An ear infection can cause lymph nodes in front of or behind the ears to swell. You might also have ear pain and fever.

Earache and sore throat can be present with upper respiratory conditions like ear infection or viral sore throat as well as other infections. A lump or bulge can represent a swollen lymph node in the neck or a localized infection or abscess.

A lump on the collarbone may be a cyst. Cysts are located under the skin and occur when fluid fills into a sac. These feel hard when you press on them from the skin’s surface and are not usually harmful or a sign of any other health condition.

After the infection is gone, the nodes slowly return to normal size. This may take 2 to 4 weeks. However, they won’t ever completely go away.

See your doctor if you’re concerned or if your swollen lymph nodes: Have appeared for no apparent reason. Continue to enlarge or have been present for two to four weeks. Feel hard or rubbery, or don’t move when you push on them.

For the vast majority of cases, swollen lymph nodes indicate nothing more than the fact that your body is fighting off an infection. However, they could be a warning sign of something more serious, such as blood cancer.

People with a malignant lymph node may notice that the node feels hard or rubbery. They may also experience systemic symptoms, such as fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss.

Lymph nodes often swell in one location when a problem such as an injury, infection, or tumor develops in or near the lymph node. Which lymph nodes are swollen can help identify the problem. The glands on either side of the neck, under the jaw, or behind the ears commonly swell when you have a cold or sore throat.

Over age 40, persistent large lymph nodes have a 4 percent chance of cancer. Under 40 years of age, it is only 0.4 percent. Children are very much more likely to have swollen nodes.

What Are Symptoms of Cancerous Lymph Nodes?

• Lump(s) under the skin, such as in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin.
• Fever (may come and go over several weeks) without an infection.
• Drenching night sweats.
• Weight loss without trying.
• Itching skin.
• Feeling tired.
• Loss of appetite.
• Cough, trouble breathing, chest pain.

Lymph nodes measuring more than 1 cm in the short axis diameter are considered malignant. However, the size threshold does vary with anatomic site and underlying tumour type; e.g. in rectal cancer, lymph nodes larger than 5 mm are regarded as pathological.

The second most common subtype of NHL, follicular lymphoma (FL), grows slowly, with lymph nodes doubling in size approximately every six to 12 months, and patients often get diagnosed a year or later after they first noted an enlarged lymph node.

The best way to find HL early is to be on the lookout for possible symptoms. The most common symptom is enlargement or swelling of one or more lymph nodes, causing a lump or bump under the skin which usually doesn’t hurt. It’s most often on the side of the neck, in the armpit, or in the groin.

Lymphadenopathy is classically described as a node larger than 1 cm, although this varies by lymphatic region. Palpable supraclavicular, iliac, or popliteal nodes of any size and epitrochlear nodes larger than 5 mm are considered abnormal.

Swollen lymph nodes The most common sign of lymphoma is a lump or lumps, usually in the neck, armpit or groin. They are usually painless. These lumps are swollen lymph nodes.

The overall ultrasound appearance of metastatic lymph nodes is usually abnormal: an inhomogeneous focal lesion with no hilum, with the possible presence of anechoic regions and calcifications as well as chaotic, peripheral vascular pattern.

Symptoms from lymphoma in the abdomen An enlarged spleen might press on the stomach, which can cause a loss of appetite and feeling full after only a small meal. Lymphomas in the stomach or intestines can cause abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.

When more than one area of lymph nodes is swollen it’s called generalized lymphadenopathy. Some infections (such as strep throat and chicken pox), certain medicines, immune system diseases, and cancers like lymphoma and leukemia can cause this kind of swelling.

For the most part, your lymph nodes tend to swell as a standard response to infection. They may also swell due to stress. Some of the most common illnesses associated with swollen lymph nodes include colds, ear infections, the flu, tonsillitis, skin infections, or glandular fever.

Blood tests are not used to diagnose lymphoma, but they can sometimes help determine how advanced the lymphoma is.