Lymph Node

I had a lymph node about the size of a gum ball on my neck all through my teenage years. My daughter now has one in her hair line near her neck. The doctor didn't even note it on her chart. She knew in about 5 seconds it was nothing to worry about so I don't. She did say not to touch it though. I really don't think doctors take chances with lumps in kids but get a second opinion if you are not comfortable and be really careful what you read on the Internet. There is a lot of bad info out there.

My husband had a little swollen lymph node on the side of his neck for a few years now. When it first appeared we were scared it was cancer or something and went to the Dr. They told us what it was and not to worry - said it would probably be this way for the rest of his life. They explained that he got sick with something and for some reason this one little lymph node did all the fighting itself and that caused it to swell up and appear. We joke that this little lymph node got tired of doing all the work and just quit. :-) Definately go get another opinion if you are worried and keep an eye on it, but from all we have heard it is nothing to be concerned about and it will be there for a long time, if not always.

Ask for a referral for a second opinion, or if your insurance allows it, just find a different doctor that will listen to your concerns and help you to understand why (or why not) something is "normal." I second Grandma T's suggestion to print out the research you've done and show the doctor. I really hate it when doctor's brush off concerns of the parents. Even if there really is nothing wrong, the doctor should at least look at it and make sure. Be persistent!

You can always seek a second, third, or more opinions from other doctors. I would suggest doing so if there hasn't been any testing or research into the problem. A simple dismissal from your child's doctor can be discomforting and leave you worried. Ask for an x-ray or ultrasound or whatever it takes to get the answers that satisfy you. You are the parent of the child and the doctor is getting paid by you, so demand the care you expect. Good luck!

If you have read other info from a good medical website about the swelling, print it out and take it to your pediatrician and ask them to convince you why they say it's normal. Once they convince you it's oka or decide to do surgery, you will feel better.

My son has this as well - on both sides of his neck. DO NOT PANIC...

They come and go. We take him in to the Dr when they get bigger - tests are ran - and they still come back clean - it's normal...not every child gets these enlarged glands, but it does happen.

DO NOT FREAK OUT!!! DO NOT PANIC!!! Just look after it - keep a log or a notebook - not EVERY day - maybe once a week so you can see differences in it - but DO NOT BE A HYPOCHONDRIAC about it - it will make your daughter self-conscious and just end up flipping her out as well.

You need to have a good talk with the doctor WITHOUT your daughter in the room so you can express your concerns......have the doctor show you charts, etc. and get on the same page with them...but they HAVE to hear your concerns and not push you off...

The problem with technology today - people who don't attend medical school have access to information and without all the information - form diagnosis' without knowing all of the stuff....so while you've read things that tell you it could be turn into a tumor - stop and do yourself a favor....trust your pediatrician - if you don't - then find another one...or ask for a second opinion...but you really need to calm down...i'm NOT trying to be mean or condescending, however, each of us has cancer cells in our bodies - yes, we do - so you are freaking out over something that COULD be....just keep an eye on it. don't measure it every day. you'll turn your daughter into a paranoid hypochondriac as well....(not saying you are) but really, trust in your pediatrician.

I've had an enlarged lymph node in my neck for 20+ years. The doctor is keeping an eye on it. The only time he said he'd be concerned is if the node were to grow. Yes, it could turn into a tumor. We could all get a tumor. The likelihood of her getting a tumor in the node is no more likely than you getting a tumor. so try to relax and forget it about it.

Are you sure it is a lymph node? I had something the size of a pea that grew larger in the right side of my neck area for about 20 years. Over the years, doctors had a really hard time diagnosing it but kept telling me not to worry about it. People were coming up to me on the street telling me to get it checked out. Finally one day my OB said "do you ever get tired of people telling you to have that bump removed?" I said "yes, but no one can tell me where it is and because of where it is located they don't want to remove it for fear it will cause scarring." He just looked at me for a second and said, "well its a benign sebhorric cyst. Very common, nothing to worry about, but still since people keep asking, go see this plastic surgeon and get it removed." The plastic surgeon immediately confirmed his diagnosis and it was removed very easily under local anesthesia. I would recommend seeing a good plastic surgeon. they usually have seen these things and can accurately diagnose it and remove it. Good luck.

My son had a lymph node the size of a quarter and he had to get it removed, if I were you I would get a 2nd opinion just to be sure. It would also put your mind at ease.

I would request to see another doctor who can take a biopsy of it. My sister had a similar incident. She also had some swollen lymph nodes on her neck. Doctors were telling my parents the same thing. My parents took her to another doctor, he looked at it and stuck a needle in the swollen area and took that to the lab. A few days later he told us she had thyroid cancer. She had to have her entire thyroid removed and lymph nodes that were surrounding it. The positive thing for us was that Thyroid cancer was slow growing. She now has been cancer free for 14 years. Don't wait any longer and request a new doctor that will do something for you. It could be nothing, but you'll feel much better knowing they'll do something about it. I hope this helps.

Deep breath. I've had many as a kid and still do as an adult. My DD has a couple too. Often, after an infection where the lymph nodes are swollen (and in kids it's often in the neck, behind the ear, back of the head), the nodes start to shrink, but can get a bit scarred or "tough" and those "little rubber balls" will stick around, often for life. They call them "shotty nodes" as in "buck shot" feeling under the skin. They can be different sizes. Keep an eye on it and if it grows without an infection present (ie. no sore throat, fever, etc.) then have it re-evaluated. And, this is coming, as kind as possible from a medical provider, GET OFF THE INTERNET! Seriously, you'll make yourself (and all your providers) crazy reading into this stuff. If all it took was a search engine like Google to be a doctor or a medical provider, do you think they'd all spend years and a lot of $ to go to school? Trust your doc, if you can't trust them, go find another..and if your "momtuition" keeps telling you something isn't right...keep following up for sure, but otherwise, try to stay calm. There are many things that are "normal" that can cause a lay person to freak out.
Chances are, your DD is fine.

Go to a another doctor -- go to as many as you need until someone bothers to check it out.

you need to take the child into a different doctor, look on the internet for doctors who treat lymph node problems, then pick one that is nearby and takes your insurance. then take the child in because something doesnt sound right, your regular doctor probably doesnt want to treat it because he either doesnt know how or he doesnt want to be bothered.gee, can you tell i am just brimming with confidence when it comes to doctors?
K. h.

My 3 almost 4 year old daugher has a swollen lymph node behind her left ear its been there for over a year. I have taken her to 5 doctors 2 nurse practioners and 4 nurses all said the same thing....it ok just watch it for growth or if she starts to complain. I know how you feel I panic as well I try to forget about it but then it comes right back! Pedi said if he was concerned he would do test but that he is not concerned about it and for me to relax but how can I ? It stresses me out!!

I've had an enlarged lymph node on my neck for more than 20 years and it's never bothered me or turned into anything bad. I don't think it's anything to worry about unless it becomes extremely enlarged.

Is it right below her ear? If it's the same thing my son had, it's called a-typical tb. It's not contageous nor life threatening. I would recommend seeing another doctor. My son had the lymphnode removed at Children's Hospital.

My daughter's lymphnode continued to swell into a baseball. It lost the battle with the infection and turned into an abcess.....needless to say surgery was involved and she's fine. Lymphnodes swell due to an infection in the body. I would get a 2nd opinion!

You have excellent answers from many moms. The problem with some, not all, doctors, is they don't like to admit they don't know something. But they are normal people just like us who cannot possibly know everything about every single possible physical condition or illness all the time. The important thing is to trust the doctor you have, develop a good relationship so you can communicate your concerns, and then stick with your intuition. If you are not getting a warm fuzzy with your doctor, then find another one. The best doctors are the ones who will send you to the correct specialist when you need it, and who will listen you your concerns and give you good explanations about what is going on. If you don't feel comfortable with them, move on to someone else if you can. If you can't, keep asking them until you get the information you need, from them, not the internet. Internet is wonderful but it isn't a doctor. Best wishes!

My son is having a similar problem with all of his lymph nodes, but his doesn't stay swollen all the time. They only swell when his severe eczema flares (inflammation somewhere in the body) or there's an infection present. It's definitely not normal & alot of times doctors will say things just to avoid upsetting the parents or because they don't have an answer. They will assume nothing's wrong if the child looks healthy, is growing fine, and not running fevers. If your really that concerned, you could have a biopsy done of the lymph node or have her blood counts checked for infection. I personally didn't want my son going through the biopsy procedure, so we had his blood counts checked for infection & they came back normal.

Hey D.~ My son had a swollen lymph node when he was a tiny baby. I noticed it and asked the doctor... he said the same thing... nothing to worry about. Well, it lasted for years, same spot... I kept asking doctors and they all said it was nothing to worry about. He's now a healthy 6 year old and guess what... there was nothing to worry about.

I do know that lymph nodes and indeed the whole lymph system can carry bad stuff like cancer, but it usually starts somewhere else, as I understand it.

With children, I believe a swollen lymph node means the system is working and keeping your child healthy, as it cleans the blood. It is very common for kids to have swollen lymph nodes for a long period of time... they are just working out the kinks, so to speak.

Try not to worry if the doctor has looked at it. If you have more reservations about the situation, ask a different doctor. Chances are, the answer will be the same.

Peace. ~J.

I wonder if it is just holding onto lymph fluid. If so, having her bounce on a rebounder (mini trampoline) for 15 to 30 minutes a day has been proven to help lymphatic fluid drainage. Here's an article that I read about it recently:

http://www.naturalnews.com/031199_rebounding_lymphatic_sy...

If rebounding doesn't seem to be the solution, you may want to speak with your doctor about getting a referral your daughter to be seen and treated by a lymphatic massage therapist. Regular massage is good also but lymphatic massage is specialized and basically works at moving fluids through the lymphatic system and opening up those stuck channels. Better to go to someone who specializes in lymphatic massage if at all possible.

I'm glad that you are being an inquisitive mama and are not accepting your doctor's indifference without checking things out for yourself. Hope this helps and that your daughter's lymph node returns to normal soon.