Swollen neck?? Any help??

[Healthfreak95]

Hi guys
so I’ll attach a pic. The left side of my neck sticks out / looks swollen when I tilt my head back. Multiple docs have felt neck & physios etc and couldn’t feel lumps etc. I’ve also just had a neck ultrasound which showed no significant swelling or lymph node swellings that were out of limits. I never noticed this til a few months back but then realised it was the same looking in 2019! Please any ideas 💡 or help? I suffer with health anxiety :(

If all those doctors and other medical people didn't feel anything, and ultrasounds haven't shown anything, I honestly think you've got no cause for alarm. Your neck doesn't look swollen whatsoever to me. You look perfectly ok to me. You say you've got health anxiety, and I think that's what needs addressing.

Thanks for your reply? Really? The right hand side say of this pic as it’s not a selfie. Looks slightly bigger no?

I can’t see any swelling.

I can see what you mean. I have similar and it’s postural for me. I clearly have been rubbish with my posture for decades and one of my shoulders is much higher than other which puts everything else out.

It looks absolutely normal to me. If docs have checked everything then I’d be happy to stop worrying OP.

Bodies aren’t entirely symmetrical

If it’s been looked at and has been scanned then assume it’s fine.

Thanks guys for your replies! I stopped freaking out to begin with when I’d noticed it was the exact same in 2019 from a few pics in that position, as something serious would at least have gotten a small bit bigger or I would’ve shown more symptoms - none of which I have, most of the time perfectly healthy. @Haggisfish3 yes the side I see it on is the side my shoulder is lower if you get me. Is yours similar? I was guessing postural as my scan came up with no significant swelling etc. docs will literally leave you with no explanations tho! I have a few slightly swollen lymph nodes for years also all of which were scanned and deemed normal but which causes a lot of anxiety also.

Another pic for more context. Slightly from right hand side looking at this pic.

I'll tell you what a consultant told me over the 'lump' in my neck 15 years ago 'Our bodies are not perfectly symmetrical. There's nothing wrong with you.'

It’s incredibly common for your body to be asymmetrical. Anatomically our head and neck develop from five sets or pairs of pharyngeal arches. Which grow round and form your head, face and neck.
Look at your hands and feet, theoretically they should be identical E but they probably aren’t.
Are your boobs identical, probably not. And as for the contents of our torso, we only have one heart, one liver etc. Some organs are duplicate but not many.
So when comparing one side of your body to the other bear this in mind.

The main thing is that you have had thorough investigations and nothing has as found.
Lymph nodes can become fibrous over the years following multiple infections particularly cervical nodes ( those in the neck) since they are the sentinel nodes to the naso pharynx ( nose and throat) which is probably area of our bodies that suffers most infection over the years. The nodes just get a bit gnarly after dealing with infection after infection.

Because you obviously check them regularly, maybe just make a note, using the photos you have, of the location of the nodes. Then check them once a month, in the same way you check for changes in breast tissue.
You’ll soon detect any changes. If you feel more nodes then wait a couple of weeks to see if they disappear before seeing your GP.

Wow @LuluBlakey1 ! And is your lump still there?

@Angrymum22 thanks so much for your thorough reply!! Honestly it’s helped calm me a lot. I will definitely try to just check with pics etc once a month. It helps me to think it’s probably a part of my anatomy considering it was the same looking 4.5 years ago!

No idea. I stopped poking at it.😁

@LuluBlakey1 that’s what I’m gonna try to do, and I think if it’s something it’ll definitely make itself be known!

Doesn’t look swollen to me

I can see what you're looking at, but we can't really comment without also seeing photos of you before it became swollen. It could be it's just the normal shape of your neck but you hadn't noticed before.

I think it is! I have no photo in that exact position ( only looks that way with my head held high and tilted back slightly if you get me ) except one from 2019 , a goofy selfie , and it looks the exact same. I will post one side by side here from 2019 to now.

Left photo (2019) right - necklace on (2023). Both selfie images so left hand side of neck.

I now take duloxetine for my health anxiety. Genuinely life changing. Switched my anxiety tap off.

It's a different shape. That is all. We are not symmetrical.
I always have photos taken of my best side 😎

Thanks so much guys :) I’d say it’s just asymmetrical too. Considering I’ve no other issues, symptoms & the fact I haven’t noticed it growing or changing and the ultrasound tech said everything looked fine.

I will ofc update here in the future if anything ever comes of it or even if it doesn’t just so people Ina similar situation might will have a bit of guidance.