Lymph node or something else?

[LuSmith]

Hey,

For the most part my HA has been quite good, considering I recently had a bunch of worries cleared from my mind. But today I accidentally felt and noticed I have a rather large swollen lump on my neck. I don't know if it's a lymph node or something else, it feels quite hard and is noticeable if I look in the mirror. I'm fairly sure it's not mobile either but I haven't tried to prod it too hard as I don't want to agitate it! I'll go to the doctors tomorrow if I can but I'm wondering if swollen lumps without any other symptoms are common?

I don't have a cold or flu, and haven't any other reason to have one there. So my mind is kind of going to the worst case scenario in a panic again.

Anyone have any reassurance for the time being?

[Limeslime]

It’s really hard to give an opinion without being able to see/feel it, but....

A lymph node can swell due to simply allergies, or from having a spot on your face or a scratch inside your mouth. You don’t have to have been ill.

How big is it? Generally a GP would only be worried if it has been 2cm+ for more than 6 weeks, or is hard (like a rock or a marble).
Being immobile can sometimes just be related to the swelling so not always a red flag.

Unless you fit that criteria, I’d imagine they’ll advise you to watch and wait for a few weeks.
Hot compresses can help.

Could it be anatomical, like bone or muscle? My neck makes a strange shape that looks like s lump from a certain angle, but it’s just where my fat lies!

Whatever is going on, I know how flipping annoying it is when your brain won’t let you forget about it. I’m off to the GP in half an hour about an underarm node I’ve had for three months. Part of me feels scared and part of me feels stupid, but hopefully I’ll come out feeling reassured!
DND so will you!
Best of luck!

[LuSmith]

Hey,

I have an appointment this afternoon with the doctor so hopefully I'll come away feeling a bit reassured, but I'm still worrying over the worst case scenario! It does feel hard and immobile to me, but then I know that I'm not completely knowledgable about what is normal and what is not. I don't think it's bone or muscle, I definitely can see it on one side vs the other, and it bulges out when I put my head back. I'm not sure how big it is, it feels big, but in reality it might even be smaller.

Hopefully you're right and it's just a flare up of something.

I hope you got some answers and reassurance for your underarm node - I also had something like that a while back which turned out to be nothing thankfully! This time I'm a bit more worried as it seems so evident and yet I have no other symptoms :/

I've also been having night sweats which has definitely increased the anxiety. (But I could be having stressful dreams bc of anxiety or just be too hot under the blanket, idk)

Thanks though! Will make sure to report back on what the GP said.

[Limeslime]

Please do!

My GP is sending me for an ultrasound on my underarm node, though she claims it’s just for my reassurance and not because she thinks anything is wrong. Argh!

[LuSmith]

Ahhh. It's good that you're getting it checked properly though! I went to the GP and he pretty much said that they'd prefer to wait and see if it goes away. I obviously don't feel happy about this, not knowing how long it's been there as well as the fact I'm having night sweats but I guess there's no other choice :( So I guess I'm in for a two week wait before I can have anything sorted!

Apparently I've been having night terrors/bad dreams as well, which can I guess be some of the cause of my sweating at night? I just wish there was a perfect explanation for what it is...

[SetYourMindFree]

Ahhh. It's good that you're getting it checked properly though! I went to the GP and he pretty much said that they'd prefer to wait and see if it goes away.

Sometimes that is all you can do.

This time last year I too noticed a lump in my neck. It was a lymph node, the size of a bean. I had been having allergies and severe sinus issues so I figured it was a sinus infection. 2 rounds of antibiotics later it actually got bigger. A month went by before I went to the ENT and by this time, my left tonsil began to swell as well. I knew then something was bad. After a biopsy, it came back as lymphoma. I had the node removed, it was the size of a golf ball. I spent 6 months in treatments and achieved complete remission.

I know this is a HA site but sometimes we have to be realist. You have a swollen node and the doctor doesn't know why so we wait. Something only like 0.4% of persistent nodes over 1cm come back as cancerous so the chances are really low. I pray that you have nothing to worry about. Mine changed rapidly so chances are if yours isn't noticeably changing rather quickly, it's most likely nothing.

Positive thoughts!

[LuSmith]

Thanks for your reply! It hasn't gone away but it hasn't grown rapidly or anything so I guess that's a positive sign maybe? I still am a little concerned, especially since I have a small lump on the roof of my mouth that's been there for some time (like over 6 months) which was excised once then came back (first biopsy results were that it was a benign non specific ulcer so idk). So I'm having that removed and biopsied again on Friday. But I don't know if it's at all connected to the lump in my neck. Will probably go back and ask them to refer me for an ultrasound just to be safe? Afaik they said mine is about 1cm... I hope it hasn't grown any more than that!

Sorry to hear about your lymphoma. I'm really glad you managed to get it sorted in good time and that you're now in complete remission!

I do have severe health anxiety but sometimes it's best to be careful and get things checked where possible. Hopefully it turns out to be nothing!

[Andy699]

I had lymph nodes the size of golf balls once, literally, it turns out it was just a virus. I like to think of it as we're not machines, everyone's body reacts to different things in different way. It could be any multitude of things but my motto is stay positive and don't worry until you know there's something to worry about :) stay strong