Background:
A few years ago, I got a Bartholin’s abscess. It was so agonizing I cried at my doctor’s office, and it only resolved when it finally burst and drained. Since that trauma, I’ve been terrified of it happening again.
Over the years, I’ve developed a management protocol. While I still occasionally get a Bartholin’s cyst (a blocked gland), out of the last 5 times it has flared up, none of them turned into an abscess. They all safely subsided. My tips below are for when you feel a hard, pea-sized cyst developing, but before it becomes infected or turns into a painful abscess.
Disclaimer:
I am not a medical professional. This is a summary of what has worked for my own body. Always consult your doctor before starting a new routine. I am grateful for all the information I gathered online and wanted to give back and help others going through same pain.
Key philosophies:
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Keep the area clean, but chemical-free: A Bartholin’s cyst happens when a lubricating gland gets blocked. I gently rinse the area with warm water after activities like sex or workout. I believe this and hot water helps to drain the fluid and help maintain less friction there. I can feel the “lubricant fluid” there and I feel relieved when it gets rinsed away. However, I do not use any soap or chemical product there. Many sources including my doctor told me to never use products there.
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Minimize friction at all costs. Especially when there is already a cyst that my hand can feel during the shower. To me it feels like a pimple on the labia at first, then gets to a hard pea sized bump later. In my experience, a cyst is just a bump, but friction is what irritates it enough to turn into an infection. When a cyst is active:
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I use hair dryer to dry under there so that there is no friction from towel
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I stop activities that cause lots of friction there like running, hiking, even getting out during active cyst phase to minimize friction. For the last cycle, I were still able to do some liftings without feeling uncomfortableness at all. If I do, I would quit immediately.
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I don’t wear underwear at home, and I sleep without pants or underwear during active cyst phase.
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I quit using menstrual pads and use tampons all the time now.
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If I absolutely must go out during active cyst phase, I apply a thin layer of plain Vaseline or Aquaphor to the cyst to act as a friction barrier.
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Less moisture helps to keep the friction low.
- I keep a clean panties with me during active cyst phase. If the pair I’m wearing gets sweaty or damp, I change immediately, as moisture increases friction.
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Again, the cyst turns into abscess when infected so I follow strict hygiene protocals here:
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wash hands before touching the area. Even before sitz bath or shower.
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I use mupirocin ointment that my doctor prescribed me when I had the abscess. I only use it during active cyst phase after sitz bath. Luckily my doctor has been renewing the prescription for me. Consult your doctor for the usage and prescription.
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My Sitz Bath Routines:
Aside from routines I mentioned above, I do sitz bath 3 times per day. And it lasts 15 - 30 min every time. I do twice during the day with the sitz bath tub over the toilet. I believe you can get it in most drug store or Amazon. I do one time with hot tub.
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I wash hand before the soak
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The Setup: I use an over-the-toilet sitz bath basin (you can get them on Amazon or at drugstores) twice a day because it’s easier to keep adding warm water to it. I use my regular bathtub for the third soak just to relax
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The “Leaning” Technique: To actually get the labia submerged in a toilet sitz basin, I can’t just sit upright. I have to lean my upper body forward significantly. When my back gets tired, I sit up and gently splash the warm water onto the area either with hand or a small towel.
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The Rinse: Always rinse with plain, fresh water after a salt soak. If I don’t, the salt residue makes my sensitive skin dry and itchy.
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The water temperature: I keep adding hot water to the soak. I like to keep the temperature as hot as my skin tolerate. I never push the limit though. So it is still comfortably hot.
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(AI does not agree here but I wouldn’t change my routine) I use epsom salt for 1st and 3rd soak. I use pickling or kosher salt for the 2nds soak. The reason being, I believe epsom soak is better to encourage the fluid drain. But the sodium chloride has mild disinfection properties that may help preventing the infection into abscess. I chose pickling or kosher salt because it does not contain additives.
Hang in there!
Sometimes the cyst goes away in 3 to 4 days; other times it takes a week or more of consistent soaking. Don’t give up! Doctors often can’t do much for a standard, uninfected cyst other than tell you to wait, so taking control of your comfort at home is everything. Abscesses are a living hell, but catching the cyst early makes it incredibly manageable.