Hi all. I haven't been on here much lately, as my health anxiety is less acute these days, and the combination of Sertraline and therapy has done wonders for me.
I recently (two weeks ago) got my earlobes pierced again. They aren't infected, as I've been following all the aftercare instructions, but they *are* a bit irritated and leaking lymph fluid (which I understand is normal). However, a lymph node immediately under my left ear has swollen up, and been palpable and hard for at least a week now.
I'm doing a reasonably good job of not going into an anxiety spiral - even though fear of lymphoma was the thing that prompted my GP to prescribe Sertraline back in November. I know that nodes are meant to react. This feels large, compared to its 'twin' on the right side of my neck, but it's not so large that there's a visible swelling in my neck.
Has anyone with experience of piercings or tattoos found that their lymph nodes swell up in the aftermath? Even in the absence of any infection or pain (my earlobes are just a bit itchy and, er, crusty, though I had swelling and redness for a few days after the piercing). I'm battling the urge to catastrophise, so other perspectives would be helpful.