lump in neck/mouth

Hi guys,

I am in need of some general advice. I'm a 22 year old female,

about 2 and half weeks ago I noticed a lump on my neck, I'm guessing it's new because I haven't found it before. It's painless and is about the size of a pea, when I first noticed it, it was quite soft, now it seems harder. I also have 2 small lumps on my gums for ages now, probably like a year but haven't been able to get it checked out because I'm not in any pain/having toothaches.
 

I had a similar neck one when I was 14, and the doctor told me it was a stress lump...I suffered with depression during my teenage years. I got out of that but earlier this year when my work closed due to the lockdown, I started suffering from really bad panic attacks and anxiety, I am slowly but surely learning how to control these but maybe this could of caused the lump? 
 

thanks for any advice!! 

  • Hi ee124. Welcome to the forum.

    I'm not a doctor and I have no medical qualifications. 

    Obviously, no one here can tell you what these lumps are, but I think we can offer some general advice.

    First off, most lumps are harmless, but anything you're not sure about should be checked out by a doctor (or a dentist if in the mouth). 

    A very common cause of a small lump on the neck is a swollen lymph node (sometimes called a "gland").  These are situated quite deep under the skin, and normally can't be felt.  However, their job is to fight infections and then they can swell up and you can feel them.  Sometimes they become tender or painful but not always. The skin above a swollen node usually looks quite normal - not red or inflamed.  If you don't have any other symptoms then give it a couple more weeks to settle down before seeing a doctor.  However, if it gets bigger, red or painful, or if you develop other symptoms (such as itching or drenching night sweats), or you simply get worried then see your doctor.

    Over the years, I've seen my dentist a few times about various lumps inside my cheeks and on my lips and gums.  Just before Xmas I realised I had a bony lump on my gum which my dentist reassured me was something called a "tora" and is quite harmless. I think it would be best to show these lumps to your dentist and (if you haven't been for some time) get a dental checkup at the same time.  My local dentists are now working normally so I think you should be able to get an appointment.  I don't think they're anything to worry about, but your dentist is the expert.

     

  • Hi!

    thank you so much!

    ive woke up this morning and i don't know if it's me but it feels like the lump is getting a tad smaller, if anything im

    going to leave it another week or two to see if it vanishes, the same thing happened with the lump I had before.

    as for the mouth lumps...one of them are quite bony and above my molar...so it could be the same thing. However I'm going to keep trying to book a dentist appointment just to be on the safe side!

    thank you so much for replying! It's put my mind at ease x

  • Great!  Happy to help.  That's why we're here, and don't hesitate to come back again.