Another Lymph Node post (Probably)

[rc906]

Hey everyone.

I had a few posts here a few years back but I no longer remember my account, so here's a new one.

So I have horrible health anxiety and I'm like 99% sure that I am wildly overthinking something that is pretty minor but I'm hoping bouncing my thoughts off of people will make a difference. My brother had leukemia many years ago so I am super concerned about having something similar so every time something pops up I feel that its the end of the world

So, long story short I have what I think is a lymph node under my jaw, like right on the corner of the jaw under my ear. It is probably pea sized and pretty firm (not sure if I would quite say "hard"). Like if I brush my finger over the area I cant really feel it but if I put pressure with my fingers it is definitely noticeable. I cant really tell if it can move because of the way it is situated under the jaw but if I had to guess I would say its not easily movable. I feel pretty much fine other than the usual "not enough sleep" thing that comes with having a full time job and being a college student.

Please talk me off of the ledge here. Like, if this was something to worry about it would be very easy to notice without going looking for it, right? I know that pea sized is pretty normal but its the firmness of the node that has me worried. Since I am an American without insurance, seeing a Dr. isnt really an option for me.

Thanks in advance.

[B_uk87]

I’ve recently had lymph node worries, I found one just like you’re describing but in my arm pit. It freaked me out so much I was constantly thinking about it! However, after a couple of weeks it seems to have gone so I guess it was just doing its job! I’d keep an eye on it and hopefully it will just go down by itself, I’ve read they can swell in response to so many things even if you have slight allergies etc. Try not to worry, stress and anxiety can also contribute to them reacting and don’t google.... I fell into that trap and as we know on here that’s the worst thing to do! Take care :)

[Fishmanpa]

We have 500-700 lymph nodes in our bodies. They vary in NORMAL size from a couple of millimetres to 2cm+. At any given time, if you poke and prod enough, you can find a few.

Positive thoughts

[rc906]

I really really appreciate you folks taking the time to help me. It really means a lot and has helped my spiral I had going.

The fact that the node is kind of hard isn’t concerning?

[B_uk87]

Hi rc906 how are you doing today? The node I had was a hard pea size and it’s now gone after around 3 weeks. I also saw my Dr a few days ago about a different issue and asked her about lymph nodes whilst I was there. She explained they can swell and stay up for a long time or even forever. Try not to touch or poke it too much as it can aggravate it more

[rc906]

Thank you for checking in 😃

I’m doing a bit better today. I’ve calmed down a bit for sure. From what I read it sounds like I have a shotty node and I’m hoping that’s all it is.

Thanks again for your time and concern

[AnxietySufferer]

I have two lymph nodes in my neck. My health anxiety has been pretty poor with the announcement of another lockdown, my last post was actually 2 years ago about the exact same lymph nodes. Both are small in size, They are on either side of my neck just above my collar bone one higher up than the other (I think they are call them deep cervical nodes). Recently I haven't been able to stop messing with them (something I always do when my anxiety is bad) and obsessing over the fact that they never went away (Im pretty certain I first noticed them in December 2017 - so coming up to 3 years now!!).

I went to the doctors at the time, they didn't think it was worth sending for scans as it was moveable, near the surface and I didn't have any 'B symptoms'. They said to keep an eye on it and see if it got any bigger. They also mentioned that it may never have fully went down after an infection.

Anyway, my anxiety says this is slow growing lymphoma, but realistically, if a lymph node hasn't changed within a year its unlikely to be cancerous. The other thing. It is easy to convince yourself the node is bigger than you think. For example, when it is measured on an ultrasound, they measure the short axis (diameter), not the length, this makes a huge difference, because what you think is 2cm in length might only be 0.5cm in diameter.

Anyway. All of this said I haven't been able to stop obsessing over it so i really do feel your pain.