soft, mushy, hot and painful to the touch. This may indicate a developing abscess - an accumulation of pus in the cavity under the skin.

Never try to squeeze out an abscess. If it breaks under the skin, the infection can enter the bloodstream and lead to deadly blood poisoning.

If the lump is small and you are not sure if it is an abscess, take a pen or marker and trace the area around the lump. Then watch. A nodule that does not decrease during the day, and even more so one that grows beyond the outlined boundaries, is an unambiguous reason for an urgent consultation with a doctor.

4. Unusual symptoms not related to the injection site

A lump at the injection site may be caused by an allergy to the injected drug. In some cases, it spreads to the entire body. Doctors call this process an anaphylactic reaction. Sometimes it is deadly Anaphylaxis pathogenesis and treatment.

The first signs of anaphylaxis, as a rule, are similar to seasonal allergies: a runny nose appears, eyes are watery, an itchy rash appears on some areas of the skin, similar to inflammation after a nettle burn.

However, additional symptoms may appear very quickly. When to Call Your Doctor About an Injection Side Effect:

cough;
tightness in the chest;
dyspnea;
irregular heartbeat;
swelling not associated with the injection site, for example, swelling of the hands, tongue, face.
dizziness.

If you notice unusual symptoms, do not hesitate to see a doctor. Anaphylaxis may not be confirmed. But if this is her, it is important to get qualified medical care on time.

This material was first published in July 2017. In May 2021, we updated the text.