Lymph node worries

[Jamie123]

I have recently discovered that there is a lump on the left side of my neck/under my jaw and am worried this is a swollen lymph node from cancer so am really panicking. I have noticed I can only really feel it when I tense that area and can not find it when my neck is relaxed but am worried this is because it is always there but is only pushed out when I tense my neck and the shape is a bit like if you took half of a small egg and stuck it under the jawline. Could anyone advise what this could be? When I do this on the other side I can feel something again but it is not as pronounced and doesnt feel as firm. Thank you for any help.
Just to add it is not painful and I am not sure how long this has been there but I would assume quite a while which makes me more worried.

[WiseMonkey]

I have recently discovered that there is a lump on the left side of my neck/under my jaw and am worried this is a swollen lymph node from cancer so am really panicking. I have noticed I can only really feel it when I tense that area and can not find it when my neck is relaxed but am worried this is because it is always there but is only pushed out when I tense my neck. Could anyone advise what this could be? When I do this on the other side I can feel something again but it is not as pronounced and doesnt feel as firm. Thank you for any help

Lots of people can feel lymph nodes in their necks and unless they're very large and getting larger, there's no cause for concern.

ps. Stop tensing your neck :)

[Limeslime]

Submandibular gland. I went through this worry too! It’s normal! They can be 3-5cm in length, and it’s a gland not a lymph node! Look up some anatomy diagrams online and you’ll see what I mean!

[ThirstyMMM]

Submandibular gland. I went through this worry too! It’s normal! They can be 3-5cm in length, and it’s a gland not a lymph node! Look up some anatomy diagrams online and you’ll see what I mean!

Hi Limeslime,

I’ve been feeling what I thought were two of my own enlarged nodes on both sides, and am still worried despite logic telling me they are most likely 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.

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, and either side of the jugular?)

What exactly do yours feel like, and where are they located?

Mine are 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.

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. 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 freaked out.

[NancyW]

What did the dr say?

[Limeslime]

Hi Limeslime,

I’ve been feeling what I thought were two of my own enlarged nodes on both sides, and am still worried despite logic telling me they are most likely 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.

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, and either side of the jugular?)

What exactly do yours feel like, and where are they located?

Mine are 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.

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. 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 freaked out.

Mine are kinda in that crease where the neck meets the head, if that makes sense? Like, if you place your finger and thumb in a V shape around the very top of your ne k, as if reaching up towards your ears, your finger and thumb would probably trace the lumps. They feel a bit rope-like. And are about the length of my thumb. (I think, cos I can only clearly feel one end of it...the rest of it kinda disappears into the muscle or whatever)
I occasionally worry about them, but because they’re symmetrical and don’t feel “out of place” I try to forget about them.

[ThirstyMMM]

Mine are kinda in that crease where the neck meets the head, if that makes sense? Like, if you place your finger and thumb in a V shape around the very top of your ne k, as if reaching up towards your ears, your finger and thumb would probably trace the lumps. They feel a bit rope-like. And are about the length of my thumb. (I think, cos I can only clearly feel one end of it...the rest of it kinda disappears into the muscle or whatever)
I occasionally worry about them, but because they’re symmetrical and don’t feel “out of place” I try to forget about them.

Are they about halfway along your jawline? if you trace your finger down your cheeks and about 2cm down from the jaw, there they are sitting lengthways/horizontally.

They feel like thumbtips, and are rather firm. I’ve seen a video demonstrating how to massage the submandibular salivary glands, and they are in the exact location mine are where I describe.

I would be at ease if it seemed like a common find by people, but apart from a couple of posts here and there I have seen little mention of them in my searches on reddit and other forums. Are people just not able to find them as easily as we have, given they are rather buried in the neck/under the jaw and can only really be felt when puffing out your neck (placing tongue on roof of mouth and lightly puffing out underjaw)?

I know a simple Google search revealed the submandibular salivary glands can be easily felt, but it still worries me nonetheless!

[NancyW]

What did the dr say?

^^^ ??