Lymph Nodes or Submandibular Salivary Glands? Looking for advice!

[ThirstyMMM]

Hi there,

I was looking for some advice and guidance as to whether I am feeling my submandibular salivary glands or lymph nodes midway under my jawline on both sides? Can anyone else feel these?

They aren't directly along the jawbone, but more a few cms down about halfway across the jaw. The reason I ask is I've never noticed them, and after having an infected tooth over the past few days (of which I am on Amoxicillin for) have had some swelling at the very back of the jaw right under where the tooth is located, so naturally wanted to check my lymph nodes and have found these two which have put concern into my mind as one looks to be a little bigger than the other one.

They feel relatively firm and immovable about 3-4cm in length, and don't necessarily pop out so they don't present as bumps in the skin, but they can be felt by applying some firm pressure and running your fingers along the top of the neck tracing under the jaw a few cms down. I can feel one tiny (pea sized) lymph node just slightly next to it closer to the jawbone (more under the jawbone), which has been there for years, but it's size comparison is quite stark to this potential salivary gland and scares me - so am hoping this is my submandibular salivary gland and not a lymph node.

Any help would be much appreciated! :)

Cheers!

[Careful1]

Well if it is a lymph node you have a perfectly logical reason for why it would be reactive.

I don’t know if you can feel the saliva glands or not but it’s probably best that one doesn’t regularly check their lymph nodes, if there were to ever be an issue where they are concerned they would present themselves in a noticeable way.

[NancyW]

There are multiple glands in that area and yes you can feel them, that's normal.
I was at the dentist recently, part of the exam was to feel my lymph nodes and salivary glands, his touch was so soft and light it tickled me. No poking or prodding.

In your case, you had a recent infection, if there is anything at all you know it's cause and affect.

[ThirstyMMM]

I’m in need of reassurance, and whether anyone can feel their submandibular glands? I’ve been feeling what I thought were two of my own enlarged nodes on both sides underneath my jaw, and am worried despite logic telling me they could possibly be my submandibular salivary glands.

I made a thread about it in the ‘Symptoms’ sub-forum, but didn’t have many people reply and began to worry that no one else can feel their submandibular glands.

I went to a walk-in doctor as I was super worried, and after querying her as to whether they were submandibular glands, she believes they are lymph nodes - despite the location of said glands I’m feeling being 1-2cm down from the middle of my jawline and about 3-5cm in length (as aren’t lymph nodes immediately underneath the jawline, mostly hidden?) I can palpate one tiny pea sized lymph node almost under my chin, but that has been there forever and stayed the same ever since.

What I think are my submandibular glands are around halfway down my jawline, 1-2cm down from the jaw on my neck (either side of my tongue virtually), and can only feel them when I puff out the skin/muscle under my jaw (by pushing my tongue against the roof of my mouth) and then feeling then rather deeply. Otherwise I can barely feel them if I sit my head normally or look up. They are around the size of my thumb.

I need help as I’m freaking out, as I’ve had one lymph node swell and visibly puff out of my skin (at the very back of my jawline) due to a infected wisdom tooth, but it no longer puffs out and has slowly gone down over the past week and a bit. Having seen that I since felt for others and noticed what I hope are the submandibular glands, and not knowing if I’ve noticed them before, I have been in a spiral.

To make matters more concerning I’ve had a lingering dry cough for weeks, and not sure if it’s due to anxiety and whether anxiety can manifest a dry cough?

Thank you to anyone that can provide help and words of advice.

[WiseMonkey]

You very well could have a lingering infection so a trip to your Dr would be in order to check things out.

Poking your lymph nodes (contorting your face and tongue trying to feel them) can make them shotty (aggravated) and they'll take ages to go down! If you can't feel them with a gentle touch, then leave them alone, they just reside there doing their job.

[Limeslime]

This sounds very similar to what I have too! I’ve been trying to reassure myself that because they’re symmetrical, they must be normal!

[ThirstyMMM]

This sounds very similar to what I have too! I’ve been trying to reassure myself that because they’re symmetrical, they must be normal!

The annoying thing is I’m sure I would have noticed them before now, but because I was never actively looking for lymph nodes I didn’t bother to have concerns about them, so didn’t remember it.

It’s just strange not many others have said they can feel their own submandibular glands also, which I thought many others would also be confusing them with lymph nodes.

[O_O]

Just seen that your doctor thinks they're lymph nodes, seems odd as they sound EXACTLY like the palpable glands that everyone has. If there is something wrong, since it's the same both sides, it's likely to be some sort of infection or inflammation affecting the submandibular glands / nodes. That's VERY common.

I honestly completely don't think you need to worry about cancer. Perfectly symmetrical things are not cancer.

The cough could be related to the infection, if you have one.

Honestly, most likely I think there's nothing going on at all and it'll all resolve by itself if there's even anything to resolve.

If your doctor wants to send you for an x-ray I guess you could go but it seems like overkill at this point.

Good luck, but I'm 99.9% sure you have NOTHING to worry about here.

[Elen]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen

[ToasterOvens]

My doctor told me to start worrying when I had lymph nodes the size of grapes.

About 4 years ago when I had bad healthy anxiety I could feel nodes in my neck, armpits, above my collarbones, and under my jaw. (The jaw ones were probably salivary glands. I self diagnosed them)

I'm still here today with no health issues. I also learned how touching them could make them swell like crazy. I could make the ones above my collarbone double in size in minutes.

[ThirstyMMM]

Just seen that your doctor thinks they're lymph nodes, seems odd as they sound EXACTLY like the palpable glands that everyone has. If there is something wrong, since it's the same both sides, it's likely to be some sort of infection or inflammation affecting the submandibular glands / nodes. That's VERY common.

I honestly completely don't think you need to worry about cancer. Perfectly symmetrical things are not cancer.

The cough could be related to the infection, if you have one.

Honestly, most likely I think there's nothing going on at all and it'll all resolve by itself if there's even anything to resolve.

If your doctor wants to send you for an x-ray I guess you could go but it seems like overkill at this point.

Good luck, but I'm 99.9% sure you have NOTHING to worry about here.

Thank you so much for the reassurance, and totally kind of you considering the ordeal you went through yourself. It means a lot. :)

You’re totally right; they feel like submandibular salivary glands, especially given the sit further away from the immediate jawline - matching up with diagrams I’ve seen online. Can you feel your own by any chance? Just not sure everyone can. I can only feel them when I puff out my underjaw muscles.

The fact two doctors have said they think they either think they are possibly my lymph nodes (walk in doc), and the other one (primary doc) saying they were unsure but don’t seem like they are overly inflamed currently says to me they are genuinely unsure as they don’t want to make a definitive call unless it is wrong. But I think if they were visually swelling and puffed out from my neck that may prompt a different response. They feel like grape sized/shaped, with my left one ever so slightly bigger than my right.

I do suffer from asthma (but only normally when I’m exercising), so my primary doc prescribed me with two types of asthma inhalers, one being Ventolin (my normal one), and another called Fluticasone - which I think helps with inflammation or something. It just worries me slightly when I woke up this morning my chest felt scratchy and itchy.

He listened to my lungs and said all sounded fine, which makes me think it is hopefully just due to an anxiety cough and irritation, that has caused a cycle of coughing and irritation. If it were infection I think I would have been coughing up phlegm.

My heading overseas to Bali for a holiday for a week and a half as of Monday, so hopefully it clears up, otherwise book in for the x-ray when I return. I just don’t like the radiation aspect of of radiographs if I can avoid it, given I’ve already had a CT scan 6.5 years ago for a slipped disc in my back, which is equivalent of two years worth of natural radiation. It was only after then following some research that I realised I could have a radiation free MRI for any further scans of this type!

[ThirstyMMM]

My doctor told me to start worrying when I had lymph nodes the size of grapes.

About 4 years ago when I had bad healthy anxiety I could feel nodes in my neck, armpits, above my collarbones, and under my jaw. (The jaw ones were probably salivary glands. I self diagnosed them)

I'm still here today with no health issues. I also learned how touching them could make them swell like crazy. I could make the ones above my collarbone double in size in minutes.

Mine have not swelled at all to visibly stick out from under my jaw (apart from one lymph node under my jaw furthest back near my ear that blew up recently due to a tooth infection that has since gone down - albeit not completely), so that is keeping my sanity in check.

That’s great to hear you got over the anxiety. May I ask what helped? I’m currently seeing a psych and it is a slow process so far. Whilst I can identify health anxiety triggers I am still in that constant battle in my mind between my logical/sane part and my illogical/health anxious part. I’m nearly up to the part of learning CBT, and am super keen to tackle it.

[ThirstyMMM]

Have had chest tightness, a dry cough and the feeling of something being stuck in my throat over the past few days.

I suffer from asthma, but it only has really effected me whilst exercising. Despite this, a doctor has given me a ‘preventer’ and ‘ventolin’ to help, however I am not wheezing in any way like asthma usually does.

I haven’t had any visible nodes pop up, apart from having felt what I assume are my submandibular salivary glands, which aren’t visibly sticking out from the stick and can only be felt by feeling my throat - with the left one slightly enlarged along with some residual swelling from a node that blew up due to an infected tooth.

I know nodes in the chest can swell and cause symptoms, so am genuinely afraid. Will have to get that x-ray on my return from holidays overseas, even just for peace of mind, I think.

I just don’t know if my anxiety is causing the cough, which has caused the chest tightness/asthma, but I hope so. Can anxiety even do that?

Has anyone else had similar concerns?

Thanks for any advice in advance!

[ToasterOvens]

Mine have not swelled at all to visibly stick out from under my jaw (apart from one lymph node under my jaw furthest back near my ear that blew up recently due to a tooth infection that has since gone down - albeit not completely), so that is keeping my sanity in check.

That’s great to hear you got over the anxiety. May I ask what helped? I’m currently seeing a psych and it is a slow process so far. Whilst I can identify health anxiety triggers I am still in that constant battle in my mind between my logical/sane part and my illogical/health anxious part. I’m nearly up to the part of learning CBT, and am super keen to tackle it.

Seeing a psychologist and living with anxiety discomfort until it got "boring"

Psychologist showed me coping mechanisms and thought I might be using it as an attention seeking behavior. For me this was true. One of my parents always talked about health and wanted the attention and I kind of started doing the same.

Anxiety decreased, but was still present. So I just started doing busy work when I was anxious. Yard work. Washing cars. If I was anxious I just lived with the horrible worries about my impending doom. Eventually they got boring/tiresome to think about. I started letting go of thoughts that I would have dwelled on in the past.

My last health scare is the only time I seeked reassurance on this account. I thought cancer, it ended up being a swollen salivary gland. That's what pushed me over the goal line, I just stopped thinking the worst because it was never the worst.

[ThirstyMMM]

Seeing a psychologist and living with anxiety discomfort until it got "boring"

Psychologist showed me coping mechanisms and thought I might be using it as an attention seeking behavior. For me this was true. One of my parents always talked about health and wanted the attention and I kind of started doing the same.

Anxiety decreased, but was still present. So I just started doing busy work when I was anxious. Yard work. Washing cars. If I was anxious I just lived with the horrible worries about my impending doom. Eventually they got boring/tiresome to think about. I started letting go of thoughts that I would have dwelled on in the past.

My last health scare is the only time I seeked reassurance on this account. I thought cancer, it ended up being a swollen salivary gland. That's what pushed me over the goal line, I just stopped thinking the worst because it was never the worst.

I’m hoping I am just suffering from severe anxiety like yourself! Amazing to hear you got over it due to be tired of dealing with it. Good to hear!

We’re both of your salivary glands swollen, and did you have any other symptoms? Were they the submandibular ones under the jaw or others?

[O_O]

Thank you so much for the reassurance, and totally kind of you considering the ordeal you went through yourself. It means a lot. :)

You’re totally right; they feel like submandibular salivary glands, especially given the sit further away from the immediate jawline - matching up with diagrams I’ve seen online. Can you feel your own by any chance? Just not sure everyone can. I can only feel them when I puff out my underjaw muscles.

The fact two doctors have said they think they either think they are possibly my lymph nodes (walk in doc), and the other one (primary doc) saying they were unsure but don’t seem like they are overly inflamed currently says to me they are genuinely unsure as they don’t want to make a definitive call unless it is wrong. But I think if they were visually swelling and puffed out from my neck that may prompt a different response. They feel like grape sized/shaped, with my left one ever so slightly bigger than my right.

I do suffer from asthma (but only normally when I’m exercising), so my primary doc prescribed me with two types of asthma inhalers, one being Ventolin (my normal one), and another called Fluticasone - which I think helps with inflammation or something. It just worries me slightly when I woke up this morning my chest felt scratchy and itchy.

He listened to my lungs and said all sounded fine, which makes me think it is hopefully just due to an anxiety cough and irritation, that has caused a cycle of coughing and irritation. If it were infection I think I would have been coughing up phlegm.

My heading overseas to Bali for a holiday for a week and a half as of Monday, so hopefully it clears up, otherwise book in for the x-ray when I return. I just don’t like the radiation aspect of of radiographs if I can avoid it, given I’ve already had a CT scan 6.5 years ago for a slipped disc in my back, which is equivalent of two years worth of natural radiation. It was only after then following some research that I realised I could have a radiation free MRI for any further scans of this type!

Yeah, I think everyone can feel their salivary glands if they sort of clench their jaw / tense their neck. I think it sort of makes the jaw muscles harden and that pushes the glands forwards.

I can definitely feel mine very easily, and always have been able to. It just never concerned me because I knew what they were! Obviously right now my right-side one is much more noticeable because there IS a massive swollen node in there!

[ToasterOvens]

My swollen salivary gland was actually on the roof of my mouth. Google had nothing good to say about bumps up there. The oral surgeon looked at it and knew instantly what it was and said we could leave it or biopsy. It was confirmed via biopsy to be just swollen.

Looking back on it... I think I made it swollen. I was pressing on the roof of my mouth looking for things to worry about.

As for submandibular glands... I can feel both of mine as we speak. They're long and sausage like. I worried about them before so I'm pretty good at finding them. I could probably find 10 different lymph nodes or bumps under my skin on any given day. They're just there.