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Small painful lump behind corner of jaw

emilyjane01
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Hi there,

I noticed a small lump last night slightly behind the left corner of my jaw, right side is totally flat with no lumps or bumps. I reckon it's between the size of a baked bean and a kidney bean. It's painful to touch but only if I touch it with my finger, not if I open my mouth or anything like that.

I'm not sure how long it's been there, I definitely didn't notice anything yesterday morning but me being me decided to Google it last night and now I've convinced myself that I'm going to die or something. It's difficult to tell if it causes any jaw pain or not because I have TMJ so my jaw can be quite tender anyway, and I also can't tell if it's psychosomatic.

My friends think it's either a swollen lymph node or a blocked sweat gland, and my dad thinks it's a small cyst of some kind but I thought all these things were typically painless! 

Any advice anyone can give? xx

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    Not the answer you want to hear, but go to the doctors.  Only a proper in person examination can even begin to give you an answer. Most glands swell due to infection, and tend to be tender. The general rule of thumb is, if the swelling remains after 2 weeks, you get it seen to, if it gets larger or changes (other than getting smaller) get it seen to. If it's worrying you, get it seen to.

    Words over the internet can't diagnose any medical condition.  Only a qualified doctor can start you down that path or instantly put your mind at ease.

    I suffer from very bad bruxism, so I have tmj issues too so I know that pain all too well, but don't just assume it's down to that.

    Google isn't a diagnostic tool either. In fact, it's an awful diagnostic tool. It will never ever tell you what you have. Only likely causes. Google is a good tool when you know what you're dealing with. but yeah, awful before that.

  • Offline in reply to ProfBaw

    Hey, thanks for the reply. I was thinking of giving it about a week to see if it goes away on its own. Obviously if it gets bigger or changes shape or starts to cause pain without me touching it, then I'd go sooner.

    I'll be sure to keep an eye on it for now, and I agree, Google is an awful diagnostic tool when you're trying to figure out why something has happened. Thanks again.

  • Hello EmilyJane01 and thanks for posting, 

    Things like this can trigger a lot of worry so I understand you asking, but unfortunately, I can't tell you what this lump is although it is more likely to be something like a lymph node or a cyst than it is to be cancer.

    The best way to find out what it is for sure is to make an appointment and get it checked out by your GP.  Looking for answers online tends to take you around in circles without being any the wiser and makes most people more preoccupied, so try and resist it.

    I hope you can get an appointment easily and that there is nothing serious the matter.

    Best wishes,

    Julia

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