Hey Everyone! Quick Question!

[ross201]

So for the past year, I have a had a relatively small, ball like thing on the left side of my neck. Its about the size of a pea, maybe a little bigger. It gets a little bigger sometimes I feel like, but this could just be my anxiety making it seem that way. However, it does not feel like a lymph node. Like if you were to touch the ones under your neck, it does not feel the same. One thing that makes me believe its not a lymph node is the fact that I can move it around quite a bit. Could this still be a lymph node or what else could it be??

Thank you!

[MyNameIsTerry]

It could be a cyst. My dad's got one in the neck and until his GP spotted it when he was there for something else, he just thought it was the old man neck thing. He had it years before that.

His GP referred him and the consultant took one look and said it was a cyst. No action required unless it caused any pain as far as he was concerned.

But it would be best to let your GP have a look. The fact it's been there for a year suggests something benign.

[ross201]

Thanks for the reply, do you know if his would feel bigger or smaller at times?? Sometimes it feels pretty small but then others I feel like it's a little swollen. Like I said though, could just be anxiety about it

[MyNameIsTerry]

You perception of it might and it depends on how you position or stretch muscles too, just like when examining lymph nodes. Maybe it even is a lymph node, without checking a diagram and a guide on how to examine that site properly, I would be able to say.

But what I am sure of, and I suspect an oral cancer survivor on here could tell you better than any of us, cancer in that area is very aggresive and a year without treatment?

But seing your GP would be a good idea. It will give you an answer and I bet they see plenty of things like this through their week. If they want to be sure, or are unclear, they will just refer you. If they do, please ask them why and try to remember that ruling out referrals can mean seeing specialists who see a lot more benign stuff "just in case" by GP's.