Hard Lump Behind Ear

[Butterflug]

I think it’s a swollen lymph gland, it’s about the size of a pea and very hard. It feels painful to touch. Had it a few weeks at least, I think. I’ve also noticed that my jaw kind of aches on one side when I open it wide.

I am a fully paid up hypochondriac so clearly my head has gone straight to some kind of horrible oral cancer. I’m going to GP tomorrow, but was hoping someone could calm me down. Has anything similar ever happened to you and it not been anything too bad?

I've had that a couple of times, no idea what it was but I squeezed it (which was beautiful ) it was really really sore but it went away

I can’t squeeze it, it’s like a mini pebble or something. DH seems to think it could be a tooth abscess. But the pain isn’t in any of my teeth or gums but in the hinge of my jaw.

My son had something similar after a bout of chicken pox & the nurse said it was a swollen gland. Have you been ill recently?

I’ve had it - it lasted a while- went to the doctors (had decided I was dying) and yes swollen, infected gland. Eventually it went away but was quite sore at times.

Could it be mastoiditis? That causes painful lump behind ear but usually follows and ear infection. Look it up and see if your symptom starts fit the description. You'd need antibiotics if it is.

'your symptoms fit'

Go see your gp it's most likely to have a very innocent explanation but there's more sinister causes, don't take a chance

Could be a swollen occipital gland. It will go down eventually.

I had this on and off for years. Went to the GP who said it was a sebaceous cyst. It was occasionally on the tender side, and would also grow and shrink in size. Eventually it went away.

Always worth getting any lumps checked by your GP though.

Drum2018 hmm could be mastoiditis.

Behind my ear is also very red BUT weirdly I’ve not had any ear pain or feelings of generally being unwell, so probably not.

I have had a hard lump behind my ear for the last 3 weeks, I am quite a spotty person and thought it was a pimple so left it for 2 weeks then I spoke to a pharmacist in private who felt that it was a sebaceous cyst because he could also see some blocked hair follicles behind there near it, he told me if it wasn't gone in 2 weeks to see a gp. I am now 10 days into those 2 weeks and although it hasn't gone it has shrunk in size drastically so im hopeful it will go. Causes no pain unless I poke at it too much (I did try to squeeze it when I thought it was a huge pimple but nothing came out and it has no 'head').