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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Partly. A cyst can be assessed by video and managed with home care, and an infected cyst with antibiotics; draining a large or painful abscess is done in person.
- What it is: a fluid-filled lump that forms when a small gland on one side of the vaginal opening becomes blocked.
- How common: about 2 in 100 women develop a Bartholin’s cyst or abscess at some point, usually between the ages of 20 and 50.
- Often settles: many cysts go away without treatment; warm baths a few times a day for 3 to 4 days help, and squeezing it can cause infection.
- Emergency: call 112 for a high temperature with confusion, very fast breathing, or blue, pale or blotchy skin.
Do not book a video appointment if you have a high temperature with confusion, very fast breathing, or blue, pale or blotchy skin: call 112 or go to an emergency department. A lump that is quickly getting bigger, hot, red and very painful, or leaking pus with a temperature, needs an urgent in-person assessment, because it may need draining.
Can an online doctor treat a Bartholin’s cyst?
Partly. A doctor can assess a lump near the opening of the vagina by video, from what you describe and, if you choose, what you show, and tell a simple cyst from an infected one. Many cysts settle with home care, and an infected cyst can be treated with antibiotics, with STI tests when they are needed. A large or very painful abscess needs draining in person, and any lump that needs examining is seen in person; the doctor tells you where and how quickly.
How an online consultation helps with a Bartholin’s cyst
- Cyst or abscess?: Whether the lump is a simple blocked gland or an infection that needs treating.
- Home care that works: Warm soaks, pain relief and what to avoid, with clear signs that mean it is not settling.
- Antibiotics when they help: For an infected cyst, chosen around pregnancy, allergies and your other medicines, with STI tests if needed.
- A plan if it keeps coming back: When draining, a catheter or marsupialisation is worth it, and where to have it done.
What the doctor checks in an online Bartholin’s cyst consultation
The doctor asks about signs of a spreading infection first, then about the lump itself. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: a high temperature, feeling unwell, a lump that is quickly getting bigger, pus, or redness spreading around it.
- The lump: where it is, its size, when it appeared, and whether it is soft and painless or hot, tender and swollen.
- Pain: whether it hurts to walk, sit or have sex.
- History: earlier cysts or abscesses, and how they were treated.
- STI risk: a new partner, or symptoms such as unusual discharge.
- Your health: pregnancy, diabetes, allergies and the medicines you take.
Find a private space for the call. You choose what you show on camera, and the doctor tells you if an examination in person would help.
What is a Bartholin’s cyst, and what does it look like?
The Bartholin’s glands sit on each side of the opening of the vagina and release fluid that acts as a lubricant. If the small opening of a gland gets blocked, fluid builds up and forms a cyst. About 2 in 100 women develop a Bartholin’s cyst or abscess at some stage, usually between the ages of 20 and 50, though it can affect anyone with a vagina.
What does a Bartholin’s cyst look like?
A soft, round lump on one side of the vaginal opening, which can be anything from the size of a pea to the size of a golf ball. One side of the labia may look larger or swollen. Small cysts are often painless and are sometimes found by chance, for example at a cervical screening test.
A cyst or an abscess?
A cyst can become infected and turn into an abscess, which often develops over several days:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Cyst | Abscess (infected cyst) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A fluid-filled sac from a blocked gland | A cyst that has become infected |
| How it feels | Usually soft and not painful; may cause discomfort | Very sore, hot, swollen and red |
| Other signs | One side of the labia looks swollen | Pus that may smell, a high temperature, feeling unwell |
| Usual first step | Watch and wait, warm soaks, pain relief | Antibiotics, and draining if it is large or not settling |
| Online care | Yes | Partly: draining is in person |
What causes Bartholin’s cysts?
A cyst forms when the opening of a gland gets blocked, and it is often not known why that happens. There is generally little you can do to prevent one. An abscess forms when the trapped fluid becomes infected. The infection can be caused by everyday bacteria or, sometimes, by STIs such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia, which is why the doctor may suggest STI tests.
What else could the lump be?
A lump that does not behave like a typical Bartholin’s cyst, for example one that does not go away, needs an examination: in rare cases, especially in older women, a biopsy is suggested to rule out a tumour. Sores and small growths around the vulva are covered on the genital herpes and genital warts pages.
How do you get rid of a Bartholin’s cyst?
Many cysts go away without treatment. Small cysts and abscesses, generally under about 3 cm, are usually watched with home care, while larger ones, and ones that keep coming back, are drained in person:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Treatment | What happens | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Watch and wait | Warm soaks and pain relief | For small, painless cysts, and those already draining |
| Antibiotics | Tablets for an infected cyst | For an abscess less likely to settle on its own |
| Catheter (balloon) drainage | A small cut drains it, and a small balloon catheter keeps the opening open | Done awake under local anaesthetic in about a quarter of an hour; the catheter stays in for up to 4 weeks |
| Marsupialisation | The edges of the opened cyst are stitched to the skin so it keeps draining | Under local or general anaesthetic, in about a quarter of an hour; the stitches dissolve over 10 to 14 days |
| Removing the gland | The gland is taken out | Considered when abscesses keep coming back |
In one hospital’s experience, 86% of women treated with a balloon catheter were happy that their symptoms had settled within 4 weeks. No treatment stops another cyst ever forming.
Can you burst a Bartholin’s cyst at home?
No. Do not squeeze it or try to drain it yourself, because that can cause an infection. If a cyst bursts on its own, that is fine and should ease the pain: keep the area clean and dry, and see a doctor if it becomes red, hot or painful again.
How long does a Bartholin’s cyst last?
Many small cysts settle without treatment, and warm baths help over 3 to 4 days. A painful, swollen lump that has not improved after 2 to 3 days of home care needs a doctor. An abscess often develops over several days, and can come back after it has drained.
Which Bartholin’s cyst treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on the size of the lump, whether it is infected and how often it has come back. This is the framework the doctors use:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A small, soft, painless lump | Watch and wait, with warm soaks | Yes | If it grows, hurts or does not go away |
| A sore, red lump that is getting bigger | Antibiotics, and STI tests if needed | Yes | If it is large, very painful or not settling |
| A large or very painful abscess | Drainage, with a catheter or marsupialisation | Partly | Promptly, for the procedure |
| Cysts or abscesses that keep coming back | Marsupialisation, or removing the gland | Partly | For the procedure |
| A lump that does not go away, especially in an older woman | An examination, sometimes a biopsy | Only to assess | For the examination |
| A high temperature with confusion or fast breathing | Emergency care | No | Call 112 now |
A lump near the opening of your vagina? A doctor can tell you in one consultation whether it needs more than home care.
See available times →Treatment options for a Bartholin’s cyst
What you can do yourself
- Sit in a warm bath a few times a day for 3 to 4 days, or hold a cloth soaked in warm water gently against the lump.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain.
- Do not squeeze or drain the cyst.
- Keep the area clean and dry, and avoid strongly perfumed shower gels or washes.
- If a catheter is in place, take care when removing tampons so the balloon is not dislodged.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. For an infected cyst, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics, and may suggest tests for STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea. Draining a cyst or abscess, a catheter, marsupialisation and removing the gland are done in person, under local or general anaesthetic. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Squeezing or lancing the lump at home. Harsh or perfumed washes. Waiting days with a hot, swollen, very painful lump and a temperature, which may need draining.
Special situations
Sex
A cyst can make sex uncomfortable. Sex is fine once it is comfortable, including with a catheter in place. If sex is painful for other reasons, the painful sex page covers the causes.
Pregnancy
Tell the doctor if you are pregnant, because it changes which antibiotics are suitable, and mention the lump to your midwife.
Older women
A new lump near the opening of the vagina that does not go away needs an examination, because in rare cases, especially in older women, a biopsy is needed to rule out a tumour.
A cyst while travelling in Europe
A small cyst can usually wait for home care. A hot, swollen, very painful lump with a temperature needs a doctor in person wherever you are, because it may need draining. Take the details of any antibiotic you are given.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When a Bartholin’s cyst is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: a small cyst that can be watched, home care and pain relief, an infected cyst that can be treated with antibiotics, STI tests, and advice after drainage.
In-person care: a large or very painful abscess, drainage, a catheter, marsupialisation and gland removal, a lump that needs examining or a biopsy, and any emergency sign.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- a high temperature with confusion, slurred speech or not making sense
- very fast breathing
- blue, pale or blotchy skin
- severe pain low in the tummy with a high temperature
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a lump that gets bigger and more painful within hours or days
- pus leaking from the lump
- a high temperature, or feeling unwell, with the lump
- a lump that is tender, swollen, hot and red
- pain that stops you walking or sitting
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about the lump: say when it appeared, how big it is and whether it is painful, hot or leaking, and mention any temperature, pregnancy or earlier cysts.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s a Bartholin’s cyst? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
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Similar symptoms, different condition? Skin abscess can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about Bartholin’s cysts
What is a Bartholin’s cyst?
A Bartholin’s cyst is a fluid-filled lump that forms when one of the small glands on either side of the vaginal opening becomes blocked. About 2 in 100 women get one, usually between the ages of 20 and 50.
What does a Bartholin’s cyst look like?
A Bartholin’s cyst is a soft, round lump on one side of the vaginal opening, from the size of a pea to the size of a golf ball. One side of the labia may look larger or swollen.
What triggers Bartholin’s cysts?
A Bartholin’s cyst is triggered by a blocked gland opening, and it is often not known why it blocks. An abscess forms when the trapped fluid becomes infected, sometimes by an STI such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia.
Does poor hygiene cause Bartholin’s cysts?
There is no clear link. A cyst forms when a gland blocks, it is often not known why, and there is generally little you can do to prevent one. Gentle washing and avoiding perfumed products are still sensible.
Can a Bartholin’s cyst be prevented?
Not reliably, because the gland blocks for no clear reason in most women, but a few things help: keep the area clean with water rather than scented washes, wipe front to back, use a lubricant if sex is dry, treat vaginal infections promptly, use condoms with new partners because gonorrhoea and chlamydia can infect the gland, and act early with warm baths when a small lump appears. After repeated abscesses, marsupialisation gives the gland a permanent opening and prevents most recurrences of a Bartholin’s cyst.
Can I pop a Bartholin’s cyst myself?
No. Squeezing or draining a Bartholin’s cyst yourself can cause an infection. If it bursts on its own, keep the area clean and dry, and see a doctor if it becomes red, hot or painful.
What can I do at home for a Bartholin’s cyst?
Sit in a warm, shallow bath for about a quarter of an hour, 3 or 4 times a day for several days, which helps the blocked gland open and drain, take paracetamol or ibuprofen for discomfort, wear loose cotton underwear, keep the area clean with water, avoid sex while the lump is sore, and do not squeeze the cyst. A Bartholin’s cyst that becomes hot, very painful or larger than a golf ball, or a fever, means it needs draining.
How long does a Bartholin’s cyst last?
Many small cysts go away without treatment, and warm baths help over 3 to 4 days. See a doctor if a painful lump has not improved after 2 to 3 days of home care.
Is a Bartholin’s cyst dangerous?
Usually not: many Bartholin’s cysts go away without treatment. An abscess can be very painful and may need draining. In rare cases, especially in older women, a lump that does not go away needs a biopsy.
What happens if a Bartholin’s cyst is not treated?
A small, painless cyst often goes away or causes no problems. If it becomes infected, it can turn into a painful abscess that needs antibiotics or draining.
How is a Bartholin’s abscess drained?
A Bartholin’s abscess is drained through a small cut, usually under local anaesthetic, with a small balloon catheter left in for up to 4 weeks, or by marsupialisation, where the edges are stitched open so it keeps draining.
Can a Bartholin’s cyst come back?
Yes. Treatment does not stop another Bartholin’s cyst or abscess forming, because the gland and its duct remain; a minority recur after simple drainage, fewer after marsupialisation, where the cyst is stitched open to make a permanent opening, and if abscesses keep coming back, removing the gland may be suggested. Warm baths at the first sign of a new lump often settle it before it grows.
Can an online doctor treat a Bartholin’s cyst?
Partly. A doctor can assess a cyst by video, advise on home care and prescribe antibiotics for an infected cyst. A large or very painful abscess needs draining in person.
- Bartholin’s cyst, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 23 April 2025.
- Bartholin cyst or abscess, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 29 May 2026.
- Bartholin’s cyst or abscess: patient information, NHS Lothian (Scotland), version 2.0, May 2023.
- Sepsis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 14 May 2026.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 17 December 2025.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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