Is there a gland in this part of the neck or should I be worried?

[ShitBag]

Putting my makeup on yesterday and felt a pea sized lump in my neck. It's right under by chin near the opening of the throat IYSWIM.

I'm pretty much freaking out. My OH felt it and said it wouldn't be a swollen gland as we don't have glands there. He said maybe it's always been there... but I'm pretty sure it hasn't.

I'm terrified it's something serious. I've been a smoker since a teenager (bar two pregnancies).

Should I get myself to the doctors asap?

We do have glands there, might be a blocked salivary gland, best get it checked for peace of mind

Sounds like a lymph node. Just keep an eye and if it’s still enlarged in 3 weeks get it checked. Not necessarily anything to panic about.

Thanks both. I'll keep an eye on it... I've no idea why I would have an enlarged lymph node. I've not been unwell.
Although I did have a wisdom tooth swell up abit the other day (it's still breaking through) but it's a bit further away than that.

Aargh. Hopefully I can put it aside enough to enjoy Xmas. I tend to over react when I find something unusual.

It could be a shotty node from when you were last ill, some stay forever! I can feel loads in my neck. Pea size is not alarming. If it is still there or getting bigger in a few weeks you could always go to gp for reassurance :)

Well we do have salivary glands in that general area, and you can get stones growing in them, like kidney stones etc. Do not be alarmed, they are harmless, but irritating. Could be an infection. Definitely go to Doc for reassurance, sure it'll be fine.

Are you feeling any better?

@IBSworriescanitbe I'm trying to push the worry to the back of my mind until Xmas is over. I think it's gone down a little bit.
But I'm still feeling very unnerved by it.

On the plus side, it's terrified me enough to give up smoking... 4 days without one now!
Thank you for asking.

And thank you to everyone else who replied, I did read them all, kept meaning to reply to you all!

We do have glands there! Mine are quite big - both 1cm and the right is slightly bigger. I have health anxiety so I'm obsessed with them!. They swell a week before and then during any illness. They've been checked by gp many times over the years and she always dismisses then as normal so don't worry! I can feel many of my neck glands

Going down is a good sign, but yeah I can feel loads in my neck! Totally normal xx

Er if you’re a smoker you should tell your GP asap. It could he something more serious!

Please don't panic her - lymph nodes are actually described as pea sized! See image here - it's likely the submandibular nodes - mine swell all the time!

Honestly OP, try not to worry too much! I can feel 4 lymph nodes on the left side of my neck. When I first noticed them, I prodded them so much they swelled up to twice the size, which made me worry even more I went to the doctor and he said it's perfectly normal to be able feel nodes, even if you aren't ill. Now that I've left mine alone, they are permanently pea-sized. Unless you have other symptoms such as night sweats etc. it's unlikely to be anything sinister.

I have a permanently enlarged lymph node in the side of my neck. I’ve had it for years. Please try not to panic OP, and try to ignore those who are panicking on your behalf. Sometimes nodes come up for the smallest of reasons, for things you aren’t even aware of. The vast majority completely harmless. Try to enjoy Christmas and see your GP in the new year for reassurance.

@Cherries101 Well thanks for that... I am aware it could be something more serious. Which is why I'm worried about it.

Thanks everyone. I think I will book in the doctors after Xmas just to be on the safe side. I will feel pretty daft if he tells me it's a gland (but very relieved!)
I'll feel even more daft if he's unable to feel it... it's not exactly glaringly obvious, I have to feel around for a few moments to find it myself.

Aarrgh. I'm so fed up of worrying about things. Can the doctor prescribe something to stop me fretting over every little thing I notice about myself? 😂 (only half joking)

If you have to feel for it then it's very likely a gland. I know two people diagnosed with cancer through neck lumps and both had gold ball size lumps appear overnight!

Golf ball

Yes doctors can prescribe medication for anxiety, which of course includes health anxiety. I found cbt therapy very helpful as I too tend to panic and jump to extreme conclusions when I find lumps and bumps or have other health symptoms I can sympathise.
Lymph nodes causing cancer are very obvious, you wouldn't have to poke and prod to find them, they would be big and usually cause swelling, so your neck would not look symmetrical.

Well you have salivary glands there which could swell up due to a blocked gland, nothing to worry about. They are bigger than pea sized though. People actually get perfectly normal things checked all the time but it's absolutely fine because better that than the other way round.

However much more likely to be a lymph nodes and that's probably the lymph nodes a wisdom tooth would drain to. Mine swell up when I have a cold. Don't worry. Get it checked but it sounds exactly like a lymph nodes swelling to me and if you've had wisdom tooth trouble that's what I would think.