Freaking out about my cranium health

Goose!

Okay, so this morning when I got to work I noticed this bit of annoyance in my temple. It was pretty much as big as my temple, on the inside of my skin. I thought it was a pimple, hurts when I touch it, but of course I couldn't leave it alone. Later in the day I start to notice pain in the right side of my jaw, again, hurting more when I touch it (but still stupid enough to touch it, oh yes) and I'm not even sure if they're related, but they both sucks, because the temple growth (perhaps a pimple) has expanded until it spills over what I consider my temple and also is pressing outward more. If that makes sense. So I'm looking at this thing in the mirror and its pink and swollen and looks as if could have been struck there with a mallet (cartoonishly speaking).

So now my mind is racing because I've never seen a pimple be quite this large, and I've got all manner of other fiendish possibilities, fueled by my (again, very stupid) decision to jump on WebMD and check out the symptoms thingy. I could have something like a dental abcess or something like benign lipoma (sic), or an epidermal cyst, according to it. And I'm trying really hard not to freak out and think the worst, but perhaps its a little late for that.

Here is my trouble: I am a 22 year old part time employee living with his parents and out of school. So I have no health coverage, no dental, no nothing. Why can and should I do in this situation?


TL,DR: Weird growth on my head about the size of halfdollar and achy jaw + no health care provider = ?

NotYou

if you want to see a doctor, visits aren't that much. If they have to do any work, then that gets a bit more pricey.

Post a picture if you can.

It sounds like it could be a lot of things, most of them not being very serious. I'd give it a few more days unless it gets significantly worse.

Bionic Monkey

Do a google search. There may be some free clinics in your area.

Local H Jay

really, free clinics aren't usually too far away unless you live in the middle of nowhere
might be a bit of a waiting list, but don't freak out
if the pain becomes a problem or it expands a significant amount in the next day, then emergency room

useless4

If it looks red and like a pimple and where hair typically grows it can be an ingrown hair follicle.
I had one for years and never got a doctor to look at it for similar reasons to yours, when they did they said what was it and cut it off.

It was damn painful though when you touched it, like directly connected to the pain centers of the brain, but other then that it didn't really hurt.

Librarian

Ingrown hairs or pimples infected with bacteria can also turn into abcesses and that's not so pretty.

They don't grow all that fast though, if you have only noticed it this morning just give it another day or so, if things get worse you should consult a doctor.

uean

One million baby spiders.

Grizzled

I had something kind of like this once and it turned out to be an old fashioned thing called a boil. I went to a clinic and they drained it and gave me some antibiotics.

Now, I'm not trying to diagnose you here. But basically, if it doesn't go away in a couple of days, assuming you have insurance, I would just go to urgent care and have them look at it. If you don't have insurance, see if there is a free clinic in your area. What you shouldn't do is get really worried; you will probably be just fine.

Death Cab For Albie

Definitely go see a doctor, even if it's at a free clinic.

That being said, no reason to freak out, as it's likely nothing serious. One thing you don't want to do is look online and try and diagnose yourself, you'll end up thinking you have a brain tumor, or some rare african brain burrowing bug or some shit.