I found a lump behind my right ear. What could it be?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 17-year-old male. I found a lump behind my right ear, not a huge lump, maybe the size of half of a grape or slightly smaller. Other than that, I would not say there are any more symptoms, not that I have noticed anyway. Although I should mention, I do have a bad tooth (back tooth) which was causing me quite a lot of pain three months ago. But, the pain was inside my mouth (a toothache). I do not have this pain now. Could this lump perhaps have something to do with that? Or something much more serious? I need your honest opinion. Is there any way I could identify what kind of lump it may be (cyst, cancerous, etc.) without me visiting the GP or hospital?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

A lump behind the ear could be a swollen lymph node if the toothache were also on the same side. If it recently appeared, is not hard or fixed, if it is more or less tender to the touch or is not growing bigger, it easily could be due to an infection from a tooth, inside your ear, or scalp infection. Just keep an eye out for any more swellings, or notify your GP (general practitioner) if it changes in consistency, mobility, and number. Hope this helps. Thank you and take care.