Sometimes you may feel a lump under your chin or on your neck. This can make you worry, but most lumps are not dangerous. They often happen because your body is fighting germs.
Lumps can have different shapes, sizes, and feelings. They can hurt or not, and grow fast or slow. How your lump feels can help your doctor know if there is a problem.
Causes Of The Lump Under Your Chin.
- Swollen glands: These are small parts of your body that help fight germs. They can get bigger when you are sick with things like colds, flu, ear infections, or sore throat. They usually feel soft and sore and get smaller when you get better.
- Lumps with fluid or stuff inside: These are called cysts. They can happen when the oil in your skin gets stuck or infected. They can show up anywhere on your face or neck and may feel hard or smooth. They usually do not hurt or bother you and may go away by themselves or need a doctor to take them out.
- Lumps that are not sick: These are lumps that are not cancerous but may grow under your skin. Some examples are lipomas (lumps of fat) or dermatofibromas (lumps of tissue). They can be different in size, shape, and color, and may or may not hurt. They usually do not need any treatment unless they are too big or annoying.
- Cancer: This is a very rare but serious reason for a lump under the chin. Cancer can affect the glands, spit glands, thyroid gland, or other parts of the neck. Cancer lumps may feel hard, stuck, or bumpy, and may or may not hurt. They may also make you lose weight, have fever, sweat at night, or have trouble swallowing. Cancer needs to be checked and treated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Is The Lump Under My Chin Related To Cancer?
Cancer can make your neck or chin bigger if it is hurting a close part of your body like your mouth, throat, nose, thyroid, or spit glands. A lump in the neck can also mean that cancer from another part of your body has spread to the glands in your neck, or that the glands in your neck have cancer (lymphoma). Cancer lumps are also usually hard when you touch them and do not hurt.
When Should I See A Doctor About The Lump In My Chin?
You should watch out for some signs that a lump under your chin is not normal. So, go to the doctor if:
- The lump gets bigger or does not get smaller even after you take medicine for an infection.
- The lump has been there for more than two weeks.
- The lump feels hard or does not move.
- You lose weight for no reason, have ear pain that does not go away, have trouble swallowing or breathing, sound different, bleed from your throat or mouth, have mouth sores that do not heal, have fevers, or sweat at night.
The Key Takeaway.
You don’t need to worry too much if you have a lump under your chin. Often, these lumps happen because some parts of your body get bigger when you are sick with germs.
Lumps under the chin can disappear by themselves. See a doctor if you have any of the signs that I mentioned before.
FAQs On Lump Under Your Chin.
How can I treat the lump under my chin?
The treatment for a lump under the chin depends on the cause. If the lump happens because of an infection, you may need to take medicine to kill the germs. If the lump is caused by a cyst, you may need to have it drained or removed by a doctor. If the lump happens because of a tumor, you may need to have surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
How can I prevent a lump from growing under my chin?
You cannot actually prevent lumps from appearing under your chin, but you can reduce the risk factors by taking good care of your health.
Is a lump under the chin dangerous?
Most lumps under the chin are not dangerous. They happen when the swollen glands are fighting an infection. They should go away when you get better.
