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Painless hard lump on neck - should I be worried?

Mythology
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Hi everyone,

I am not really sure what to do. I have noticed a lump on my neck which is most visible when I turn my head to the left.

It feels hard to the touch but does not hurt or anything.

It feels like someone is putting pressure on my neck and it can be difficult to swallow.

I am not sure if this is linked but I have difficulty walking upstairs without getting out of breath lately and feel very tired all of the time, as well as very forgetful.

I am 20 years old. Should I be concerned?

 

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    I've looked closer and it looks like there are two lumps, one below the other one on the front of my neck

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    The odds are the lump on your neck is absolutely nothing to be concerned about but you should probably see your GP and get it checked out if only for your own peace of mind.

    I would think the other issues are also worth talking to a GP about. The odds are they aren't even related, but again, they are worth checking out, especially since with some of them, it is likely there will be something that can be done to help with them.

  • Offline in reply to MargaretMary

    Thank you for your help

    I will see if I can book an appointment - hopefully it is just nothing 

  • Offline in reply to Mythology

    You don't mess around with lumps. The rule of thumb is, wait two weeks, see if it goes down. If it doesn't change or gets larger, you see about them. Hard painless, immovable lumps should always be checked by a GP rather than trying to obtain an answer over the net. Going by your picture, that looks a biggie. Anything over 2cm in the neck needs to be evaluated by a doctor in person.

    Chances are it is nothing, but it's needing a qualified practitioner to tell you that. Most lumps appear due to infection (viral, bacterial etc). To be clear, it's probably nothing, but since you're here and already thinking "cancer", and so you do go to the gp, cancer itself doesn't tend to hurt. Cancer pain is almost always because it's pressing on a nerve, a structure, causing a blockage or stretching something which does have nerves. A lump being sore or tender is actually a positive thing.

  • Offline in reply to ProfBaw

    Thank you for your response

    I wanted to reach out on a forum first because I've never visited the GP before and I'm worried about wasting their time if it turns out to be nothing

     

  • Offline in reply to Mythology

    It's interfering with your swallowing, you won't be wasting their time. It's always better being told it's nothing, than to sit on something that could be something. Doctors want to tell you it's nothing. Takes less time, and zero treatment required.

    Are you able to move the lump at all? Or is it fixed to the skin or structures in your neck?

  • Offline in reply to Mythology

    If you are have trouble swallowing, memory problems, breathlessness and feel tired all the time, you are definitely not wasting their time. Even without any of those issues, you would want to get the lump checked out but even without that, you have reasons you need to see a doctor.

    That doesn't mean it's likely to be anything serious. The tiredness and forgetfulness could be something as simple as stress or if you'd had covid, it could be the result of that or it could be a thyroid problem or any of a number of things but you still don't need to suffer in silence.

    If the lump is a thyroid nodules and is causing you to have trouble swallowing, it likely needs to be removed even if it's completely harmless (as it most likely is) and it could be that the other issues are caused by something very minor that the doctor will be able to treat easily.

    If something is causing you problems, it's definitely worth seeing a doctor about. If it's nothing, it will be treated easily which is probably a lot of what doctor's do.

  • Offline in reply to ProfBaw

    Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it

     

    after tilting my head up towards the ceiling and taking a photo, I think I can see it is above my thyroid - it feels very solid like it's attached to my trachea- I can't move it 

  • Offline in reply to MargaretMary

    Thank you, I will see if I can see a GP

    I really appreciate your time and help :)

  • Offline in reply to Mythology

    I'd say sorry for nagging, but I'm not sorry. You contacted your gp yet? I get the impression you're dithering, so here i am nagging you.

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