Are there glands behind your ears

Blood cancer: Some forms of blood cancer can affect the lymph nodes, small glands where the cells that fight infections live, and can appear as swelling behind the ear. Trauma-related Swelling behind the ear may also be caused by injury to that area. Lymph node inflammation behind the ear There are lymph nodes behind the ear.

Rarity: Common Top Symptoms: pain behind the ear, swelling behind the ears Symptoms that always occur with lymph node inflammation behind the ear: swelling behind the ears Urgency: Primary care doctor Swimmer's ear otitis externa Swimmer's ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the canal which runs from the eardrum to the opening of the ear.

Most susceptible are children, because they have narrower ear canals that do not drain well. Symptoms arise somewhat gradually and include sore, reddened skin. Diagnosis is made through physical examination. Rarity: Uncommon Top Symptoms: fever, chills, facial redness, swollen face, face pain Symptoms that always occur with cellulitis: facial redness, area of skin redness Urgency: Primary care doctor Branchial cleft anomaly A branchial cleft anomaly abnormality is a mass of unusual tissues within the neck.

Rarity: Ultra rare Top Symptoms: shortness of breath, neck bump, painful neck lump, trouble swallowing, swollen neck Symptoms that never occur with branchial cleft anomaly: bleeding from the ear Urgency: Primary care doctor Chronic inflammation of the salivary gland parotitis The parotid glands are large salivary glands that sit inside each cheek, over the jaw in front of each ear.

Rarity: Ultra rare Top Symptoms: jaw pain, moderate fever, swollen jaw, dry mouth, swelling behind the ears Symptoms that always occur with chronic inflammation of the salivary gland parotitis : swollen jaw Urgency: Primary care doctor. Swelling behind the ears treatments and relief At-home treatment If the swelling behind your ears began gradually and is not particularly bothersome, there are certain at-home remedies you can try to alleviate your symptoms.

Warm and cold compresses: These can help reduce pain and swelling if your symptoms are due to infection or trauma Over-the-counter medications: NSAIDs like ibuprofen Advil, Motrin , naproxen Aleve , and aspirin can help reduce pain, swelling, and redness because they work by reducing inflammation in your body. Acetaminophen Tylenol can also help with pain and fever but does not address inflammation. Fluid intake: If your swelling is due to an infectious cause, increasing your fluid intake is critical in order to stay hydrated and keep your body strong enough to fight the infection, especially if you also have a fever.

When to see a doctor If the swelling behind your ears is associated with the following symptoms or factors, you should seek medical attention in the coming days. Maintain a healthy diet along with exercise Get treatment for ear infections early Limit or stop substance use: Stop using tobacco if you currently do and reduce or avoid alcohol intake if you drink. FAQs about swelling behind the ears Will the swelling behind my ear go away on its own? Why is the swelling behind my ear painful?

Why is the swelling behind my ear getting worse? Can swelling behind the ear be life-threatening? Can swelling behind the ear be due to an ear infection? Questions your doctor may ask about swelling behind the ears Any fever today or during the last week? Is there anything coming from your ear s? Do you use a hearing aid or wear earplugs? Have you ever been diagnosed with diabetes?

Hear what 1 other is saying. Submit story. Request sent successfully. An error occurred, please try again later. Concerned Posted September 26, by E.

I have a pain on the bone behind my right ear. If I press on it it is quite painful. I pressed on the bone pretty hard and the pain lessened, but now it looks like something is swollen inside my mouth. As if whatever I pushed had nowhere to go. I plan to seek medical attention tomorrow if symptoms are not better. I am scared about that bone being my mastoid. Copied to clipboard Close Icon.

He currently practices as a hospitalist at Newton Wellesley Hospital. In , Dr. Rothschild received his MD at the Medical College of Wisconsin and trained in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in critical care medicine. He also received an MP Read full bio. Was this article helpful? Read this next. Slide 1 of 2. Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.

Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners anticoagulants , medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.

Recent health events , such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious. Your health habits and lifestyle , such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel. Try Home Treatment You have answered all the questions. Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms. Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect.

You may need care sooner. Pain in adults and older children Severe pain 8 to 10 : The pain is so bad that you can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and can't do anything else except focus on the pain. Moderate pain 5 to 7 : The pain is bad enough to disrupt your normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days.

Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it's severe when it's there. Mild pain 1 to 4 : You notice the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities.

Symptoms of infection may include: Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in or around the area. Red streaks leading from the area. Pus draining from the area. A fever. Long-term alcohol and drug problems. Steroid medicines, which may be used to treat a variety of conditions. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer. Other medicines used to treat autoimmune disease. Medicines taken after organ transplant.

Not having a spleen. Hyperthyroidism occurs when your body has too much thyroid hormone. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism may include: Tiredness.

Muscle weakness. Weight loss. Sweating and not being able to tolerate hot temperatures. Fast heart rate. Feeling edgy or anxious. Enlarged thyroid gland your thyroid gland is in your neck. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Symptoms of hypothyroidism may include: Tiredness and weakness. Weight gain. Memory problems.

Dry skin, brittle nails, and coarse, thinning hair. Not being able to tolerate cold temperatures. Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe. For example: You may feel a little out of breath but still be able to talk mild difficulty breathing , or you may be so out of breath that you cannot talk at all severe difficulty breathing. Seek Care Today Based on your answers, you may need care soon.

Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care. If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care today. If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning. If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner. Seek Care Now Based on your answers, you may need care right away. Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care. If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care in the next hour.

You do not need to call an ambulance unless: You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.

You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down. Make an Appointment Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care. Make an appointment to see your doctor in the next 1 to 2 weeks.

If appropriate, try home treatment while you are waiting for the appointment. If symptoms get worse or you have any concerns, call your doctor. In rare cases, the salivary glands produce too much saliva. Increased saliva production is usually very brief and occurs in response to eating certain foods, such as sour foods. Sometimes even thinking about eating these foods can increase saliva production.

A stone can form from salts contained in the saliva. Stones are particularly likely to form when people are dehydrated or take drugs that decrease saliva production. People with gout Gout Gout is a disorder in which deposits of uric acid crystals accumulate in the joints because of high blood levels of uric acid hyperuricemia.

The accumulations of crystals cause flare-ups Salivary gland stones are most common among adults. Salivary stones create problems when they block the tube duct that carries saliva from the gland to the mouth. Blockage makes saliva back up inside the duct, causing the salivary gland to swell painfully. A blocked duct and gland filled with stagnant saliva may become infected with bacteria.

A typical symptom of a blocked salivary duct is swelling and pain over the gland that is affected. The pain and swelling worsen after eating, particularly when people eat something that stimulates saliva flow such as a pickle or lemon juice because when the duct is blocked, the saliva has no place to go and the gland swells.

The swelling may go down after a few hours, and the duct may release a gush of saliva. Some stones do not cause any symptoms. Salivary gland infection is also called sialadenitis. Most salivary gland infections occur in people who have something that blocks the flow of saliva such as a stone or who have very low flow of saliva.

Infection is most common in the parotid gland and typically occurs in people who. Mumps Mumps Mumps is a contagious viral infection that causes painful enlargement of the salivary glands. The infection may also affect the testes, brain, and pancreas, especially in adults. Mumps is caused Mumps occurs mainly in people who have not had the mumps vaccine Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine The measles, mumps, and rubella MMR vaccine is a combination vaccine that helps protect against these three serious viral infections.

The vaccine contains live but weakened measles, mumps Adolescents and young adults with anorexia Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a relentless pursuit of thinness, a distorted body image, an extreme fear of obesity, and restriction of food consumption, leading to The usual infecting organism is the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

People with a bacterial infection of a salivary gland have fever, chills, and pain and swelling on the side of the face with the infected gland. The skin over the infected gland becomes red and swollen.

Sometimes a collection of pus abscess forms in the gland, and a small amount of pus comes out of the duct of the gland. Childhood mumps Mumps Mumps is a contagious viral infection that causes painful enlargement of the salivary glands. Urination and thirst are Cysts are abnormalities in the body that may contain liquid or semiliquid material….

If an infection develops in your middle ear and blocks your Eustachian tube, it may subsequently lead to a serious infection in the mastoid bone.

Skin lumps are any areas of abnormally raised skin. The lumps may be hard and rigid, or soft and moveable. Here's what you need to know about skin…. An ear infection occurs when a bacterial or viral infection affects the middle ear — the sections of your ear just behind the eardrum. They can be…. Raised bumps on the skin are common and can have a variety of causes, ranging from acne to skin cancer. Raised skin bumps are most often harmless, but….

Acute otitis media AOM is a type of ear infection. It's a painful condition in which the middle ear becomes inflamed and infected. An AOM occurs…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. Infection Mastoiditis Abscess Otitis media Lymphadenopathy Sebaceous cysts Acne vulgaris Lipoma Pictures Self-checking When to see your doctor Understanding lumps behind the ears In most cases, lumps or nodules behind the ears are harmless.

In order of likelihood, they are: infection mastoiditis abscess otitis media lymphadenopathy secondary to ear or throat infections sebaceous cysts acne vulgaris lipoma. Otitis media. Lymphadenopathy secondary to ear or throat infections. Sebaceous cysts. Acne vulgaris. Pictures of lumps behind the ears.

Identifying lumps behind the ears. When to see a doctor.