Swollen lymph node in back of neck skin#

Physical examination will include feeling the lymph nodes under your throat, all around your neck, and down to the collarbone. Be sure to discuss all other symptoms, even if you don’t think they’re related. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to have a doctor check it out. In general, a lump that goes away within 1 to 2 weeks is not a serious problem. If you’re dealing with an illness and have swollen lymph nodes, they should return to normal size as you recover. These cysts aren’t cancerous, but they can cause problems and are usually treated in childhood. They’re usually diagnosed at a young age.

taking lithium, a drug used to treat mental health disordersĬongenital cysts are those that develop before you’re born.

radiation treatment to the neck or chest.

overactive or underactive thyroid gland.

If you feel individual lumps or general lumpiness, you likely have a nodular goiter.Ī goiter can be small enough to ignore but can grow quite large. When the lump feels smooth to the touch, it’s because the entire thyroid is swollen.

One telltale sign of a goiter is that it moves up and down when you swallow. GoiterĪ goiter is swelling of the thyroid gland, which is located in front of the neck. Unless they grow large or push on sensitive tissue, lipomas are harmless. Lipomas develop from an overgrowth of fat cells and are benign. cancer that has spread from another part of the body ( metastatic cancer).Sometimes, lymph nodes in the neck can become enlarged due to cancers, such as: These illnesses usually produce other symptoms that can offer clues as to what’s going on. Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis.Lymph nodes in the neck can also swell due a wide array of bacterial, viral, or fungus infections that affect the whole body. It could be related to some type of infection of the: Swollen lymph nodes in the neck don’t necessarily mean the problem is your neck. Here are signs that a lump may be a swollen lymph node: And it means your body is fighting something. A lymph node is considered enlarged if it’s half an inch wide or bigger. The most likely reason for a lump on the neck is swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenitis).

Swollen lymph node in back of neck skin#

A moveable lump means that you can easily move it beneath the skin with your fingertips. Usually, soft moveable lumps aren’t cancerous, but there are exceptions. When you discover a lump, you might have concerns about cancer. Some are big enough to feel with your fingers and some grow large enough that you don’t have to touch it to know it’s there. A lump in the neck can be so tiny that you find it only by accident.