If you notice a lump or swelling in your neck, the first thing to know is that it’s very common to have temporary swelling or a lump in your neck, and it’s usually nothing serious. In fact, it’s usually a sign that your immune system is doing its job.
Most of the time, lumps in the neck are caused by a common illness and go away when you feel better. But if you have a lump that doesn’t go away or you start to feel worse, make a primary care appointment.
Read on to learn about possible causes and symptoms to watch for, and when it’s time to see a doctor.
A swollen lymph node is the most common cause of a lump in your neck
If you have a lump in your neck, it’s very likely that it’s a swollen lymph node. Swollen lymph nodes feel rubbery, are moveable and usually between the size of a pea and a grape. Other symptoms can be pain, heat and redness.
So, why are swollen lymph nodes so common? It has to do with the purpose of lymph nodes and how many you have in your body.
Lymph nodes are part of your immune system. Adults have between 500 and 800 of these small bean-shaped organs throughout their body, but some areas of the body (like the neck) have more than others.
Lymph nodes filter disease-causing germs and other harmful substances from your body. As part of this process, they can swell up. That means swollen lymph nodes are actually a sign that your immune system is doing its job.
Swollen lymph nodes are often caused by viruses and bacteria that affect your ears, nose or throat, causing illnesses such as the common cold, the flu, sore throats, ear infections and sinus infections. Less frequently, swollen lymph nodes are caused by allergies, medications or other medical conditions.
If a swollen lymph node is causing a neck lump, it will usually go away in 1-2 weeks, but it can depend on the cause. If the lump sticks around for longer or you’re getting worse instead of better, make a primary care appointment.
Viral or bacterial infections can cause painful lumps in your throat and neck
Viral and bacterial infections can cause painful lumps on your neck and inside your throat. Sometimes these lumps are swollen lymph nodes (as mentioned above), but other tissues in your neck can get infected as well.
Infections in skin, salivary glands, tonsils, the thyroid gland or neck muscles can also lead to noticeable neck lumps. In some cases, the infections can get trapped and turn into an abscess or boil.
The good news is that if neck lumps are caused by an infection, they’re usually easy to treat. They may go away on their own, or your doctor may drain them or prescribe antibiotics.
An abscess or boil can start as a hard lump on the neck
An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms when your body tries to fight off an infection. A boil is a specific type of abscess that forms around a hair follicle or sweat gland. Neck boils are most common in people with thick beards since bacteria can enter skin through small nicks that you get while shaving your neck.
In the beginning, a skin abscess or boil can be a firm, tender lump under the skin. As it gets bigger, you will likely be able to see the boil through the skin. It may look red, raised and swollen. The skin over the abscess may appear thin with a white or yellow substance beneath it.
If you have one, don’t pop it. If it’s small, you can use a warm washcloth to encourage drainage. Get help if it’s large, very painful, rapidly enlarging or accompanied by fever. Your doctor may drain the boil or prescribe antibiotics.
An abscess in your throat can cause neck swelling and serious symptoms
While abscesses in the skin are most common, pockets of pus can form in any type of tissue, including muscles and glands. In the neck, abscesses can form around tonsils (sometimes as a complication of tonsillitis) or behind the throat.
When abscesses form in deeper tissues, they can cause more serious symptoms. In addition to swelling, they can cause a stiff neck, fever, and trouble breathing or swallowing. Because they can affect the airway, they often require urgent medical attention, imaging and drainage by a doctor.
Mumps can cause a lump in the neck that hurts and a swollen face
Mumps is a viral infection that usually affects the salivary glands just below and in front of ears (the parotid glands). It can cause painful swelling in the cheeks and jaw, which may make your neck look puffy or lumpy. Other symptoms include fever, a sore neck, stomach pain and vomiting.
Most people are vaccinated against mumps during childhood. If you’ve had the MMR or MMRV vaccine, it’s unlikely that mumps is the cause of the neck lump. But if it is, you shouldn’t have serious symptoms or complications. If you haven’t been vaccinated, talk to your doctor about it at your next appointment.
Allergic reactions can cause itchy lumps on the neck and swelling
An allergic reaction can cause a lump or swelling in your neck. The lump might be a swollen lymph node or just fluid building up under the skin. Allergic reactions are your body’s way of responding to something it sees as a threat, such as food allergens, medicine or pollen.
Small, itchy bumps on the neck can also be a reaction to something your skin has touched, like laundry detergent or a personal care product. Insect bites can also cause little lumps, hives or swelling in that area.
You’ll want to talk to your doctor about any allergic reactions you have. In most cases, it’s okay to wait until your next preventive care appointment, but if it’s suddenly hard to breathe or swallow, call 911.
Overuse or injury can cause a firm, painful lump on the neck
Neck injuries – such as overuse, strain or whiplash – can cause swelling, leading to a firm lump that may be red, purple or blue. These lumps are often tender or painful, and may feel warm.
If overuse is the cause of the lump, you may also feel pain in your neck, shoulders, arms, hands, upper back and head. It may also be hard to move your neck.
If you think the lump is caused by overuse or injury, talk to your doctor about it. The lump may go away on its own with time and rest. Depending on your needs, physical therapy may be recommended to help manage pain and rebuild strength.
Noncancerous growths cause lumps on different parts of the neck
If you have a lump that’s soft and moveable, the cause might be abnormal cell growth within the tissues in your neck. Most often these growths are noncancerous (benign).
There are different types of benign growths that can form in your neck, which we get into below. In most cases, these lumps don’t need to be treated but make a primary care appointment if a lump changes in size, becomes painful or interferes with movement.
Cysts can cause a soft, moveable lump in the neck
Cysts are small, fluid-filled sacs that can form in extra tissues in your neck. Sometimes these tissues are “leftover” from birth or surgery, and other times, the extra tissue may be caused by abnormal cell growth. Cysts are usually painless unless they become big or infected. Since they don’t cause problems, it’s possible to have one and not know that you do.
Lipomas often cause a painless lump on the back of the neck
A lipoma is a lump that’s filled with fat. When found on the neck, they’re usually on the fatty part of the back of the neck but can also form in neck muscles or in the gland right in front of the ear. Lipomas are among the most frequently diagnosed benign soft-tissue tumors in adults.
Lipomas are soft, moveable and usually painless. They also grow very slowly, at a rate of about 0.5 to 2 centimeters per year. Lipomas aren’t dangerous unless they grow large or press on nearby structures. If they cause problems, they may be surgically removed.
Salivary stones can cause a painful, swollen lump under the jaw or in front of ears
If you have a swollen lump under your jaw that’s painful, especially when eating, it might be a salivary stone (also called sialolithiasis).
Salivary stones are masses of crystallized minerals that form in the salivary glands. Almost all salivary stones form in the submandibular salivary glands located below your jaw toward the very back of your mouth. But you can form stones in the other salivary glands, including the sublingual glands located underneath your tongue and the parotid glands in front of each ear.
Salivary stones are caused by conditions, habits and medications that cause thick saliva, including dehydration, autoimmune diseases and smoking. They are most common in males between 30 and 60 years old. Children are very unlikely to have salivary stones.
Besides being very painful, salivary stones can make it difficult to swallow or open your mouth. You’ll want to make a primary care appointment if you have one. Salivary stones sometimes go away with home remedies, but your doctor may also recommend antibiotics or stone removal.
Thyroid problems can cause a lump at the base of the neck
The thyroid is the small gland at the base of the neck, above the breastbone. Its job is to create hormones to help with a range of bodily functions, including body temperature, digestion, metabolism, heart rate and mood. Thyroid problems are quite common and often related to having too little or too much iodine in your diet. If the thyroid develops nodules or becomes enlarged, it can cause a noticeable lump in the neck.
Thyroid nodules are usually small and may not be noticeable
Thyroid nodules are solid or fluid-filled lumps that form in the thyroid gland. They are quite common, and it’s estimated that up to 60% of people will have at least one. But people don’t usually know they have one since they tend to be very small and don’t usually cause symptoms. They’re typically only found if you have medical imaging for another reason.
However, nodules can sometimes get large enough that you can see a lump on the front of your neck, above the collarbone. Large nodules can affect swallowing or breathing, and they can cause voice changes.
It’s also possible for thyroid nodules to cause the thyroid gland to overproduce thyroid hormones. If you have an overactive thyroid, you’re likely to have other symptoms, including a rapid heart rate, increased appetite and unintentional weight loss.
While thyroid nodules usually aren’t serious and are very rarely cancerous, they can sometimes be a sign of thyroid disease. This is another reason why you should see your doctor if you have a neck lump that doesn’t go away.
An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) causes a lump that moves up and down when you swallow
If you have a lump on the front of your neck that moves up and down when you swallow, you may have an enlarged thyroid gland (sometimes referred to as a goiter). In some cases, the entire thyroid gland swells and gets larger. In other cases, the thyroid gland is bigger because you have a large thyroid nodule or many smaller thyroid nodules.
Goiters may be a sign of a thyroid problem (such as an overactive or underactive thyroid), but it’s possible to have one even if you have normal thyroid function. Goiters are often treated with medications. In some cases, they’re surgically removed.
Cancer is a much less common cause of a painless lump in the throat
If you have a lump on your neck or in your throat, it’s probably not cancer. But you’ll want to talk to a doctor, just to make sure.
Lumps can be a sign of different types of head and neck cancer, including cancer of the throat, voice box, salivary glands, thyroid and mouth. Lumps caused by head and neck cancer often look and feel different than other neck lumps. Cancerous lumps tend to be painless, hard, irregularly shaped and unmovable. They grow slowly, and you may not have symptoms early on. But as they get bigger, they may cause symptoms such as a change in your voice, pain with swallowing, and a persistent cough, sore throat or earache.
When to see a doctor for a lump in your neck
If you have a lump in your neck and you’re getting over an illness, there’s a good chance that the lump is a swollen lymph node, and it will go away in a couple of weeks without medical treatment. But as we explained above, there are many reasons for a lump in your neck, some of which need medical attention.
Make a primary care appointment if:
- The lump lasts more than two weeks, and you don’t have any other signs of infection.
- The lump is hard and unmovable.
- The lump is rapidly growing.
- You’re experiencing fever, night sweats or unexplained weight loss.
- You’re coughing up a small amount of blood. (If it’s a large amount, call 911 or head to the ER.)
- The swelling is painful or accompanied by redness.