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What Causes Swelling And Tenderness In The Left Side Of Throat?
Question: 6 week ago, I started experiencing swelling on the left side of my of my throat under the jaw line closer to my to my chin. It was a small area and a slightly tender to the touch. Today I noticed the swollen area has grown towards my ear and a little down the left side of my neck. And the swelling is noticeable, I have slight pain in my left ear, it is more tender to the touch and hurts on the side of my neck when I swallow. Other than that I feel. Should I be concerned? What is it? Again it is only on one side.
Brief Answer:
It needs investigation
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
first of all, you should be concerned. I can't say what it is but I can give you a small list of common causes. It has to be investigated because some of the causes can be serious.
It could be an infection. Tenderness usually points to an infection. This is usually the best possibility because infections are treatable. The kind of infection cannot be estimated with the available data only. 6 weeks of progressive swelling and tenderness is a lot of time for common infections, so careful clinical examination is warranted to clarify the picture.
It could be an enlarged (and inflammed) salivary gland. This is usually accompanied by discomfort when eating or tasting sour food like lemon, orange juice etc.
It could be related to a tumor, either cancer or hematologic malignancies. This again has to be clinically examined first to get a good impression of its nature.
And it could be caused by immunological diseases although this would be much rarer as a first sign of such diseases.
So in conclusion, while the most common causes are usually benign and treatable, investigation is warranted. Your primary care doctor should be the right doctor to start from. Ultrasound scan and blood tests might be needed along with other testing depending on the clinical findings.
I hope I've helped, although I could not give you a very specific answer without clinical examination.
Contact me again, if you'd like more information.
Kind Regards!
It needs investigation
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
first of all, you should be concerned. I can't say what it is but I can give you a small list of common causes. It has to be investigated because some of the causes can be serious.
It could be an infection. Tenderness usually points to an infection. This is usually the best possibility because infections are treatable. The kind of infection cannot be estimated with the available data only. 6 weeks of progressive swelling and tenderness is a lot of time for common infections, so careful clinical examination is warranted to clarify the picture.
It could be an enlarged (and inflammed) salivary gland. This is usually accompanied by discomfort when eating or tasting sour food like lemon, orange juice etc.
It could be related to a tumor, either cancer or hematologic malignancies. This again has to be clinically examined first to get a good impression of its nature.
And it could be caused by immunological diseases although this would be much rarer as a first sign of such diseases.
So in conclusion, while the most common causes are usually benign and treatable, investigation is warranted. Your primary care doctor should be the right doctor to start from. Ultrasound scan and blood tests might be needed along with other testing depending on the clinical findings.
I hope I've helped, although I could not give you a very specific answer without clinical examination.
Contact me again, if you'd like more information.
Kind Regards!
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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