Lymph Nodes in Neck

[Booboo111]

I found two small lymph nodes (no bigger than a pea, really, soft and moveable) in my neck this past week - one under the jaw, nearer to the ear and one on the middle right side. I've been poking and prodding and rubbing them constantly and they have gotten sore, but not really any bigger.... My neck is achy on that side, but it's got to be from the aggravation of me tucking my neck when I've no er really touched or dug at it ever, like I have been....

I'm curious if it really is possible to aggravate lymph nodes by not leaving them alone! It seems logical, but I just wanted some input. I have a tooth (back molar) on that exact same side that's been bothering me and that the dentist recommends I have pulled since the filling they did two years ago was so deep that it was barely worth doing... so if I didn't have Health Anxiety I would probably just attribute it to that! Or better yet I wouldn't even know they were ever so slightly enlarged because I wouldn't be obsessively touching my neck, looking to find something!!! Ugh. :wacko:

[Fishmanpa]

Absolutely! Poking and prodding can definitely aggravate the nodes, cause them to hurt, swell and do it enough and they can become "shotty" and stay that way.

There was a member (former?) that was convinced he had lymphoma due to feeling normal nodes in his groin (and elsewhere). He poked and prodded so much they became "shotty" and further sent his anxiety into a spiral. He eventually found a doctor that did an invasive surgical biopsy, removing the nodes. Of course, nothing was wrong but he refused to believe it and continued on the lymphoma spiral.

A "pea" sized node is totally normal as lymph nodes can vary in size up to 2cm. We are not trained nor can determine this and often, your perception is skewed due to your anxious state of mind.

Do you best not to touch them and I'm sure they will resolve in a couple of weeks.

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

Given the location and this bad tooth it could mean a localised infection if they started to come up first. This is the body's natural immune system reaction. So, your dentist may find evidence of an infection due to that tooth and give you a course of antibiotics.