Salivary gland stone ?

[Dubbmented]

My latest health anxiety is something extremely real which is sending me into panic mode.

I was doing so well.. then all of a sudden after meals I've been noticing the right side under my jaw/neck has been swelling. Because the swelling would go down about half an hour after I eat, I relaxed myself bit.

Stupidly used Dr.Google which indicated it could be a Salivary gland stone which could be treated with simple sour lollies and antibiotics, no big deal right ? Wrong.. again stupidly dug deeper into Google and saw the words 'Tumor' .. Awesome ! -.-

So.. had to travel out a bit further to a 24/7 Medical Clinic.. He put me on antibiotics which I started today and a referral for an ultrasound which will be tomorrow.

I'm trying to stay calm, but now I've noticed the swelling doesn't completely subside it stays a bit puffy.. :doh:

Does anyone have any experience with this problem ? Will I need surgery ? What Will the ultrasound show ? IF it is a tumor or something of that sort (I'm sure it isn't) But IF it is.. will this show up in an ultrasound .. Can I trust these results ?

Any help appreciated to put me a bit at ease.. Cheers

[racdun]

My sister is dealing with the same problem. She has been complaining for the last year or more about jaw swelling and pain on both sides. Ultrasound didnt show up anything but then she kept persisting and had some test where dye is injected in ... but the dye wouldnt go in. So she definately has a blockage in them but has to go back to doc to see what to do next. Hope you get answers.

[Dubbmented]

Ultrasound didn't find anything either for me.. So not sure what the next step is. Just hoping its one of those things that disappears . Good luck to your sister

[Anxious lu]

Didn't see this, I poste about a similar This this morning. I often get a pain in the soft part below my ear next to my jaw momentarily when I eat sour or sweet food and drink. But since last night it has become everytime I eat and really sore. It subsides About ten mins after eating.

Last summer I got it when I had a glass of wine and web I applied pressure for a bit a burst of saliva filtered into my mouth. The pain was relieved so didn't think too much of it..

I'm scared about it too.. It does hurt! A friend said it may be tmj but my jaw doesn't hurt when I bite but when I eat even soft food.. Infact my jaw doesn't hurt at all just the soft tissue below my ear and down past my jaw..

Possibly tmj making it apparent or causing it as it is the same side..

We don't have cancer I think this is common Really it could be the ducts aren't flowing away like
Normal

[Dubbmented]

Interesting you mentioned TMJ.. because I had some dental work recently and mentioned to my dentist I've been having an on and off ear pain/fullness. He suspects I have TMJ and clench my teeth in my sleep.

I have yet to go to a TMJ specialist , as they are extremely expensive around here. I am seeing my Dr for a follow up app about on ultrasound on Monday. So I'll try update you then. :)

[Dubbmented]

Just an update..

The swelling got so bad I had to go to the Royal Dental Hospital.. Where I was looked at and confirmed I do have Salivary gland stones. I thought maybe have a little procedure to remove it. But now I have to meet with a surgeon in a weeks time to have surgery, to open the duct of my salivary gland. Apparently the dentist thinks I have narrow ducts which can cause this ..
I've never had surgery and now I'm getting really nervous.. But will do anything because A golf ball sized swelling is occurring after everything I eat now and it's frustrating ;(

.Hopefully I can shed some light for anyone having suspected salivary gland stones

[pAULspybeef]

who am I to speak but please don't be so extreme in your catatstrophising!!! I was at the Dental Hospital yesterday for a problem I've had for maybe a few years now whereby the right side of my mouth just under my tongue sometimes swells up. I told my dentist and he took an X-ray to eliminate any nasty cause and referred me to the Dental Hospital. I had an another X-ray to see if they could see a stone as this is what they expected....nothing! I was then referred for a sialogram. A painless procedure where they put a microscopic tube in the tip of the salivary gland under the tongue (it REALLY doesn't hurt) and shoot some blue dye in. They then X-rayed me and the dye shows up on the X-ray and shows gland working etc. They didn't find a calcium stone and said that expect from that it can either be mucus stuck in the tube of the gland or simply your anatomy (i.e. it is just the way you're built and you are prone to swelling from time to time). Don't worry, you'll be fine!

[Anxious_gal]

I wonder why the scan didn't show up the stone in the first place?
Good that you went to the hospital and had it diagnosed.

Are you having general anesthesia?

It won't be as bad as you fear it will.
You just go to hospital, the nurse will take your details, weigh you, double check everything with you, tell you about the procedure and any complications and medication you may receive.
They might put that needle in your hand at that stage, I can't remember.

Then you put on your blue gown and wait to be called down to the operating room.
Once you are there, you may feel like running away but things happen so fast you don't have time to think really.
You lay down, the nurses will ask you questions, maybe again double check everything with you. As one nurse talks to you another will be hooking you up to the ECG machine.

Then you will either be given the injection or gas both which take about 3 seconds to put you to asleep.

Your heart, temperature, blood pressure, breathing, oxygen levels will all be monitored throughout the procedure.
Because you are having an operation in your mouth they may put the breathing down your nose instead of the usual way of putting it down your throat.

I'm not sure how long it takes to fully wake up, I have vague memories of nurses coming in to check on me. I also had an oxygen mask on and was given IV fluids.

As I started to wake up more, my anxiety did increase a little, but I was so tired, I just breathed slow and fell back to sleep.
I would maybe leave your mobile under your pillow so you can find it, if it's something you need when anxious. That's why I was nervous, I couldn't find my phone! A nurse found it for me eventually and I calmed right down lol
When I was told I could go, I struggled with getting dressed as my energy was zapped.

I did feel a bit overemotional for a while after, random crying over little things.
But once you are home you take your medication and pretty much sleep everything off.

It's good to have lots of drinks and soft foods.

It honestly won't be as scary as you think it will be, I was terrified for weeks before.
I knew everything that could go wrong! On the day I felt like I was going to the electric chair. But afterwards I was so surprised at how easy it all was and nothing did go wrong.

[mrs way to worried]

im so happy to read this post that someone is having the same thing as me , i have this every day i can feel my swollen gland ,my cheek always feel swollen my jaw hurts my ear feels full , my doctor cant feel the lump but i can im so scared about it ,i had two teeth out last year which before i had had an xray he said he cant see any tumours that i think there are ,if i eat something sour it aches recently its been swelling more and more i want to be refferred but no doctor will refer me cause of my anxiety

[Dubbmented]

Thanks for the reassurance Anxious_gal.. I can understand how it would be all over pretty fast, which I'm hoping for. The only thing I worry about, is if my lung collapses during the surgery (High unlikely) .. But is still a fear of mine as I've never been put 'under'.

mrs_way_to_worried .. It's funny you mention that.. because My ultrasounds and X-rays didn't show anything.. It was only when a Specialist had a good look in my mouth knew what was going on. also I've also have been unexplained on and off ear pain/fullness. The doctors have no idea what it is.. So I'm hoping after this surgery.. My ear problems clear up aswell. Here's hoping! and I wish you luck for your problems you're encountering.

[Anxious_gal]

Tell the surgeon and nurses your fear before hand, they will already know as it should be down on your medical history.
If the worst did happen, they will have all the medical equipment to fix you.
But chances of it happening are rather slim, as you'll be asleep and not stressed out or anything.
Your blood pressure and oxygen levels will be monitored the whole time.
I've had ear pain/fullness on n off for a good while now..

The ear pain could be due to a minor infection or because of the stone, usually after operations they give you antibiotics : )

[nigela]

Hi my husband is experiencing the same thing. xray and ultra sound showed nothing up. he has the ear feeling too as well as lump in neck which enlarged upon eating. I guess next thing may be a ct scan. We are hoping it will still be a stone that wasn't picked up. glad to hear that someone else had one and it wasnt seen by the ultra sound.
Hope you got on ok.
Would be pleased to hear about your treatment please
thanks
Nigela