Lumps in the neck can be a sign of serious illness

Bump on the neck can be painful, but may also not cause pain at all when held. Even though on generally harmless, but bump on the neck can indicate a serious health condition disorderus.

If you have a lump in your neck, whether it's painful or not painful, you should immediately consult a doctor to get proper and safe treatment.

Causes of Lump in Neck

Enlarged lymph nodes are the most common cause of lumps in the neck. Lymph nodes contain cells that help your body fight infection and attack malignant (cancer) cells. When you are sick, your lymph nodes can enlarge to help fight infection.

Swollen lymph nodes usually occur when the body has infections, including throat infections, dental infections, measles, tuberculosis, lupus and syphilis. The lump can deflate by itself when your health condition begins to improve.

In addition, various other causes of lumps in the neck are as follows:

  • Swelling of the thyroid gland

    This butterfly-shaped gland is located in your neck and right in front of your throat. The thyroid gland is usually not visible, but for a number of reasons, the gland can swell and cause a lump in the neck that is often called a goiter. This swelling can be caused by several things, such as an iodine deficiency, an over or underactive gland, and thyroid cancer.

  • Stones in the salivary glands

    Chemicals found in saliva can sometimes settle and form small stones. These stones can block the flow of saliva into your mouth. This condition can cause lumps in the neck.

  • Cancer

    Most lumps on the neck are benign. However, the possibility of a neck lump is a malignancy will be even greater the risk over the age of 50 years. You are also at high risk of developing cancerous lumps in your neck if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle, such as smoking and drinking alcohol. In addition, a lump in the neck can also be a sign that you have leukemia (cancer of the white blood), breast cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and lung cancer.

  • skin tags orgrowthskintoo much

    Skin tags can occur when the skin often rubs against the surrounding skin. This causes small, brown, wart-like flesh called skin tags. This condition is common, painless, and harmless. Sometimes, skin tags can twist and break due to loss of blood supply. Anyone can experience it, especially people with type 2 diabetes, obesity, pregnant women and the elderly.

Recognizing the Symptoms

To find out whether the lump you have is dangerous or not, you can identify the lump with the following criteria:

  • It didn't go away for more than a month.
  • Keep looking.
  • Feels hard or doesn't move when touched.
  • It is accompanied by fever, shortness of breath, pain and difficulty swallowing, weight loss, increased heart rate, hoarseness, blood in the saliva, or changes in the skin around the lump.

If you experience a lump in the neck as above, you should visit a doctor to find out the cause of the lump. Some of the tests you may undergo are blood tests, X-rays, Ultrasound, MRI and biopsy. After knowing the cause, the doctor can provide the right treatment for the lump in your neck.

In general, lumps in the neck are harmless. However, there is nothing wrong with going to the doctor if there is something wrong with the lump. Early detection can prevent you from the danger of a deadly lump.