Lump in My Daughter Throat

Hi K.,

My daughter had a lymp node in her neck too that was prominenent. It really scared me because my mom had died from cancer. Over time, I have asked several doctors about it. They all said it was a lymph node.

Now that she is almost eight, it comes and goes but is mostly non-visible. She never had any issues breathing, its appearance just bothered my peace of mind.

All people have lymph nodes in their necks. Are hers swollen? Does she have problems swallowing? Perhaps she has an infection that swells her lymph nodes? I would think breathing problems from swollen lymph nodes has to due with cold or flu. Any breathing problems at all MUST be taken to the ER !!!!!
Good luck and I hope she feels better!!!

Your duaghter would be in huge trouble if she didn't have lymph nodes all over her body. The lymph system is essential to our immune function, as well as transport of eaten fats and many other things. Think about it as something like your blood vein and artery system. The nodes are an intregal part of the lymphatic system.

Sometimes when we are sick the nodes swell, but it's not a bad thing. It is an indication that they are doing their job to keep fight infections.

From what you've posted there's no indication that your daughter doesn't have a problem, she just has a body part that she needs.

Incidentally, my children are both very very thin and lymph nodes in certain parts of their body just stick out. One area like that is the base of the back of their skulls. At first I thought they were swollen, but my doctor said that we're meant to be like that, we're just too fat and the fat covers it all up.

OOPS! I meant to say there's no reason to think you dd HAS a problem. Sorry about the confusion!

I would look it up on Mayo Clinic online. It is a medical database. Everyone has lymph nodes, so maybe it is infected. If she has trouble breathing you should probably call her pediatrician and find out what to do.

They didn't answer these questions when you were in the ER? What did you do? Bring her, they say its a lymph node, and you walk out the door? You should have asked the doctors these things, ER visits are expensive, at least make them worth your while!

Have you noticed whether your child seems to be having allergy problems? Have you had her evaluated? My son has a particular node on his neck that swells up when his allergies are flared up or he has an upper respiratory infection. He also has occasional trouble with some asthma as a reaction at those times.

I would follow up with a visit to your child's pediatrician. Let the dr. know about the ER visit and what they told you - bring any paperwork with you so they can look it over, the ER doc may have made notes. If the ER and your dr are at the same hospital, even better because those notes may already be in your daughter's chart or can be requested to be put in there.

I have an enlarged lymph node in my neck under the jaw. It's been there for several years. Each doctor that has seen it said to just keep an eye on it. If it enlarges they will further check it out by, I'm guessing, do a biopsy. My lymph node lump as not changed in all this time and so it's considered to be OK. Doctor said not to worry so I don't. I'm able to do that because he also said watch it and if it changes come back in.

Lymph nodes are a part of our system that fights off disease. When they are fighting off an infection they do swell and that is normal and good.

I'm not sure what you're asking when you ask about difficulty in breathing. Does your daughter have difficulty breathing? If so what did the ER doctor say? Your child could have a cold or allergy which gives her a stuffy nose and the lymph node could be swollen because it's fighting off the infection.

You ask about a lump in her throat and mentioned a swollen lymph node in her neck. A swollen lymph node is not likely to cause a lump in the throat. If she has a lump in her throat and is having difficulty breathing she needs to be seen by her pediatrician. ER doctors are generalists and trained to deal with emergencies. The one you say may not know much about lumps in throat related to swollen lymph nodes.

Anxiety can cause a feeling of a lump in the throat. If you've been worried about the swollen lymph node she may begin talking about a lump in her throat because she feels like there is one or because she equates throat with neck.

So.....I'm not quite sure how to answer your questions in full because I'm not sure what the situation is. I do know that an enlarged or swollen lymph node by its self is not a problem.

A few weeks ago I took my daughter to the dr. for the same reason (she is 3). She had an infected lymph node, so they gave her a course of antibiotics.

My question to you is where is the lymph node located on her neck? The reason I am asking is when my daughter was 2 years old I found what I thought what a lymph node on her neck but it was in a strange location. Lymph nodes are located on side of neck & the one on my daughter was dead center. It was not a lymph node & yes she had difficulty breathing. She had a Thyroglossal Duct Cyst. She had surgery to remove it & now she is perfectly fine. This is not meant to scare you, but if the lymph node is on the sides of her neck that is normal. Just 1 of our bodies natural defenses. But if its not in that area definately take her to her pediatrician & listen to your intuition but don't let your intuition turn into paranoia. :) Good Luck!

When I was about 13 I had a lymph node in my neck swell up to a size bigger than a golf ball. It looked like maybe I swallowed a golf ball and it was just hanging off my neck. My mom took me to the doctor who told me it was just a lymph node which can swell with infections, I think I had a cold at the time. She was not worried about it at all. I believe she gave me antibiotics and it went down within a few days. It didn't interfere with my breathing.

Hi K.,

We all have lymph nodes in our necks as well as other parts of our body. They are a vital part of our immune system. Is her's enlarged or suspicious in any way? If so I'd suggest you take her to a specialst for testing just to be on the safe side. If not then I wouldn't wory about it. You can check the size periodically for any changes to help settle your concerns.

Here's a few links that might help you make an informed decision on whether to have her tested or not.

http://www.baby-medical-questions-and-answers.com/swollen... (read this one first)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymph_node

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/swollen-lymph-nodes-to...

http://www.doctorslounge.com/oncology/diagnosis/lymph_nod...

http://www.drgreene.com/qa/lymph-nodes

I hope this has been helpful. I'd love to know how things turn out.

Blessings,
W.

I have had a lump on the left side of my neck since i was born( i am now 29) It will swell sometimes and sometimes even be a little sore to the touch but other than that I have never had any problems serious or otherwise. It could all depend on location wheter your child may have any problems. I am not a medical professional by any means but I have always lived with this and had it checked out many times. I have always been told it is nothing to worry about, so I dont. It has never really effected me in any way. I would just get a few doctors opinions to ease your mind.

Swollen lymph node is not a reason for ER visit. You should have gone to see a pediatrician, ER doctors are trained to deal with emergencies and not minor health issues. Lymph nodes can get enlarged due to an infection the child's body is trying to fight. One condition in particular, called tonsilitis when lymph nodes swell on both sides of the neck. The swelling will resolve as soon as the body overcomes the infection. Lymph nodes can swell when child is having any infection or inflamation of throat, runny nose, ear infections, other upper respiratory issues.

In your situation, I would follow up with pediatrician, a lot of infections resolve on their own, thanks to our great immune system.

As for difficulty breathing, the symptoms to look for are those that show that your child is working hard to breathe, look at the chest, does it look like she is trying to suck the air in? Is she pale, or dusky?, limp, sweaty, clammy , breathing too fast consistently or too slow - those are the sighns of an emergency, if the child just makes some funny upper airway noises or has stuffy nose - there is no need to rush to ER. Human body can handle a fair bit of congestion before it becomes a problem.

Good luck,
Hope your little one feels better.

Lymph nodes swell when there is any type of infection. It's how the body fights infection. And she shouldn't have problems breathing because of it. It will go down when the infection clears up. Good luck!

I would take her to her regular doctor and see what you need to do to get it further checked out. In my family Thyroid cancer runs big and it starts with big noduels and hard to swallow things. I dont know if a 3 year old can get it but its best to take the cautions you need to, too make sure it isnt anything major. good luck hope all turns out well.

Many times, lymph nodes "swell" because of an infection. The lymph system is what carries away all the "Junk" in our system, including the "stuff" that our bodies make when we're sick. Sometimes, they clog up and usually clear up on their own. I would take her to her regular pediatrician and ask him about it. I can't imagine it getting big enough inhibit her breathing. It should clear up.

I haven't read the other comments so this may be duplicated. We all have lymph node glands in our necks and other locations in our body. The neck area will show inflammation to us easier because of the location. They can become very sore. This swelling and pain is in reaction to an infection and is most commonly treated with antibiotics on all occasions. I hope they put her on some. If not, see another doctor.