Lumps in the neck can be caused by the following conditions

A lump in the neck is often mistaken for a goiter or mumps, but it turns out that there are several other health conditions that can cause a lump on the neck to swell. What are the causes of neck lumps on the right, left or back? Is it dangerous? Let's take a look at the following full review.

What causes neck lumps?

There are many causes of neck lumps. Not only the goiter or mumps that can make a lump on the right neck, a lump on the left neck and even a lump on the back of the neck. There are several conditions that you may not be aware of that cause neck lumps.

1. Problems with the thyroid gland

The thyroid gland is a metabolism-regulating gland located at the front of the neck. Problems with these glands can cause solid or liquid lumps in the neck. Many people often refer to an enlarged or lumpy thyroid gland as a goiter.

An enlarged thyroid gland can cause pressure on the neck nerves, making it difficult for you to swallow or breathe. Most thyroid lumps are not cancerous lumps, but it is possible that they can be caused by cancer. Since a small portion of the lump can be cancerous, discuss it with your doctor to find out the exact cause.

To find out if a hypothyroid or hyperthyroid condition is found in a goiter, further tests are needed to check the levels of hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Goiter requires medical treatment, from taking medication to surgery. Goiter does not go away on its own.

In goiter, the swelling of the neck is usually painless. Other symptoms also depend on what thyroid disease is the cause. Whether it's hypothyroid or hyperthyroid. In hypothyroidism, symptoms can include:

• Limp
• Weight gain with decreased appetite
• Can not stand the cold
• Dry skin and hair loss
• Continuous drowsiness
• Constipation (difficulty defecating)
• Emotions are unstable and often forget
• Decreased sight and hearing function

In hyperthyroid conditions, the symptoms are the opposite of hypothyroidism, namely:

• Weight loss
• Not heat resistant
• Anxious feelings
• Often feel nervous
• Tremor (involuntary vibration of limbs, usually most clearly seen in the hands)
• Hyperactive

2. Additional skin or subcutaneous lumps

Lumps on the back of the neck can also arise from thickened skin under or above the skin tissue. Most of these lumps are not cancerous and do not cause certain symptoms. However, a small portion of these lumps can sometimes turn into cancer.

Signs to watch out for when a neck lump appears include:

• Change in lump size
• Change in surface color of the bumps
• Bloody
• Another lump appears around the lump
• Enlarged lymph nodes

3. Enlarged salivary glands

The salivary glands are the organs in the neck that secrete saliva. These glands help you digest food so that it easily enters the digestive tract.

These glands can sometimes become enlarged for a variety of reasons, including a tumor, infection, or other underlying medical condition. So not infrequently, the enlargement of the salivary glands can cause a lump on the right or left neck. For further diagnosis and examination, it is better to consult a doctor immediately.

4. Thyroglossal duct cysts

Thyroglossal duct cysts are cysts or lump conditions in a child's neck that can continue to develop into adulthood. In general, this is not dangerous.

But to overcome this, doctors usually will operate to remove the tissue and prevent the risk of complications.

6. Mumps

Mumps is an infection caused by a contagious virus. This virus causes swelling accompanied by pain in the salivary glands. Mumps can appear as a lump on the right neck or a lump on the left neck.

The length of time from exposure to the virus to illness (incubation period) is around 12-24 days. This usually causes lumps in children and can lead to other complications if not treated properly.

It should also be noted, generally everyone can experience goiter, but this is common in children aged 2 to 12 years. So it is not uncommon for you to often see lumps on the neck of children or adolescents, and it is often diagnosed as goiter.

You can minimize the chance of getting mumps by reducing the risk factors. For more information, please discuss the complaint with your doctor.

In simple terms, both goiter and mumps are two diseases that affect different tissues and glands. Mumps is a swelling of the salivary glands, namely the parotid glands, due to a viral infection. Mumps is also known as mumps. Whereas in mumps, the swelling of the neck is usually painful and feels hot due to the inflammatory process. Other symptoms include:

• Fever
• Limp
• Headache
• Ear pain that gets worse when chewing or talking
• Swelling at the corner of the jaw

Symptoms of mumps will usually disappear completely and recover within one week. Medical treatment is still needed, but only to help relieve symptoms. This is because viral infections usually resolve on their own within five to seven days.

7. Infections

A lump on the neck on the back, right or on the left side can develop when the body fights infection from colds, insect bites, or small wounds. A more serious infection can cause the glands to enlarge and become hard, hard, or soft. Examples of such infections include:

Bacterial infection

Infection strep throat, this is caused by streptococcus bacteria. Boils (abscesses), similar to large pimples, can also appear on the neck. Boils can occur when the hair follicles or skin become infected. A sweat gland abscess can form one or more lumps on the neck that will look like boils.

Viral infection

Viral infection of the skin (molluscum contagiosum camera.gif), which can cause small, pearly or flesh-like bumps on the neck. Measles, rubella or smallpox can also cause the neck to swell like a lump

Weak immune system

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) which develops and ends up with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection that attacks the immune system. So that people with HIV / AIDS, it is difficult for HIS body to fight infections and several diseases that can cause lumps in the neck.

What if there is a lump on the child's neck?

Generally, parents will think that the lump on the neck of the child is a mumps or mumps. Though not always a lump on the right or left neck of a child are the following two conditions.

Pediatricians usually see children with swollen glands or lumps on the back of the neck which is usually caused by a buildup under the skin of the neck. While this can be very worrying for older people, it is important to know that most lump conditions are not always dangerous.

Many medical conditions can cause lumps on a child's neck, and the most common are lymph nodes which are closely associated with infections such as the common cold or sinus infections.

Meanwhile, a lump in a child's neck, in rare cases, can be caused by tuberculosis, which can cause one or more lymph nodes in the neck to swell. Infections caused by insect bites or cat scratches can have the same effect, creating lumps on the back of the neck or on the left and right sides.

Parents also have to recognize the characteristics of the lumps that appear. If the bumps are caused by an infection, symptoms may include redness, tenderness, warmth to touch, and fever.

A lump on a child's neck can also be a cyst or tumor

However, not all lumps in the neck are safe. Sometimes, some children are born with a cyst (fluid-filled sac) in the neck that grows larger over time, or has a fast-growing infection.

Cysts can develop right and fast in the thyroid gland. This condition is usually located in front of the neck just above the collarbone. Cysts vary in size and may be tender if they become infected.

Also, less often, swelling in a child's neck can be caused by a tumor. A lump on the right neck or a lump on the child's left neck can contain growths of soft tissue that have grown, sometimes it can be hard tissue.

Most neck tumors in children are benign, not cancerous. Common benign tumors include neurofibromas, which usually develop as a result of neurofibromatosis.

This is a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue. Neurofibromas can appear as a single fleshy mass or several small lumps in the same area.

In other rare cases, a lump on the left neck or a lump on the right neck of a child can be caused by a cancerous tumor. Cancer cells that spread inside can cause lymph nodes to swell.

If your child is diagnosed with cancer, ask an ENT doctor, oncologist and cancer specialist to provide the diagnostic tests and precise treatment they need.

Lumps in the neck are often mistaken for lymph node disease, is that true?

It could be that the lump on your neck is caused by lymph node disease, but this is not always the case. Before knowing what to do with neck lumps and lymph nodes, it is better if you know that lymph nodes are small tissue structures that resemble kidney beans. Lymph nodes can be as small as a pinhead or the size of an olive.

There are hundreds of lymph nodes in the body and these glands can be found alone or in collections. Many lymph nodes are found in the neck, inner thighs, armpits, around the intestines, and between the lungs.

Lymph nodes have white blood cells which are immune cells that help the body fight infection. The main function of lymph nodes is to filter lymph fluid (which consists of fluid and waste products from body tissues) from nearby organs or areas on the body. Together with the vessels of the spleen, lymph nodes build up the lymph system.

Lymph nodes and how the lymph system works

After knowing what lymph nodes are, you must understand how the lymph system works. The lymph system is an important part of the immune system, aka the body's defense system against disease. The lymph system is a tissue in the body that is formed from the vessels of the spleen and lymph nodes.

The lymph system collects fluid, waste products, and other things (such as viruses and bacteria) in the body's tissues, outside the bloodstream. Lymph vessels carry lymph fluid to lymph nodes.

Once the fluid is drained, the lymph nodes filter it, trapping bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances. Then, the harmful agents are destroyed by lymphocytes, which are specialized white blood cells. Then, the filtered liquid, salt, and protein are returned to the bloodstream.

When there is a problem such as infection, injury, or cancer, the lymph nodes or groups of lymph nodes can become enlarged or swollen as they work to fight off bad agents. The neck, inner thighs, and armpits are areas where lymph nodes often swell.

Therefore, if you experience swelling in the areas that have been mentioned earlier, you should check with a doctor.

However, it should also be noted, that the characteristics of lymphoma can also vary depending on the type, namely, lymphoma called Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These two types of lymph cancer look similar, but they actually have different special features.

Characteristics of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin's lymph cancer can cause a variety of different signs and symptoms, depending on where the cancer develops. In some cases the cancer may not cause any symptoms until the cancer is large enough.

Common features of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are:

• Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin, which don't hurt
• Pain or swelling in the stomach
• Feel full quickly even if you only eat a little
• Pain or pressure in the chest
• Shortness of breath or coughing
• Fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Night sweats
• Extreme fatigue
• Lack of red blood cells (anemia)

If you see the signs of lymph cancer as above, especially if most of you feel it at the same time, you should immediately come to see a doctor to determine what causes it.

Hodgkin's lymphoma

A person with Hodgkin's lymph cancer may feel very well. But usually you can see the signs when Hodgkin's cancer develops in the body. Therefore, be aware of the following symptoms of Hodgkin's lymph cancer:

• Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin, without feeling pain
• Fever and chills
• Constant fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Losing your appetite
• Itchy rash
• Increased sensitivity to the effects of alcohol, or pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol

Lymph nodes and cancer

Sometimes people get lymph node cancer. There are two ways cancer can appear in the lymph nodes:

• Cancer originates from these glands
• Cancer spreads to the glands from other places

If you have cancer, your doctor will check your lymph nodes to see if they are affected by cancer. The usual tests performed to diagnose lymph node cancer are:

• Palpate all lymph nodes (which are palpable) in the patient's body
• CT scan
• Removing the gland or lymph node biopsy near the cancer

How to deal with neck lumps?

How to treat neck lumps depends on the cause. If it is caused by an infection, doctors will generally prescribe antibiotics or antiviral drugs related to the disease. Meanwhile, for the treatment of thyroid problems, namely hypothyroidism, artificial thyroid hormone therapy will be used.

Lumps in the neck that are suspected of being cancer will be treated through general cancer diagnostic tests, such as biopsy, chemotherapy, to radiotherapy. The doctor may also recommend surgery if the lump is cancerous. This is so that cancer cells do not spread to other parts of the body.