Lymph nodes behind ears

[louise123_uk]

I went to docs last week, and one of the things I mentioned was these bumps I have just behind my ears, about half way up my head. My doc said that its lymph nodes (they are abiut pea size) and maybe I was fighting a slight infection. However, they are always this size and never go up or down i.e. I can always feel them there the size of a pea. She said that pea size isnt actually swollen anyways (but it must be enlarged for her to have mentioned fighting aninfection, I havent been ill).

Does anyone else have these bumps behind their ears and can always feel them?

[lonewolf]

yeah i always have these they come and go i have a couple now and a couple on my earlobe.do you smoke? also I know I get them if i have a hot shower and dont close my pours again with cold water afterwards.

[louise123_uk]

No I dont smoke and they are just always there around the same size, I have read that pea size is about normal but my mum and friend cant feel anything behind their ears

[meg86]

Yep i can feel several of my lymph nodes, in my neck and behind my ears, it really scared me because i had no idea what they where, i went to my doctor who said pea sized glands are normal but i still continued to poke them everyday and feel all my family members necks (yes they had some to!)

I had to be really strict and not poke and the anxiety eventually diminished and i no longer worry about them :) but i went through a 3-4 month period where i did! xx

[marley]

Yep - I've got them... Behind the left ear, on the right side of my neck too, and one on the bottom left of my neck. All pea sized or smaller. They annoy me because I can feel them, but as people above me (and any doctor will tell you), pea sized is normal.

Please don't take this is in a harsh way, but you have to deal with your anxiety. You must spend hours engaging in checking behaviour with your body each day. That's not good for your brain or for your body - if you keep looking, you will keep finding. The body is not an infallible thing - that is, it is full of quirks and kinks and little things you will not understand. That is the nature of the human body, and the sooner you learn to respect that, the sooner you can begin to get better.

The reassurance you seek here may comfort you for a few (about 5) seconds, but you keep seeking more, and it's quite an addictive thing. The only person who can tell you that you're OK, and that you can get better is YOURSELF. Not a doctor, not anyone on here, and not Google. People on this forum are here to support you, but sometimes part of that support is knowing when to tell you to stop obsessing, and to get tough with yourself.

All the best.