Why is there swelling in neck behind ear and a swollen tooth?

Question

Hi doctor,

My father is having a swelling in the neck behind the ear. Also, he is suffering from a swollen tooth. He is now taking treatment for a root canal.

Can you please suggest the reason for swelling in the neck?
Is this a serious disease like cancer?
What to do for this swelling?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I would like to know a few details, like

Since when has he noticed this swelling?
Is there swelling anywhere else, like in the neck or armpits?
Any fever, cough, throat pain, or weight loss?
Any history of TB (tuberculosis), smoking, or tobacco?
Any ulcer in the mouth?

There can be a few reasons for this swelling like:

Reactive due to the swollen tooth.
Viral infection of the throat.
Scalp infection.
Cancer of the oral cavity or lymph nodes.

What I will advise you is to complete the treatment for the swollen tooth and also take a course of antibiotics for the same. If the swelling is still persistent, then you need to get it checked. The best thing is to see a physician who will examine you in detail and also to get basic blood tests like CBC (complete blood count), ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), LFT (liver function test), and a chest X-ray. He might also need an FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology), depending on what his symptoms and reports are.

For more information, consult an internal medicine physician online.

Thank you.