Because health and physical diseases are full of complexities, we must always play the role of a detective to check and observe any abnormalities occurring in the body. If even the slightest abnormality is found, we should not ignore it.
For example, in the case of the “neck”, Dr. Naparat Jirawatthanapolin, ENT specialist at Phyathai 3 Hospital advises that we should palpate the neck just like the campaign to palpate breasts every month, so that if a lump suddenly appears, it can be examined and treated early.
What causes lumps in the neck?
Although it is not normal to suddenly have a lump appear on the neck, don’t panic immediately. If detected early and recognized quickly, it can usually be treated in time. But before treatment, we need to look at the origin of the lump on the neck first. Dr. Naparat said…
“Normally, the neck can be roughly divided into the side, the middle, above the collarbone, and under the chin. But if we divide by skin layers, it can be roughly visualized as having a “superficial layer and a deep layer”
- Superficial layer is the skin layer, which has hair follicles, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, where acne or raised skin lumps can occur clearly, such as moles, warts, or skin tags.
- Deep layer is the layer containing fat tissue, deeper than that are muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. In this deep layer, lymph nodes can be found and can be palpated up to 1 cm in small children or adults with thin necks, as less fat tissue means lumps are less obscured.
Lumps in the neck can be both dangerous and harmless
If one day you suddenly find a lump, start by identifying its location, then check if it is painful. If it is larger than 1 cm, this may be inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infections, which can be both dangerous and harmless at the same time. Simply put, if it is tender when pressed, it is usually due to infection. If it is a bacterial infection that is treated quickly and does not develop into an abscess, it is not dangerous. But if it is lymphadenitis caused by viruses such as HIV or tuberculous lymphadenitis, which you may not know when you contracted it, it can weaken the body if not promptly examined and treated.
Additionally, if a lump grows in the middle or side of the neck, it could be a thyroid lump, which is accompanied by a sensation of the lump moving up and down when swallowing. Besides lymph nodes and thyroid lumps, there are also lumps from abscesses or pus-filled boils on the skin, which feel distinctly raised, different from lymph nodes and thyroid lumps.
Lumps in the neck: better to hurt but be done with it
Generally, people think that if an abnormality or lump appears without pain, it is usually not serious and not a concern. But from Dr. Naparat’s perspective, it is quite the opposite…
“If it hurts, it is considered less severe than if it doesn’t hurt, because pain usually comes from infection. If a lymph node is painful and the pain lasts a long time, it may be an abscess caused by dead white blood cells, resulting in pus formation. Treatment involves antibiotics and drainage of pus, which is painful but resolves the issue. If there is no pain, it may be caused by a tumor, which can be from the thyroid or cancer spreading in the throat and mouth area. For lymphoma, patients will have enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. Tuberculosis may cause mild or no pain, but treatment takes a long time, requiring medication for at least 6 months.”
Most thyroid lumps do not hurt unless inflamed or swollen. Treatment for thyroid patients without pain requires biopsy and ultrasound to confirm whether the lump is malignant or benign. If it is just a common skin tag or cyst, monitoring every 6 months to 1 year is sufficient.”
Common causes of enlarged lumps in the neck
The common causes of enlarged lumps in the neck are as follows:
- Bacterial infection of cervical lymph nodes originating from the nasal cavity, oral cavity, larynx, or facial skin
- Other infections of cervical lymph nodes such as viral infections or tuberculous lymphadenitis
- Benign tumors occurring in
- Superficial skin layer such as moles or warts
- Deep tissue such as thyroid tumors, enlarged lymph nodes, vascular tumors, or lipomas
- Cancer
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- Lymphoma
- Metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy from other sites such as thyroid, ear, nose, throat, larynx, and lungs
Lumps in the neck cannot wait, must be examined and treated promptly
Dr. Naparat further stated that lumps in the neck may not be a concern unless the following abnormal symptoms occur…
“If the lump grows rapidly and becomes more painful, or if there is fever along with unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, oral pain, ulcers, coughing up blood (which often indicates tuberculosis), size larger than 1 cm, or multiple lumps, if any of these symptoms occur, you should see a doctor immediately to find the cause.”
Additionally, Dr. Naparat concluded with self-care advice to avoid lumps in the neck:
“Everyone should start by knowing where the organs in their body are located to observe any abnormalities by self-palpation every 1-2 months, possibly while soaping during a shower, which makes it easier to detect abnormalities and seek treatment before it progresses into a bigger problem.”
