Lumps On The Neck - Worried

Hello,

 Im 23yrs old and discovered about 3 swollen lymph nodes about 8yrs ago on my neck. One is on the left hand side by the end of the jaw bone and is approx 2.3cm long and 1cm high. Then I've got about 2 small ones on the left and right side of the neck, basically in the middle of each side.  The one on the left is about 7mm long and 2mm high and the one on  the right is 1cm long and 2mm high aswell. As I was about 15yrs old I had discovered them, not sure if they were there before hand, it was just a time in life where I started to check my body for lumps since a close person of mine died because of cancer. So I went to the doctor to get it checked out and he said its just asymmetrical. No concern. None of the lymphs has grown, stayed exactly the same size for the past 8yrs (or longer, depending if they were there before I had even discovered them, as before the close person of minde died, I didn't bother with checking my body at all). At the time I discovered them, I had a bad and painful tooth on the left side at back, so after the doctor told me its just asymmetrical I thought it might also just be because of a local infect or might be related to my acne which is still showing up these days.

Now about 1 week ago, I got a lump just behind the ear, where my earing keeps poking on when I sleep or have my headphones on, it swell up and is painful when I touch it (not too painful tho). Then I went on the internet to search for what I could do about it since I was pretty sure it started since the earing keeps poking on the exact same spot where the lump appeared.

Then I found a lot of forums where people talked about lumps behind the ear and on the neck, pea-sized etc..and talked about they had them for few years and got diagnosed with lymphoma. Since my lymph nodes are not painful at all, the ones on the sides are squeezable aswell the one with about 2.3cm is also "soft", its not hard as my jaw bone but ist not soft as jelly which can be just pressed down.

I would say they are move-able, eventho I don't know what people would consider move-able, like moving it freely around about 1inch, as if it was a ball below the skin, then no I can't do this. Moving it a bit (few mm), touching the sides and it shifts up etc.., then yes it is. I actually don't have any symptons I know of, right now I'm feeling kind of tired but believe its due to to much work and little sleep, I gained about 10kg within the last 6months so weight-loss is a no for me aswell. Hardly get sick, if I seem to catch a cold from my girlfriend, I have a runny nose for about 2days and then Im back to normal, all In all I hardly get sick (maybe 2 times within the last couple of years).

But my concern appeared as I read a few post on a forum from people that said the lumps dont need to grow in order to be dangerous, even throughout the years and that symptons only happen within 1/3 of lymphoma cases and especially with lymph nodes above 1cm its dangerous etc.... So all this has me freaked out again like 8yrs ago. I thought its Ok, they didn't grow, I'm feeling good and its been sooo long ago that I discovered them, like I said, maybe they have been there since birth, maybe since 10yrs or more. but im just not able to sleep properly at nights cause im too freaked out and too scared to visit a doctor, so I post here and ask for advise.

Now I hope somebody can point out to me a few things,e.g. how movable do lymph nodes have to be, is it normal that you can always feel lymph nodes even if no infection is there, or do they have to stay as flat as a paper and only appear when and infection is there? When they say, are your lymph nodes tender, does it mean tender, as in tender like a tongue? When they ask is it hard, does it mean as hard as a bone or wood?  After reading my post, would you recommend to contact a doctor as soon as possible or just stop surfing the internet forums about diseases and freak myself out? I know there people with much more serious problems on here but I really would appreciate some advise. My girlfriends keep takling to me saying its nothing I should worry about since its been there for so long etc.. but just can't help myself to be freaked out, I rather ask people whom might have more knowledge on this topic.

 I apologize for this long post but thank you for your help and device in advance.

 kindest regards from the UK

 mark

 

I would urge you to have your doctor perform the necessary medical procedures to have your lumps diagnosed. I too had lumps in my neck in 2001 and after having a biopsy, it turned out that I had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Cancer. I went on a "wait and see" therapy for 5 years and just this past year was put on a clinical study with CHOP/Bexxar. Presently, I am in remission. You will not know what needs to be done unless you find out what is causing the lumps. You have a long life to live; don't delay getting yourself checked out.

I discovered a lump in my collarbone.  Six weeks later I was having chemo for Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Go and get a biopsy done and take it from there.  Life is too short to worry about things.  I sincerely hope that all is well.

Cheers

Kerrie 

 

On 2/11/2007 Mark83 wrote:

Hello,

 Im 23yrs old and discovered about 3 swollen lymph nodes about 8yrs ago on my neck. One is on the left hand side by the end of the jaw bone and is approx 2.3cm long and 1cm high. Then I've got about 2 small ones on the left and right side of the neck, basically in the middle of each side.  The one on the left is about 7mm long and 2mm high and the one on  the right is 1cm long and 2mm high aswell. As I was about 15yrs old I had discovered them, not sure if they were there before hand, it was just a time in life where I started to check my body for lumps since a close person of mine died because of cancer. So I went to the doctor to get it checked out and he said its just asymmetrical. No concern. None of the lymphs has grown, stayed exactly the same size for the past 8yrs (or longer, depending if they were there before I had even discovered them, as before the close person of minde died, I didn't bother with checking my body at all). At the time I discovered them, I had a bad and painful tooth on the left side at back, so after the doctor told me its just asymmetrical I thought it might also just be because of a local infect or might be related to my acne which is still showing up these days.

Now about 1 week ago, I got a lump just behind the ear, where my earing keeps poking on when I sleep or have my headphones on, it swell up and is painful when I touch it (not too painful tho). Then I went on the internet to search for what I could do about it since I was pretty sure it started since the earing keeps poking on the exact same spot where the lump appeared.

Then I found a lot of forums where people talked about lumps behind the ear and on the neck, pea-sized etc..and talked about they had them for few years and got diagnosed with lymphoma. Since my lymph nodes are not painful at all, the ones on the sides are squeezable aswell the one with about 2.3cm is also "soft", its not hard as my jaw bone but ist not soft as jelly which can be just pressed down.

I would say they are move-able, eventho I don't know what people would consider move-able, like moving it freely around about 1inch, as if it was a ball below the skin, then no I can't do this. Moving it a bit (few mm), touching the sides and it shifts up etc.., then yes it is. I actually don't have any symptons I know of, right now I'm feeling kind of tired but believe its due to to much work and little sleep, I gained about 10kg within the last 6months so weight-loss is a no for me aswell. Hardly get sick, if I seem to catch a cold from my girlfriend, I have a runny nose for about 2days and then Im back to normal, all In all I hardly get sick (maybe 2 times within the last couple of years).

But my concern appeared as I read a few post on a forum from people that said the lumps dont need to grow in order to be dangerous, even throughout the years and that symptons only happen within 1/3 of lymphoma cases and especially with lymph nodes above 1cm its dangerous etc.... So all this has me freaked out again like 8yrs ago. I thought its Ok, they didn't grow, I'm feeling good and its been sooo long ago that I discovered them, like I said, maybe they have been there since birth, maybe since 10yrs or more. but im just not able to sleep properly at nights cause im too freaked out and too scared to visit a doctor, so I post here and ask for advise.

Now I hope somebody can point out to me a few things,e.g. how movable do lymph nodes have to be, is it normal that you can always feel lymph nodes even if no infection is there, or do they have to stay as flat as a paper and only appear when and infection is there? When they say, are your lymph nodes tender, does it mean tender, as in tender like a tongue? When they ask is it hard, does it mean as hard as a bone or wood?  After reading my post, would you recommend to contact a doctor as soon as possible or just stop surfing the internet forums about diseases and freak myself out? I know there people with much more serious problems on here but I really would appreciate some advise. My girlfriends keep takling to me saying its nothing I should worry about since its been there for so long etc.. but just can't help myself to be freaked out, I rather ask people whom might have more knowledge on this topic.

 I apologize for this long post but thank you for your help and device in advance.

 kindest regards from the UK

 mark

 

 

How did this turn out for you?  I have a very similar situation. I have a node on each side of my neck that has been there for about 5 years and another on my hip. Now I have had one that has came up beside my ear and another in my mouth. I went to see my primary doctor  in Feb. and he told me that he didn't think it was anything to be concerned about so I haven't. Then the other night I was watching TV and some of the other symptoms of lymphoma pertained to myself. I wake up in a pool of sweat and sometimes that happens to me in the middle of the day when wide awake also (which could be hot flashes). But I wake up at least 3 times a week w/ my ear hurting so bad that I want to cry which is on the same side of my head that the lumps are. I have headaches quite frequently. I am usually not an overly concerned person at all but I have began to come so freaked out that I am thinking of going to the emergency room tonight.

I also seem to have something similar. I have had this lump on my neck for a long time and I am also a very fit and healthy 22 yr old female. i can push it from side to side and it moves and is pea size, very round and very small. It has been the same size , if not shrunk abit.

 I to have been reading forums and posting things like this to find out whats wrong with me or waht it could be, if i need to worry as I am sooo scared of seeing a doctor.

Have u since had any luck of finding out what ur lumps were? Should I be worried?