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Neck Swelling
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Any swelling on t he neck causes concern. Yet most swellings aren't serious. Follow t his chart
if you have any swelling or lumps on your neck.
SYMPT OMS

DIAGNOSIS

SELF-CARE

Begin Here

1. Do you have lumps or

swelling on bot h sides
of your neck?

Go to Question 4 .*
No

Yes

2. Do you have a f ever,

sore t hroat , cold or f lu
sympt oms?

T his may be an
ENLARGED LYMPH
NODE caused by an
inf ect ion of ST REP,
MONONUCLEOSIS or
simple SORE T HROAT .

Yes

If t he sore t hroat is
severe, or if you also
have st omach pain, a
red rash, f ever or whit e
pat ches on t he back of
your t hroat , call your
doct or right away. Treat
less severe sympt oms
wit h over-t he-count er
cold and f lu medicines.
T hese include
decongest ant s,
ant ihist amines and
analgesics, such as
acet aminophen. If t he
lumps don't shrink wit hin
t wo weeks, or if one
becomes very large
and t ender, see your
doct or as soon as
possible.

Generated from

No

3. Are t he lumps get t ing

larger, or have t hey
been on your neck f or
longer t han t wo weeks?

Yes

T he lumps may be
INFECT ED LYMPH
NODES or possibly
CANCEROUS LYMPH
NODES, such as in
HODGKIN'S DISEASE.

See your doct or right

away.

No

*4. Do you have swelling

in t he back of your neck
on one or bot h sides?

Go to Question 7.**
No

Yes

5. Do you have a skin

inf ect ion or rash on
your scalp?
Yes

T hese swellings are

probably lymph nodes
react ing t o t he SKIN
INFECT ION.

Treat t he skin inf ect ion

wit h a t opical ant ibiot ic
oint ment . If t he lymph
nodes do not shrink in
t wo t o t hree weeks,
see your doct or.

You may have a viral

illness or, rarely,
GERMAN MEASLES
(RUBELLA).

If you have a f acial

rash, see your doct or
right away. Treat t he
f ever wit h over-t hecount er f ever medicine,
such as
acet aminophen, unt il
you can see your
doct or. St ay away f rom
pregnant women.
German measles can
harm unborn children
and cause
complicat ions, such as
pneumonia.

T his t ype of swelling

may be f rom MUMPS, a
disease caused by a
virus t hat at t acks t he
salivary glands.

See your doct or right

away.

No

6. Do you have a rash

on your f ace or a
f ever?

Yes

No

**7. Do you have

swelling behind and
over your jaw on one or
bot h sides?

Yes

Generated from

No

8. Do you have swelling

underneat h your chin or
direct ly in t he middle of
your neck?

Yes

You may have a

T HYROGLOSSAL
DUCT cyst or abscess,
a problem wit h your
T HYROID GLAND.

See your doct or.

You may have an

ENLARGED T HYROID, a
GOIT ER or
T HYROIDIT IS, also
called HASHIMOT O'S
DISEASE, an
inf lammat ion of t he
t hyroid gland. T his may
also be a sign of
T HYROID CANCER or
ot her T HYROID
DISEASES.

See your doct or right

away.

No

9. Is t here a sof t
swelling on t he f ront of
your neck above and
bet ween t he
collarbones?
Yes

No

For more inf ormat ion,

please t alk t o your
doct or. If you t hink t he
problem is serious, call
right your doct or right
away.
This tool has been reviewed by doctors and is for general educational purposes only. It is not a
substitute for medical advice. The information in this tool should not be relied upon to make
decisions about your health. Always consult your family doctor with questions about your
individual condition(s) and/or circumstances. Source: American Academy of Family Physicians.
Family Health & Medical Guide. Dallas: Word Publishing; 1996.
See complet e list of chart s.
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