What to do if…
you notice a new lump or swelling that appeared suddenly and is growing

What to do now

1. Check for emergency signs first.
   • Call 911 if you have swelling of the lips, face, tongue, or throat; trouble breathing; wheezing; a tight throat; trouble swallowing; dizziness; fainting; or loss of consciousness. These can be signs of a severe allergic reaction or another emergency.
2. Choose the safest care route for today.
   • Go to an emergency room if the swelling is rapidly worsening, you feel seriously unwell, redness is spreading quickly, you have fever or chills, or the swelling affects breathing or swallowing.
   • Go to an emergency room now for sudden or severe scrotal pain, or for rapidly worsening genital swelling with feeling unwell.
   • Use urgent care if it is getting bigger and is painful, red, warm, draining, or you suspect an infected bite, sting, boil, or abscess and you cannot get a same-day clinician appointment.
   • Contact primary care, an OB-GYN, or another regular clinician for the soonest appointment if you are otherwise stable but the lump is still new or growing, especially for a breast, testicle, neck, armpit, or groin lump.
3. Write down the details before you seek care.
   • Note when you first saw it and how fast it is changing.
   • Note the location and approximate size.
   • Note whether it is painful, itchy, red, warm, firm, fixed in place, draining, or linked with fever, chills, or trouble swallowing.
   • Note any possible trigger, such as an injury, bite or sting, new medication, new food, recent vaccination, or recent infection.
4. Document the change without irritating it.
   • Take one clear photo in good light.
   • If there is a red patch on the skin, gently trace the outer edge with a pen and write down the time. Use this only to show change; do not use it to delay care if the redness spreads quickly or you develop fever or chills.
5. Treat these locations as prompt-check locations even if you feel otherwise OK.
   • Breast lump: arrange a clinician appointment, especially if it is new, firm, fixed, changing, or linked with nipple discharge, skin dimpling, or a new armpit lump.
   • Testicle or scrotal lump: seek medical evaluation promptly. Go to an emergency room now if there is sudden pain, severe pain, nausea, vomiting, or a very tender swollen testicle.
   • Neck lump: get checked promptly, especially if it is growing, firm, fixed, painful, warm, linked with fever, or making swallowing or breathing harder.
6. Protect the area while you arrange care.
   • Keep it clean and avoid friction from clothing, straps, or shaving.
   • Do not apply drawing salves, strong creams, or home remedies meant to bring it to a head.
   • If fluid is draining on its own, cover it with a clean dressing and still get it evaluated.