Several people understand what an armpit is. However, very few people understand the proper medical term, conditions, and functions of the armpit. In this post, I will give you some of the best tips about the armpit.
My intention is simple. By the end of this post, I want you to be able to understand what an armpit is, what conditions are associated with it, and what you can do to take proper care of your armpits too.
So let’s start with the basic questions that many people should know: what is the proper medical term for the armpit?
The way your chest wall, shoulder bones, and also the muscles fall in place is what creates the armpit. The armpit, which is a small hollow under the area where the shoulder bone, chest wall, and muscles converge, is in the underside of your shoulder joint.
The armpit is one of the warmest parts of the upper body. Medically, it is called the axilla. It is also the pathway of the blood and lymph vessels that serve the arm.
Like any other part of the body, the armpit also needs proper care. Without that, your armpit can easily sustain a number of infections and conditions. These conditions are many and are what I will look at in our next topic.
There are several conditions that can affect your armpits. They include but are not limited to the following.
The common name for Tinea Corporis is ringworm. It is a fungal infection that affects the uppermost layer on the skin/epidermis. It creates ring-shaped rashes that look bad. In medical corridors, the term used to describe this condition is Tinea axillaris.
This is a skin inflammation around the armpits. It can come in the form of redness, swelling, or pain.
In the worst-case scenario, the effect of dermatitis can cause the skin to peel off or leave you with blisters. The causes of dermatitis include touching your armpit with deodorant and alcohol.
Psoriasis is a condition that causes red plaques in the armpits. The plaque comes with a silvery scale that will also appear on your skin. The major cause of Psoriasis is when your body’s immunity mistakenly attacks its own tissues.
Another notorious infection around the armpits is a yeast infection or candidiasis. This type of infection irritates the skin and leaves you with white plaques. Candida will grow best in an area that is warm and moist such as bushy armpits.
Armpit boil or furuncle is an infection that might result when a single strand of the hair follicle becomes painful. It can come with a red lump around the skin that will grow into an abscess. Armpit folliculitis can also come from a bacterial infection.
NOTE: Hyperhidrosis is also another infection of the armpit. This is excessive sweating that affects the armpits when you are anxious or scared.
The proper care of the armpits requires you to do some of the most basic stuff. You should, among other things:
NOTE: Within your axilla, there are over 20 lymph nodes or in other words, small lumps of body tissues that form the lymphatic system, which will help to fight any infection around the armpits.
So what is the proper medical term for the armpit? You have it all by now. However, I believe that there is one more thing that you should understand. The lymph nodes are always present. However, since the armpits have high concentrations of hair follicles and also sweat glands, lymph nodes are not easy to feel through the skin.
These lymph nodes protect your armpits. Even so, you need also to keep your armpits clean and well-taken care of. It is important for your health.
