A lump appeared behind the ear, it hurts when pressed, how to treat it

Most often, after waking up at night, you will find that a lump has appeared behind your ear. Morning procedures, combing, and other “getting ready” of a person quickly reveal this problem. Sometimes, while still lying in bed, you can feel pain and tightness behind the ear. The reasons for the appearance of bumps are different, so before you begin treatment, you need to know what we are dealing with.

An important stage of therapy is diagnosis, which allows you to clearly determine the disease and guide the doctor on a further plan of action.

Diagnostics

In some cases, doctors’ experience helps make a diagnosis without any additional methods.
Usually people with a bun behind the ear go to a therapist, surgeon, ENT specialist, dermatologist, or infectious disease specialist. But, despite the professionalism of doctors, ultrasound, CT, or a biopsy from the contents of the lump can more clearly confirm the diagnosis. The last diagnosis is carried out in a hospital setting, and only after the first two. The proposed diagnostics allows us to clarify the localization of the formation, its density, and spread to other tissues.

Based on the diagnostic results, the patient is referred to the appropriate specialist.

When is it dangerous?

A lump appeared under the ear - reasons

The following pathologies may be the causes of lumps behind the ears:

ENT infections;
infectious diseases;
hypothermia;
diabetes;
systemic pathologies;
malfunction of the lymphatic system;
disruption of the sebaceous glands with their blockage;
tuberculosis;
HIV (generalized lymphadenopathy is more often observed, but lesions primarily appear on the neck and behind the ears);
oncological processes;
other pathologies.

Concomitant factors for the occurrence of seals in the ear area include:

immunodeficiencies;
prickly heat behind the ears and lack of hygiene;
local infection;
hormonal disorders;
infections in the nasopharynx, ears and mouth.

Common Causes

A pea-sized lump that feels like a ball under your fingers causes a lot of anxiety for people who are attentive to their health. To determine the cause of the lump behind the ear, you first need to conduct a small examination. Soreness, mobility or immobility, whether body temperature is elevated - all this is important and is assessed.

The formation of lumps behind the ears in adults can be influenced by:

excessive production of sebaceous fat;
acute respiratory viral infection;
decreased general immunity;
neglect of personal hygiene rules;
scratches, wounds on the skin and their further infection.

Sometimes, under a hard ball behind the skin, there is an inflammatory process of the hair follicle, in other words, an ordinary pimple. The site of inflammation may itch, and when touched, a burning sensation or pain may be felt. Acne often goes away on its own, especially if you wipe it with cleansing lotions.

A pimple behind the ear should not be squeezed or scratched, as this often leads to infection and abscess.

Another common reason for the formation of lumps behind the left and right ears is enlarged lymph nodes against the background of reduced immunity.

Most often this happens during colds. In this case, there is inflammation of the lymph nodes on the back of the head, on the neck, under the jaw or between the ear and jaw. These formations usually go away on their own as you recover.

If you experience severe pain or notice a significant increase in temperature, you should seek medical help.

Causes of enlargement and inflammation of lymph nodes in childhood

A child's body reacts with more violent reactions to infection than an adult. Therefore, enlarged lymph nodes are common in pediatrics. A number of childhood infections (measles, rubella, chickenpox) in most cases occur against the background of lymphadenopathy.

Less common in children are non-inflammatory forms of lymph node enlargement. This reaction of the lymphatic system is associated with more serious pathologies, such as lymphogranulomatosis, lymphomas, leukemia, and others. Metastasis to lymph nodes during oncological processes in children is a rare phenomenon.

Possible reasons

Any person who has discovered some kind of tumor on his body wants to know what he is faced with and what to expect. What could cause a ball to appear behind the ear:

Enlarged postauricular lymph nodes.
Epidermal cyst.
Benign neoplasm (atheroma, lipoma, etc.).
Parotitis.

These are the most common reasons why a lump may occur in the behind-the-ear area. Other factors include trauma, malignant cancer, tuberculosis, etc. As you can see, if even a small formation appears under the skin, then it has to be differentiated from many quite serious pathological conditions and diseases. After all, it has long been known that without determining the exact cause of the disease, it is quite difficult to achieve a complete cure for the disease without consequences and complications.

If a ball (bump, tumor) appears behind the ear, there is no need to guess what it could be, but simply contact an experienced and highly qualified medical specialist.

Enlarged lymph nodes

It has been clinically proven that infection most often leads to enlargement of the postauricular lymph nodes. The following types of infectious diseases can trigger the development of lymphadenopathy:

Sore throats.
Measles and rubella.
Inflammation of the palatine tonsils.
Odontogenic infections.
Infectious process on the head and neck.
Tuberculosis.
Toxoplasmosis.
Infectious mononucleosis, etc.

In addition, enlargement of lymph nodes is observed during the oncological process, systemic diseases, adverse reactions to medications, etc. In the case of lymphadenopathy of an infectious nature, the following clinical picture will be noted:

If swollen lymph nodes are caused by infection, a high fever is common.
It can be seen that a rounded irregularity has formed behind the ear, which hurts when palpated.
Weakness, increased fatigue, decreased appetite, headaches and other symptoms of general intoxication caused by an infectious process in the body may appear.
In the presence of acute inflammation, the skin over the lymph node may be red, swollen, hot and tender to the touch.

Epidermal cyst

As indicated in medical reference books, an epidermal cyst appears as a result of blockage of the sebaceous glands and impaired outflow of sebum. External signs of an epidermal cyst:

It looks like a round tumor behind the ear.
Maintains normal skin color. In some cases, slight redness may be observed.
The size of the epidermal cyst varies from 0.5 to 5 cm.
Tends to grow quite quickly and increase in size.
It often becomes infected due to a bacterial infection.

Benign neoplasm

Often a ball under the ear can turn out to be a banal wen or lipoma. They are formed from adipocytes, which are fat cells in the body. It is worth noting that the skin over the neoplasm looks unchanged. Lipoma does not have any specific clinical symptoms. A mobile round tumor of soft consistency is palpable. However, some benign growths may feel firm to the touch. Sometimes they hurt and cause some discomfort. If there is a fairly rapid growth of the lipoma, it is necessary to take prompt measures to eliminate it.

The appearance of a ball under your ear should alert you and force you to consult a doctor.

Parotitis

Another cause of swelling in the area of the auricle is mumps, or, as people say, mumps. Refers to acute viral diseases and is accompanied by a painful enlargement of the parotid salivary glands. Main symptoms of the disease:

A sharp increase in temperature to high numbers.
The parotid salivary glands become enlarged. Initially, the swelling is located in front and under the ear. The lesion can be either unilateral or bilateral.
The swelling that appears spreads to the cheek and neck area.
The patient feels severe pain while eating.

What types of cones are there?

Swelling near the ear has the following types:

Enlarged lymph nodes - the inflammatory process in the body spreads with the bloodstream, and, passing through the lymphatic system, encounters “defenders” (lymph nodes). The task of the lymph nodes is to filter foreign agents. If the infection turns out to be stronger, then the lymph node behind the ear becomes inflamed (a lump appears), it becomes large in size, and hurts when pressed. Inflammation of the parotid lymph nodes is often a consequence of infectious processes in the body, less often cancer. Sometimes swelling behind the ear remains for a long time, but is not accompanied by pain. This picture indicates a chronic focus of infection. Eliminating infection in the body is the main task of treating lymph nodes.
“Mumps” (parotitis) - a lump appears on the bone behind the ear. More often than not, such a swelling behind a child’s ear will alert the pediatrician, so the doctor will collect other information regarding the “mumps.” This disease is especially dangerous for male children, because may subsequently cause infertility. With this pathology, inflammation of the salivary glands occurs. Sometimes swelling is noticeable on the cheeks and neck, and the earlobe may be slightly raised. “Mumps” is also accompanied by a rise in body temperature, weakness, malaise, and pain during the act of swallowing.
Subcutaneous formations (wen and atheroma) are clogged ducts of the sebaceous glands, leading to such benign neoplasms, and they can be everywhere. The formations are not accompanied by pain and are easily movable. Malignancy is extremely rare.
Malignant formations can be either with or without pain. A formation similar to a growth behind the ear is detected, which patients sometimes do not even pay attention to. In most cases, edge formations have irregularities. A CT scan and biopsy will help to clearly answer the nature of the tumor.

Lump on the bone

An inflamed lymph node as the cause of a lump
A lump behind the ear that appears on the bone may indicate lymphadenitis. If a child, in addition to a bump, suffers from fever and runny nose, most likely this is the body’s reaction to a viral infection.

When such a lump forms behind the ear in adults, the prognosis is less comforting. Most likely this is a blood lesion associated with malignant neoplasms, which may be accompanied by ordinary cold symptoms. After treatment for colds, the lump may remain. If its size also remains the same, and antibiotics have had no effect, you must urgently consult a doctor for additional diagnostics.

Atheroma is another manifestation of formation, painless and not static. Such a bump behind the ear can reach quite large sizes. The skin in the area of the lump does not lose its elasticity and does not change color. In some cases, the ball behind the ear may become filled with fluid.

Do not take independent measures to remove atheroma; it can only be cut out through surgery.

Affected salivary glands can also cause a similar picture. Often, a lump appears in children with mumps (mumps) and is noticeable when eating food. In addition, the temperature rises and other symptoms characteristic of influenza diseases occur. The glands of adults become inflamed due to benign or malignant neoplasms.

Symptoms - what is most common with lumps behind the ear?

The lump under the ear is often asymptomatic.
This applies to pathologies associated with subcutaneous tumors. Only with significant sizes of lipomas and atheromas, when nearby tissues are also involved, discomfort and mild nagging pain occur. With inflammation of the lymph nodes, patients complain of pain when touching, turning and tilting the head, and sometimes painful sensations occur even in a calm state. In the area of inflammation there may also be itching, redness, and swelling. Patients often complain of a rise in body temperature.

If you notice such symptoms, seek help from a doctor in order to recognize in time what could be causing the appearance of lumps behind the ears. The following cases should be of particular concern:

symptoms continue for a long time, treatment does not help, the lump increases in size;
the lump behind the ear is not associated with ARVI, mumps, or ENT infections;
if, in addition to the lump behind the ear, other lymph nodes have enlarged.

Inflammation of the lymph node

Most often, a hard lump behind the ear is an inflamed lymph node. The cause of inflammation can be carious teeth, infection of periodontal tissues, diseases of the oral mucosa (gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontal disease). In this case, the lump under the ear or behind it cannot be felt well enough, but causes pain upon palpation. In addition, swelling can occur with ear diseases such as otitis externa and internal.

Improper treatment can lead to a chronic form of lymphatic system disease. Therefore, if a lump appears on the ear bone, you should immediately contact a specialist who will diagnose and help cure this disease. However, not all people know which doctor to contact in this case. The first thing you need to do is visit an otolaryngologist . If this is a disease of his specialization, then he will find out why the swelling appeared and prescribe the necessary treatment.

A lump behind the ear on a bone can be treated using the following measures:

Antibacterial therapy
Use of analgesics and anesthetics
Physiotherapy
Surgical intervention

How to get rid of a lump behind the ear - treatment

Having determined the cause of the disease, the doctor draws up a treatment plan. Lymph nodes of an infectious nature are treated with antibacterial drugs. Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating agents are prescribed as auxiliary therapy.

Wen, atheromas, and other benign neoplasms are observed. Sometimes they disappear on their own, sometimes they do not change their size for a long time, but there are cases of their rapid growth. Then the surgeon will help solve the problem.

Malignant neoplasms can be treated by excision of the tumor and nearby tissues, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. This problem is dealt with by oncologist surgeons.

Mumps is a viral disease. Treatment boils down to bed rest and symptomatic treatment. Antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. After the incubation period, a course of vitamin therapy and immunocorrection is carried out.

During treatment, thermal procedures, massage, piercing of cones, and rubbing with warming ointments are not allowed.

Skin and other causes of lumps

Inflammatory diseases of the skin and its appendages:
boils;
dermatitis of various origins.
Blockage of the excretory ducts of the sebaceous gland with its cystic expansion (atheroma).
Tumor-like diseases of the skin and soft tissues of this localization:
tumors of the sweat and sebaceous glands.
lipomas;
hemangiomas;
fibromas, etc.
Inflammatory diseases and tumors of the salivary glands. This group should include such an infectious disease as viral mumps (popularly “mumps”), the manifestation of which is an enlargement of the lymph nodes, including the parotid localization.
Secondary inflammatory (lymphadenitis) or tumoral (with lymphogranulomatosis, various types of leukemia) changes in the lymph nodes.
Tumor diseases of the bone (osteoma, sarcoma, myeloma).
Post-traumatic changes (burns, hematomas, bruised ligaments and bones).

Mastoiditis

If the lipoma enlarges or if indicated, the pediatric surgeon can remove the lipoma. An important key point in this situation is a comprehensive diagnosis of the lump behind the ear and confirmation of the diagnosis.

Fistulas on the head near the ear and on the neck look like small bumps, painless on palpation. They can appear due to disturbances in intrauterine development and appear immediately after birth. In some cases, they can become inflamed and reach large sizes. Treatment under medical supervision is required; in severe cases, surgery is required.

Cystic formations. A subcutaneous bone cyst appears as a dark, hard lump on the scalp behind the ear. It can be mobile and grow on the bones. If the formation bothers the baby, the surgeon prescribes surgery to remove it after the child reaches three years of age. If the cyst often festers and thereby provokes the risk of complications, excision of the tumor can be performed at any age.

When diagnosing a lump behind the ear, its exact location, color, density, hard or soft, etc. are assessed.

This is not a complete list of reasons why a lump may form behind a child’s ear. Contact your pediatrician or surgeon. In childhood, many diseases are easily treatable.

Traditional methods of treatment

Along with the traditional approach, and only in consultation with the doctor, traditional medicine methods are also used. If we are talking about a malignant process, there is no amateur activity. Various shamanisms, super tinctures and ointments are wasted time for the patient.

Home recipes will be more helpful when the disease is infectious and inflammatory in nature, when, along with the main treatment, they will be useful in reducing pain, redness and swelling. Here are the most effective recipes for treating a lump behind the ear due to infectious processes.

Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid activates the body's defenses by increasing the number of white blood cells (leukocytes). These cells actively eliminate various types of bacteria. To obtain a therapeutic effect, when lymph nodes are enlarged, shock dosages of this drug are used. The patient is prescribed up to 1500 mg per day, dividing the dose into three times.

Aloe

Agave (aloe) juice is squeezed out in an amount of 5 ml and smeared on the cone in the morning and evening. For each procedure you will only need fresh juice. Some healers also advise applying aloe pulp for just 5-7 minutes. Treatment lasts at least 7 days, even if the bumps practically disappear.

Garlic paste

Take three large cloves of garlic and squeeze them through a garlic press. Add 10 ml of olive oil to the mixture and stir. Apply a thick layer to the seal behind the ear. If the skin begins to turn red and the patient complains of severe itching and stinging, then this recipe should not be used. The procedure is carried out once a day, preferably before bedtime.

Canadian goldenseal (powder)

The product is prepared from a dry plant. Goldenseal has a pronounced antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. To relieve inflammation in the lymph nodes, the following dose is recommended: 0.5 teaspoon of powder is eaten three times a day.

Some patients notice that while taking goldenseal there is loosening of the stool. In such cases, you can reduce the intake, for example, twice a day. If the stool is not restored, do not take the powder.

Baked onions with laundry soap

Select a small juicy onion, bake it in the oven, chop it, and mix with 30 grams of grated laundry soap. When the mixture has cooled or is slightly warm, apply it to the bump behind the ear and secure with a bandage. Leave the bandage on for one hour. Then remove the remaining mixture with warm water. The procedure is carried out twice a day until the size of the lump decreases.

The following tips will also help to shrink lymph nodes and relieve inflammation.

Compresses

Celandine juice compress

Wash a fresh bunch of medium-sized celandine well under running water, chop it and squeeze out the juice. Take 10 ml of celandine juice and pour 100 ml of alcohol into it. If you don’t have one at home, you can use vodka. Let the mixture brew for 3 days. The compress is applied before bedtime.

The gauze is folded in several layers and thoroughly soaked in the tincture. Then the gauze is wrung out so that the tincture does not drip onto the skin, and applied to the bun behind the ear. Place cotton wool on top of the gauze and secure it with a bandage. The bandage can be removed after 3-4 hours.

Compress – onion + tar

The average onion along with the husk is baked in the oven for about 30 minutes, and then kneaded into a homogeneous pulp, to which 10 grams of tar are added. This mixture is applied to the sore spot behind the ear, covered with gauze or cotton cloth, a layer of cotton wool is placed on top, and wrapped with a bandage. The compress is applied at night. Treatment is continued until the size of the lump behind the ear decreases.

Echinacea compress

Pharmacy tincture of echinacea is diluted 1:2 with water and a compress is made. A small piece of gauze, taken in several layers, is soaked in the tincture and immediately applied to the seal behind the ear. The gauze must be covered with a bandage and wrapped with a scarf on top.

Compress made from infusion of medicinal herbs

Ingredients:

nut (leaf);
St. John's wort (herb);
mistletoe (leaf);
yarrow (leaf).

Dry herbs are mixed in equal proportions. 15 grams of dry mixture must be poured with 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 40 minutes, strain. The resulting infusion is used twice a day to make compresses. The course of treatment is at least 10 days.

Medicinal herbal drinks will help eliminate the inflammatory process, normalize the functioning of the lymphatic system and reduce ringing behind the ears.

Infusions and tinctures for enlarged lymph nodes - taken orally

Echinacea tincture (pharmacy)

For two weeks, drink echinacea tincture three times a day, diluting 40 drops in 70 ml of water. If necessary, the course of treatment is repeated after a ten-day break.

Propolis tincture (pharmacy)

Propolis is a powerful natural antibacterial product that has been tested in the treatment of lymph node damage resulting from tuberculosis. To prepare the drink, use 25 drops of propolis tincture and 50–100 ml of water. Depending on the severity of the process, take from one to three times a day.

The course of treatment is usually long. Initially, the patient takes the tincture for 15 days, then a break, and another 15 days. In case of tuberculosis of the lymph nodes, treatment with propolis is even longer; it is corrected by a phthisiatrician, taking into account the general condition of the patient, the drug load, and the indicators of a biochemical blood test.

Chondroma is a pathology of cartilage tissue

Chondroma is another type of benign tumor. This type of neoplasm in the form of a hard small bun originates in cartilage. Mostly, the pathology occurs at a young age against the background of injuries and inflammation of bone tissue.

The lump behind the ear, associated with chondroma, is not able to move when pressed, is painless and grows inconspicuously. The presence of such a tubercle on the cartilage is not life-threatening, but requires the adoption of appropriate therapeutic measures.

Atheroma

One of the main reasons for the appearance of a lump may be atheroma - a cyst, a benign formation resulting from blockage of the sebaceous gland. The atheroma is removed using a laser beam or a surgical scalpel in 15 minutes. Until an infection joins the atheroma, the problem is purely aesthetic in nature, since the lump is visible to others.

What else could happen if a lump was discovered behind the ear? What is it and is it dangerous? Such a formation may be just a pseudotumor, atheroma, i.e. Such tubercles appear as a consequence of blockage of the excretory duct, they can occur after the appearance of a boil. Atheromas can occur almost anywhere, including behind the ears.

By the way, they can reach quite impressive sizes; when pressed, the patient may feel either slight pain or simple discomfort. To get rid of the problem, you definitely need to visit a doctor, he will prescribe the medications necessary for recovery. However, you can use traditional medicine: ointments or plants, which also help atheromas resolve.