Hi HSmith,

Thank you for posting. My understanding is that the doctor has asked to see you again in 4 weeks to check if the swelling has gone down, but you're feeling anxious and noticed the lumps may have got bigger?

It's a difficult one. The illness your describe - headache, cough, etc - could very well be the cause of the swelling. I haven't experienced this myself but I have friends who have. One of my friends have lymph nodes that swell during hayfever season every year, like clockwork, and another who got a large swelling in her neck after a COVID infection. It's not uncommon for lymph nodes to swell in response to infection, and they typically resolve on their own within a couple of weeks. There are some concerning signs with lymph nodes and I assume the doctor checked for these when they examined you, and were satisfied that it's likely to be in response to infection, hence they've asked you to wait 4 weeks to see if they go down on their own.

My advice is therefore this: if the feeling of the lumps changes (particularly if they feel harder or become more fixed in place, less able to move around), then that would be worth reapproaching your GP for. If they feel more or less the same but have got bigger, it might be worth trying to arrange a telephone consultation at least, just to check if this is something that should prompt a quicker visit? 

Hopefully by the time you see your GP in 2 weeks time, the swelling will have gone down on its own. 

Best of luck with the wait and hoping you feel better soon!