Swollen lymph nodes: what's the deal?

I’ve had these swollen lymph nodes right at the base of my neck—between my jaw and the back of my head—for a few days now
it feels like they're literally growing every single day
any advice?
they hurt like hell whenever I touch them—plus they look all red and angry
is it okay to use a cold compress, or is there anything else I can do to actually stop the pain?

If your lymph nodes are swollen, you’re probably dealing with some kind of infection. If this hasn't cleared up on its own by now, just go see a doctor.

Could be some kind of side effect, I guess—but honestly, I can't say for sure!

Look, Doc, don't mess with the stats...

I’d say maybe mono, but you seriously need to go get checked out by a doctor immediately...

Hell yeah, get to the doctor right away

thanks for the advice, everyone
so I actually went to see my doctor—turns out he thinks they’ll just clear up on their own, and honestly, they seem to be shrinking and fading away already