DD17 Lump behind earlobe

[worridoncemore]

We're currently abroad on holiday, due back next week.

DD17 has a hard visible lump directly behind her ear lobe. She first noticed it about a week ago when she mentioned feeling "something weird in her ear". I didn't take much notice at the time (unusual for me as I have health anxiety) as rushing to get away but now I'm panicking!

She won't let me touch it or look closely, although she says it doesn't hurt particularly, but said it feels like a hard ball. I felt myself starting to panic that it's a lymph node (lymphoma is one of my fears and went through a lymph node drama with my son a couple of years ago, which turned out fine). She seems unconcerned and I don't want to worry her by questioning her further. However, googling suggests the lymph nodes behind the ear are higher up behind the ear or in front of it. This is at the very bottom and behind the lobe, almost looks attached to it from my limited inspection and protrudes slightly below it so visible from the front. Therefore, I'm wondering (& hoping) that it's a cyst instead.

DH says just keep an eye and if still there when we return home to take her to the GP, which is all we can do really! However, unless it dissapears in the next few days I know I'll spend the rest of the holiday worrying.

She seems perfectly fit and healthy, although she did have a bad cold about a month ago so wonder if it could be from that, if indeed it is a lymph node.

Can anyone reassure me while I wait?

Thank you 🙂

Try not to worry, I had exactly the same a few months ago. I disappeared on it's own after a few weeks so I assume it was a cyst or something. It was also a hard ball.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday and see the doctor when you get back.

Has she pierced ears? Ever since getting all my piercings I get a cyst like this about once every six months. They eventually surface and burst 🤮

Nope, no pierced ears but thank you.

Thank you, that's reassuring.

Didn't you post this a few days ago? Has it changed at all since then - got bigger/redder/more tender etc? Presumably you will be home soon?

Yep, on general health but thought I'd post here too. Not changed as far as she'll let me see!

It's maybe a pulled hair you have fine peach fuzz on your ears so it's pulled then swollen into a spot/lump .

Just to add, it's not red or sore looking but the same colour as the rest of her skin.

Most likely just a huge zit or cyst. Just keep an eye on it, see if putting a hot washer on it brings a head on it.

It's probably a cyst. I have the same thing on one side. It bursts and then I don't see it again for a year or so. GP said harmless.

Is it a swollen lymph node? DS2 has them alot/almost all the time- the get bigger if he's a bit run down (so when he used to say he felt poorly and didn't want to go to school I used to check them). I have put a random internet image of what his look like (he's not heard right now otherwise I would get a picture). He's had them since he was about 3 and had been checked multiple time by gp.

It sounds more like a cyst/spot that are very common around the join between earlobe and head. They can get quite big and sore, and if you put a hot flannel around it it might encourage it to pop. It's a bit gross but certainly nothing major to worry about. Just keep the area clean and do warm flannel, it should either pop or go down after a while. You could put antiseptic cream around it too.

Thanks everyone. She just let me inspect further. The hard ball appears to be inside the lobe when pressed between her fingers from the front. The lump I can see directly behind the lobe feels soft and fleshy, not hard at all so seems to just be a bit of swelling caused by whatever is inside the lobe. Strange! She's now saying it hurt when she first discovered it but doesn't anymore.