Hard swollen lymph nodes behind ear

[sjm0502]

For the last month or so I've been feeling some swelling behind my ear. It's hard and there's only a slight pain occasionally. It did go down briefly last week but it's swollen again this week. I've been worried that I have lymphoma or leukemia ever since I read that hard, unmovable, painless lymph nodes were a sign of those. Could the swelling be anxiety related instead as it went down last week when I wasn't thinking about my health as much as I was previously?

[LE]

Do you actually feel lymph nodes swollen? Or could it just be the muscle that's tense?

[sjm0502]

I'm not sure. I haven't thought of or seen anything mentioning the possibility of it being tense muscles. I've been worried about the lymphoma/leukemia because of the swelling and the fact that I've been having unexplained weight loss (10 lbs between mid October and mid November and 1 lb between mid November and mid December). I haven't been having any other symptoms to suggest anything serious but I'm still very scared.

[LE]

Surely though for there to be swollen nodes you would feel actually swollen balls?

The reason I'm asking is because I have this feeling of swollen and I've seen numerous doctors and an ENT twice and they have all said I have no swollen nodes! My own doctor has said anything I am feeling is my muscles being tense with stress/anxiety.

I hope this helps x

[Fishmanpa]

Surely though for there to be swollen nodes you would feel actually swollen balls?

When my nodes were swollen it had no relation to swollen balls ~lol~ (couldn't resist!)

Positive thoughts

[LE]

Lol! You know what I mean Fishmanpa. You had a hard swollen node though didn't you? Like a round thing?

[Fishmanpa]

Lol! You know what I mean Fishmanpa. You had a hard swollen node though didn't you? Like a round thing?

Yes but it was clearly visible. There was no mistaking something was wrong. By the time I went in for surgery, it looked like I had the mumps on the left side of my neck.

Positive thoughts

[LE]

Yes but could you feel the lumps too?

[Fishmanpa]

Yes but could you feel the lumps too?

You're digging LE ;) Obviously I could. I could see and feel the node(s) for months and it grew. By the time I was diagnosed, it was well over 2+cm and was sticking out from my neck. You don't have anything of the sort nor does anyone else here. Let's put it this way...from the time you first started worrying about them until now, you'd be very sick. That's not the case so......

Positive thoughts

[LE]

I know I am digging. You have come to know me too well. :)

I've been worried since April last year. Bloody sick of it.

But I was trying to reassure smj too that it's likely muscles etc... And nothing sinister as that would feel different to what she/he is describing.

[RoseEve]

My son has a lymph node behind his ear. The doctor checked it again tonight and it's nothing.

[sjm0502]

Y'know, I had never even thought of the possibility of it being from tense muscles. That actually sounds about right since I don't feel anything behind my ear anymore. So unless swollen lymph nodes can go down in an hour, I guess it was just tense muscles.