Mama Lynx Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 My 7 year old has a lump on his neck, on the left side, down towards his shoulder. it's about the size of a penny, and it hurts when it's touched. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 My 7 year old has a lump on his neck, on the left side, down towards his shoulder. it's about the size of a penny, and it hurts when it's touched. Thoughts? Is it on the skin or under the skin? On the skin I say bug bite. Under the skin my guess is swollen lymph node. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 Is it on the skin or under the skin? On the skin I say bug bite. Under the skin my guess is swollen lymph node. It's under the skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 You didn't say how long it had been there. Is it the beginning of a boil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 You didn't say how long it had been there. Is it the beginning of a boil? This is the first I've known about it. He says it's been there for a couple of days. I know nothing about boils. I don't think I've ever seen one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Swollen lymph node. Has he been sick? If so, it could be from his body fighting the cold. If not, you may want to take him to the doc and let them check it out. Swollen lymph nodes can mean about a million and one things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 Swollen lymph node. Has he been sick? If so, it could be from his body fighting the cold. If not, you may want to take him to the doc and let them check it out. Swollen lymph nodes can mean about a million and one things. Yeeeaaaahhhhhhh ... no health insurance ATM. So we're at that tricky balancing point of "what's best for the child" vs. "don't go in if we don't have to." He hasn't been sick, except for a little stuffiness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Is it hard or softish? Does it roll around under your fingers? My kids have had swollen lymphs before (my youngest had on in the groin area that worried me) and they turned out to be nothing. Is this one visable or did you just happen to feel it? The thing you need to watch for is size. If it gets much bigger or seems to be continuing to swell, then he will definitely need to be seen. I had one the size of an EGG before that turned out to be caused by Mono. :( I was 17 at the time and it scared me to death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 (edited) My 7 year old has a lump on his neck, on the left side, down towards his shoulder. it's about the size of a penny, and it hurts when it's touched. Thoughts? Sounds like a swollen lymph node to me. We have recently had experience with this with my youngest daughter. Her pediatrician prescribed an antibiotic and it went away within a few days. ETA: Sorry, I meant to mention, her prescription was because she also had a skin irritation (looked like a bug bite) next to the swollen node. She has also had swollen lymph nodes without the presence of a skin irritation and no antibiotic was prescribed. The node went away within a week or two. Edited April 26, 2009 by TN Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 My 7 year old has a lump on his neck, on the left side, down towards his shoulder. it's about the size of a penny, and it hurts when it's touched. Thoughts? It could be ringworm. You can treat it with an anti-fungal foot cream. Ask the pharmacist. there's no need to see a doctor unless it doesn't get better in a week and go away in 2 weeks. My step-son got it from a wrestling mat that was used at a Jiu Jitsu tournament. It was a round spot under the skin and very painful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 My son had a swollen lymph node that took months to go away. The node itself wasn't a concern, but it did signal a low grade infection that had no other apparent symptoms. Eventually, he started losing weight, and had sleep apnea, and we realized he'd had a lot of ear infections. After several rounds of antibiotics, he still had the infection (whatever it was). We had his tonsils and adenoids removed, and all of his symptoms (including that chronically inflamed lymph node) went away. Of course, I'm not saying your ds needs surgery, just that a lymph node, though benign itself, gets swollen because the body is fighting an infection. Watch for other symptoms. You can gently massage a swollen lymph node, just as you do a clogged mild duct, to try to loosen the lymph and get it flowing again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Sounds like a swollen lymph node to me. I would keep an eye on it and if it gets larger or doesn't shrink within a little bit I'd take him in. As Tree House Academy said it can mean a million and one things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 Thanks everyone! I feel certain that it is a lymph node, and I'm going to keep an eye on him for the next few days, to see how things go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGin Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 (edited) If he develops a sore throat and/or runs a low grade, it could very well be mono. Mono in children does not act like mono in teens and adults, it is so much milder that it often gets misdiagnosed or not noticed at all. When my ds was 4, he contracted mono and it started with a lump like you describe. It's nothing to freak out about though, in a child that age, if it's mono, the worst symptoms, sore throat and fever, will develop quickly and be over just as quickly, but the lump may hang on for a few weeks or so. There is no treatment for mono other than the standard treatment for a sore throat and fever. Oh, one more thing, if it is mono, his fever will run low for a day or two then jump up really high. If that happens then be assured the next day he will feel so much better you'll be amazed. I was! :) Edited April 26, 2009 by JustGin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Just wanted to say that if it is a lymph node, the less you touch it and mess with it, the sooner it will go away. My dd had a huge one on her neck once - the dr did a cbc and also tested for cat scratch fever. Everything was fine, but it wouldn't go away. I checked it at least once a day, often multiple times. I looked on-line and found that the more you mess with a swollen lymph node, the longer it will stay swollen. Once I stopped messing with it, the swelling went down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 How's your son? Did you take him to the doc? Do you know what the bump was? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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