lump in neck

[anxious2016]

So, I have health anxiety... i'm pretty sure since I've thought I had heart problems (twice), MS, skin cancer, Colon Cancer, Chrons Disease, among others....

Im currently worried about Lymphoma Cancer because I found a small swollen lymph node on the left side of my neck. Its soft and i guess movable. 2 doctors have told me its no concern to them. But I can't help but worry and got the second doctor to send me for an ultrasound (coming up in a couple days)
Since then it seems I can't stop touching all over looking for more lumps and bumps and I seem to have found one, maybe 2 more on the right side of my neck, a little more to the back and near the top of my neck closer to the ear. Almost feels like its a lump in a muscle or on a bone or something. This one is super hard and fixed. So scaring the crap out of me.....
Neither lumps hurt at all, I found them so randomly so I have no idea how long they have been there. I was not sick and did not have any infections I know of at the time of finding them.

I'm freaking out.... just looking for positive outcomes of anyone with similar situations...

[androidz]

We all have those hard and fixated bumps you mention, they are just your styloid processes on both sides of your neck.

http://puu.sh/n6K4o/7c784a6ff7.png


The neck, jaw and collarbone are full of bumps, it's a normal aspect of the human anatomy. I would suggest that you stop touching all over because you're only going to be obsessing over normal landmarks of your body that you just don't know about.

Just leave the touching part to your doctors, you are not trained enough to distinguish a normal bump from an abnormal one. If your doc says it's fine, then trust him, it's fine.

The rule of thumb is, if you can't see a bump in your neck/head area from the outside without having to prod, then it's not concerning. Also, potentially worrisome bumps grow super quickly, they never stay the same.

How do I know all of this? Because you're basically me 3 years ago. So trust me on this one, you're fine.

[leafie]

I had one on left side of my neck with no other illness symptoms. The doctor said it's fine because they are actually working like they should. When your lymph nodes gets swollen it means it's trying to fight off the bacteria (at least that's how I understand it).

I was panicking for 2 days and it turned out to be nothing. I actually have one at the moment but I also have runny nose so that might be why.

The first one went away about a week later. Trust your doctors. My doctor said if it didn't go away after a while then it would be of concern. Again, I had no other symptoms. I would consider going to a doctor if it doesn't go away after some time though.

[anxious2016]

Thank you android. I know its probably me being crazy but I really can't help it. I always feel like if I finally just accept that its nothing and move on than that's the time its going to be something scary.
I know that's crazy but I really can't help but feel that way.
I wasn't sick when the one lymph node was found. That one I know is a lymph node for sure because two doctors felt it. This other lump appears to be on my neck muscle near the back (trapezius muscle), i'm not even sure its a place that lymph nodes would even be so that one maybe is just a normal lump or bump of my body. But the real lymph node being swollen now for over 2 weeks is creeping me out even though its super tiny and I have to palpitate neck to find it, its not visible.

---------- Post added at 02:00 ---------- Previous post was at 01:56 ----------

leafie - the one that you had that went away after a week.. where was it and what did it feel like?

[kahi35]

Hi I just noticed a lump that I noticed before but this time,it's bigger and sensitive, wanna go check it out but no Dr till next week. Doing the same feeling it All The time

[anxious2016]

UPDATE:
I was so worried about lymph nodes I found in my neck for weeks. Even last night I thought I found a third one (I know I did) but I had my ultrasound a couple days ago and just got my results.
The doctor assures me all is well. My ultrasound report said multiple normal size lymph nodes found in neck. Palpable nodules correlate with normal size of 4mm. (which I thought they felt MUCH larger ... I guessed 1cm for one and 1.5cm for the biggest) Without any abnormal mass lesion.
I am updating because its hard when you read through posts and never know what the outcome was.
The doctor assured me that there is absolutely no reason to suspect anything malignant. And that I do not need to worry any further or anytime soon about these nodes. Just leave them alone and don't even bother checking them ever again. Calm down. Leave them there, they may stay forever, they may go down. Could be an infection of something minor somewhere, who cares. Or I could just feel them because i'm thin.
She felt them again and said yah I feel them who cares. You are healthy. No doctor would bother doing any further testing on you. You clearly have anxiety about your health but that's a whole other issue. But as far as lymph nodes go no more need to stress. I said what if they get bigger. She said they won't. I said should I keep checking, she said nope you're fine.
So i'd have to trust that all is good.
she also checked thyroid and said ultrasound found a small cyst on thyroid 7mm. SHe said that's actually more concerning then anything we found in your lymph nodes and even so a 7mm cyst on thyroid gland is nothing to look any further into. She said most people she wouldn't even have showed these results to because there is nothing substantial to talk about. She just showed me to reassure. She would have disregarded the report all together if it weren't for needing to reassure my anxiety.

So please go see a doctor if you're concerned. They can probably ease your mind. I was worried sick for weeks. No cold, no infection I know of, no reason for these nodes to have been palpable but they are there and there's nothing wrong with me! And I promise when I feel them they feel about a cm each. The one on side of neck feels moveable a bit soft and 1cm and the one I found under my chin feels about 1.5 cm and harder. And I have some other hard feeling lump on opposite side of head near back and it feels extremely hard and fixed and I thought it felt about 1cm as well.
So don't assume what you are feeling is the end of the world. I sure learned a lesson!

[androidz]

UPDATE:
I was so worried about lymph nodes I found in my neck for weeks. Even last night I thought I found a third one (I know I did) but I had my ultrasound a couple days ago and just got my results.
The doctor assures me all is well. My ultrasound report said multiple normal size lymph nodes found in neck. Palpable nodules correlate with normal size of 4mm. (which I thought they felt MUCH larger ... I guessed 1cm for one and 1.5cm for the biggest) Without any abnormal mass lesion.
I am updating because its hard when you read through posts and never know what the outcome was.
The doctor assured me that there is absolutely no reason to suspect anything malignant. And that I do not need to worry any further or anytime soon about these nodes. Just leave them alone and don't even bother checking them ever again. Calm down. Leave them there, they may stay forever, they may go down. Could be an infection of something minor somewhere, who cares. Or I could just feel them because i'm thin.
She felt them again and said yah I feel them who cares. You are healthy. No doctor would bother doing any further testing on you. You clearly have anxiety about your health but that's a whole other issue. But as far as lymph nodes go no more need to stress. I said what if they get bigger. She said they won't. I said should I keep checking, she said nope you're fine.
So i'd have to trust that all is good.
she also checked thyroid and said ultrasound found a small cyst on thyroid 7mm. SHe said that's actually more concerning then anything we found in your lymph nodes and even so a 7mm cyst on thyroid gland is nothing to look any further into. She said most people she wouldn't even have showed these results to because there is nothing substantial to talk about. She just showed me to reassure. She would have disregarded the report all together if it weren't for needing to reassure my anxiety.

So please go see a doctor if you're concerned. They can probably ease your mind. I was worried sick for weeks. No cold, no infection I know of, no reason for these nodes to have been palpable but they are there and there's nothing wrong with me! And I promise when I feel them they feel about a cm each. The one on side of neck feels moveable a bit soft and 1cm and the one I found under my chin feels about 1.5 cm and harder. And I have some other hard feeling lump on opposite side of head near back and it feels extremely hard and fixed and I thought it felt about 1cm as well.
So don't assume what you are feeling is the end of the world. I sure learned a lesson!

See told you, anxiety can sure make us believe the sky is red :).

Now it's extremely important that you don't have any other health scares, so please don't self-check and just go and enjoy life. Forget about all of this and don't let anxiety take over again.

[anxious2016]

thank you so much android : )

[Jueonone]

Hi I've just been reading yours and I feel absolutely terrified I have found a little lump on my right side of my neck further down I'm scared to go to Doctors but crying all the time worrying incase it's something serious :weep: my sister felt it and she said it was me irritating my neck but said she could feel a little pea size lump I carry a heavy bag over my neck do you think the bag strap could be causing this thank you x

[Curtis]

Swollen lymph nodes are very much common when you have colds, sore throat and can present as palpable lumps on the neck, particularly on the back of the neck in some other cases.