Swelling under the ear

Hey everyone,

About a week ago, my girlfriend noticed a little lump forming just below her ear. I’m thinking it might be a swollen lymph node or something similar. She finally saw her doctor today, but I'm still spiraling a bit—what do you guys think? Are there any long-term consequences we should be looking out for? Honestly, I'm freaking out here; she means everything to me.

Thanks..

It’ll probably be swollen lymph nodes... maybe even the parotid glands if it hurts when you touch them. I'm not sure if she's been under the weather lately—you know, dealing with a nasty cold or the flu—which might have triggered the swelling in the first place.

I went through the exact same thing with swelling right under both ears when I had mumps. It was brutal; I couldn't even eat or swallow properly because of the swelling. It's not fun, not by a long shot. Toss in a fever and everything else, and you're stuck. You basically have to stay in bed and rest for a few weeks, but eventually, it passes and you're back to normal...

Don't sweat it, I'm sure she'll be just fine. It really isn't anything to worry about!

Yeah, it hurts when you touch it. She had a bad cold—she's actually at the hospital right now waiting on blood work results. Quick question: can you catch those sinus infections through saliva?

Exactly... They even call it the "kissing disease." You can pick it up from a kiss, sharing silverware, or even just using the same glass at a bar. It’s incredibly easy to catch—I've seen firsthand how poorly they wash glassware in some of these local spots.

Her bloodwork probably won't look great, but she shouldn't stress too much about it. It's totally normal for an infection like this to mess with your numbers.

So they just told me it’s not mumps—it’s actually something involving a lymph node... now, speaking as a complete amateur here, can this actually be dangerous? And how did you handle your mumps treatment?

I was on antibiotics and just stayed in bed. I didn't dare step foot outside until it cleared up. Applying heat to those swollen spots helped... I’d warm a towel up on the radiator and wrap it around my neck.

Maybe try searching online for some info on lymph nodes, you should find something out there!

The doctor will probably walk her through exactly what's going on.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it's nothing serious 👍

Andrew Clark said:I stayed on antibiotics and just rested—I didn't dare step out into the cold air until things cleared up. What really helped was applying heat to those swollen areas; I’d warm a towel on the radiator and wrap it around my neck.

Maybe do a little digging online regarding lymph nodes—you’ve gotta find something useful there!

The doctor will likely give her a clear explanation of what's actually going on.

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious. 👍

Thanks. 🙂

vividcrane62 said:Now they're telling me it's not mumps, but something involving the lymph nodes... just asking as a layman here, can this be dangerous? And how did you deal with mumps back in the day?

It’s probably just some standard inflammation. Don't sweat it; it's nothing major. Pretty much like having a sore throat. 👍

silentviper30 said:It’s probably just some minor inflammation—don't sweat it. It isn't anything serious. Honestly, it's about the same as a sore throat. 👍

Bingo!
She got her shot and the pills—she’ll be home soon, and I'll be right there to keep her warm. Thanks to everyone for the help! 🙏 👍 😍

See? Everything turned out fine. You’ll probably end up being part of her recovery process too 😉 Good luck

Andrew Clark said:That's right... It's actually called the "kissing disease"... You can catch it through kissing, sharing utensils, or even just using a glass... It’s quite easy to pick up at a coffee shop or somewhere similar. I've seen firsthand how poorly they wash the glassware in those places.

Her blood work probably won't look great, but she shouldn't worry too much; it's perfectly normal for that kind of inflammation to mess with the results.

As far as I know, the kissing disease is mononucleosis.

... I really don't want to sound like a total pessimist here, but... Honestly, it’s such a relief she actually went to see a doctor. It reminds me so much of my own experience about four years ago. I ended up having a tumor—thank Bog, it was benign—but I had actually felt it back when I was still in high school. Back then, I was just absolutely convinced it was nothing more than a swollen lymph node that would eventually just vanish on its own. Since it was tucked away right behind and slightly below my ear, it wasn't super obvious and didn't really bother me, so I just... ignored it. Big mistake. Once I finally sat down with my doctor, it turned out to be a mixoma in my salivary gland, and they had to get it surgically removed within ten days. Now, I want to emphasize again that this doesn't mean that's what's happening with your girlfriend, but you can never be too careful. You definitely shouldn't just leave things to chance with stuff like this. Sending good vibes your way!

Olivia Moore9 said:... I really don't want to sound like a total pessimist here, but... Honestly, it’s such a relief she actually went to see a doctor. It reminds me so much of my own experience about four years ago. I ended up having a tumor—thank Bog, it was benign—but I had actually felt it back when I was still in high school. Back then, I was just absolutely convinced it was nothing more than a swollen lymph node that would eventually just vanish on its own. Since it was tucked away right behind and slightly below my ear, it wasn't super obvious and didn't really bother me, so I just... ignored it. Big mistake. Once I finally sat down with my doctor, it turned out to be a mixoma in my salivary gland, and they had to get it surgically removed within ten days. Now, I want to emphasize again that this doesn't mean that's what's happening with your girlfriend, but you can never be too careful. You definitely shouldn't just leave things to chance with stuff like this. Sending good vibes your way!

I had a very similar experience... For about three years, various doctors (including an ENT) kept telling me it was just a lymph node, nothing to worry about, and that I was overreacting. But my gut wouldn't let it go, so I decided to seek out an otolaryngologist on my own terms. They scheduled me for surgery at the very first available opening. It turned out to be the exact same thing: a salivary gland tumor. Thankfully, mine was also benign!🙏

Not sure if this belongs in this thread, but maybe someone here can weigh in.
My five-year-old son has these swollen lymph nodes along his neck line.
You can't really see them just by looking, but you definitely feel them when you palpate the area.
I first noticed them back when he was only about two years old.
His pediatrician basically brushed it off, saying it wasn't a big deal since he had a cold at the time,
but the thing is, they've always been there.
He’s actually due to have his tonsils removed, and he also has an enlarged adenoid.
I guess I'm wondering... could those be related to that?

I’ve had this enlarged lymph node on the right side of my neck for years now. My surgeon mentioned it’s likely just a lingering effect from not having my tonsils removed when I was a kid, but honestly, I feel like it’s better to be safe than sorry. I think it's worth scheduling a quick follow-up with my doctor just to get some peace of mind.

Dammit...

I’ve got this too, though it's not under my breasts—it’s more on the front part of my chest, on the left side. Every once in a while, these little lumps pop up that feel like cherry pits, and they actually hurt. Then, after a few days, they just vanish. It happened about seven or eight months ago, and now it's happening again. I always tell myself that if it were actually a tumor, it wouldn't be painful. 😕

Melissa Brooks5 said:I’ve had this enlarged lymph node on the right side of my neck for years now. My surgeon mentioned it’s likely just a lingering effect from not having my tonsils removed when I was a kid, but honestly, I feel like it’s better to be safe than sorry. I think it's worth scheduling a quick follow-up with my doctor just to get some peace of mind.

That’s exactly what my doctor told me... but now you’ve got me spiraling over these parotid gland issues.
Knowing someone whose case wasn't benign makes all the difference.😲

Ugh, tell me about it—I actually had some swollen lymph nodes right by my ear once. I ended up going in for those needle biopsies and everything, and honestly? They found absolutely nothing wrong with me. When I finally asked them why it even happened in the first place, they just gave me that classic "we'll never truly know" shrug.
Anyway, it eventually went down on its own and didn't really hurt much, so it wasn't a huge deal at the time.
But now you guys have me totally spooked with all this talk about tumors... I’m such a massive hypochondriac, I guess, so I'll probably be staring at the ceiling unable to sleep for the next week.

George Clark19 said:Ugh, tell me about it—I actually had some swollen lymph nodes right by my ear once. I ended up going in for those needle biopsies and everything, and honestly? They found absolutely nothing wrong with me. When I finally asked them why it even happened in the first place, they just gave me that classic "we'll never truly know" shrug.
Anyway, it eventually went down on its own and didn't really hurt much, so it wasn't a huge deal at the time.
But now you guys have me totally spooked with all this talk about tumors... I’m such a massive hypochondriac, I guess, so I'll probably be staring at the ceiling unable to sleep for the next week.

+1 😕
I've been feeling it for ages.😲

Hey, zaboravljena and Melissa Brooks5, could you guys walk me through how you were feeling? What kind of symptoms did you actually deal with?