Pain in jaw and neck swollen lymph nodes

Q: When should I worry about swollen lymph nodes under jaw?

See your doctor if youre concerned or if your swollen lymph nodes: Have appeared for no apparent reason. Continue to enlarge or have been present for two to four weeks. Feel hard or rubbery, or dont move when you push on them.

Do you have a sore throat, headache, and fatigue? It is possible that you could have swollen lymph nodes, also called "swollen glands." Typically, if your glands are swollen, it is an indication that your body is fighting an infection or some other type of illness. This could be an indication of something more serious as cancer.

Table of Contents Show

Purpose of Lymph Nodes
Symptoms and Signs
Causes and Concerns
Solutions and Options
When to see a Doctor
Check if your glands are swollen
Things you can do yourself
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
Urgent advice: Get advice from 111 now if:
Causes of swollen glands
Can swollen lymph nodes in neck cause jaw pain?
When should I worry about swollen lymph nodes under jaw?
Why do my lymph nodes hurt under my jaw?
Does Covid cause swollen lymph nodes in neck?

Purpose of Lymph Nodes

Helping your body battle infections and other diseases, lymph nodes are bean-shaped, small masses of tissue components of a large lymphatic system. When lymphatic fluid moves through your body, lymphocytes (immune cells) within the lymph glands trap viruses, bacteria and other possibly harmful substances and destroy them. This helps keep these pathogens from spreading any further.

Locations

No doubt, you are already aware of the lymph nodes found in your neck. However, you actually have hundreds of lymph nodes located throughout your entire body. Your tonsils are also classified as lymph tissues. Sometimes, they can become swollen and inflamed to fight illnesses like tonsillitis. This condition is most common in children, but adults can also contract it. Other areas of the body where you might feel swollen lymph nodes include:

Behind your ears
Under your jaw
The lower part of the back of your head
Your armpits
Your groin area

Symptoms and Signs

Under normal circumstances, you should not be able to feel your glands. Normally, they are approximately one half inch in diameter. However, when you or your child fights off an illness, these glands may swell to double or triple their regular size. At this point, they can be felt very easily. Additional signs and symptoms of swollen glands include:

Pain or tenderness when pressure is applied
Sore throat, fever and or sores in the mouth
Warm, red and swollen skin over the gland
Glands that feel “lumpy”

Causes and Concerns

Soft, tender and moveable swollen glands are typically signs of an inflammation or infection. Lymph nodes that are painless, feel hard to the touch, and resist movement need further examination by a head and neck specialist, as they could be warning signs of more serious conditions. The most common causes of swollen glands include:

Bacterial infections including strep throat
Infected teeth or mouth sores
Viral infections including mononucleosis, also known as "mono"
Skin infections
Ear infections
Sexually transmitted diseases, also known as STDs
Cancers like Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and breast cancer
Immunodeficiency conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus and HIV infections
Possible side effects from vaccines or other types of medications

Solutions and Options

After the illness has been treated and you feel better overall, your lymph nodes should shrink back to normal. Treatment of your swollen glands tends to be cause-dependent. The following home remedies can prove to be helpful in reducing the pain and discomfort you are experiencing:

Non-prescription pain relievers: Tylenol (acetaminophen), and anti-inflammatory medications like Advil (ibuprofen), reduce the swelling and inflammation.However, do not ever administer aspirin to a child, as there is a significant risk for Reye's syndrome.
Warm, wet compresses: Apply to the affected areas for soothing effect.
Rest: Make sure to get lots of rest, as this helps your body recover from illness.

When to see a Doctor

There are some symptoms and indications that your swollen glands require treatment from a healthcare professional. Additional treatment may be required if swollen glands are accompanied by:

A high fever (more than 104 degrees F)
Breathing difficulties
Problems swallowing
Night sweats
Unexplained loss of weight
Reddened skin over top of the swollen lymph nodes
Large swollen nodes that are very tender, hard to the touch and do not reduce in size

Summary

The majority of cases of swollen glands are no cause for great concern. They usually go away with basic treatment at home. However, the more serious symptoms mentioned above should never be ignored. If you are experiencing persistent or problematic swollen glands, contact our office for an appointment. One of our competent head and neck specialists can offer you a solution and treatment.

Additional Reading:

https://www.entnet.org/content/head-and-neck-cancer
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/swollen_lymph_glands/page8_em.htm
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/swollen-glands
www.entnet.org/content/patient-health

Swollen glands are a sign the body is fighting an infection. They usually get better by themselves within 2 weeks.

Check if your glands are swollen

Swollen glands feel like tender, painful lumps:

on each side of the neck
under the chin
in the armpits
around the groin

Glands (known as lymph glands or lymph nodes) swell near an infection to help your body fight it.

Sometimes a gland on just one side of the body swells.

You might also have other symptoms, such as a sore throat, cough or high temperature.

Things you can do yourself

Swollen glands should go down within 2 weeks.

You can help to ease the symptoms by:

resting
drinking plenty of fluids (to avoid dehydration)
taking painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen (do not give aspirin to children under 16)

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

your swollen glands are getting bigger or they have not gone down within 2 weeks
they feel hard or do not move when you press them
you're having night sweats or have a very high temperature (you feel hot and shivery) for more than 3 or 4 days
you have swollen glands and no other signs of illness or infection
you have swollen lymph glands just above or below your collar bone (the bone that runs from your breastbone to each of your shoulders)

Urgent advice: Get advice from 111 now if:

you have swollen glands and you're finding it very difficult to swallow

111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

Other ways to get help

Get an urgent GP appointment

A GP may be able to treat you.

Ask your GP surgery for an urgent appointment.

Causes of swollen glands

Do not self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.

Swollen glands are:

often caused by common illnesses like colds, tonsillitis and ear or throat infections
sometimes caused by viral infections such as glandular fever
rarely caused by anything more serious, like cancer of the blood system (leukaemia) or lymph system (lymphoma)

A GP will be able to recommend treatment depending on the cause, which might include antibiotics (antibiotics do not work on viral infections).

Page last reviewed: 25 September 2020
Next review due: 25 September 2023

Can swollen lymph nodes in neck cause jaw pain?

Viral or bacterial infection: Swelling in your lymph node is a frequent cause of jaw pain. The infection can be mild but can also be bold due to stronger infections that require medication. Swollen glands or nodes can signify that your body is trying to fight off an infection.

When should I worry about swollen lymph nodes under jaw?

See your doctor if you're concerned or if your swollen lymph nodes: Have appeared for no apparent reason. Continue to enlarge or have been present for two to four weeks. Feel hard or rubbery, or don't move when you push on them.

Why do my lymph nodes hurt under my jaw?

A swollen node under the jaw can indicate an upper respiratory infection, cold or flu. Swollen lymph nodes under the jaw may feel tender to the touch and can even cause difficulty swallowing or moving your head in certain directions.

Does Covid cause swollen lymph nodes in neck?

In a Health.com article, Dr. Watkins agreed with several other physicians that even though research says that COVID-19 can cause swollen glands, he and others have yet to see swollen glands in their own COVID-19 patients.