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Have Swelling In Neck And Heaviness In Head. No Cold Or Sore Throat. How To Treat This?

Posted on Tue, 28 May 2013

Question: the side of my neck swells up and then my ears feel bunged up and my head feels heavy but i don't have a cold or sore throat. i don't have these symptons every day, but they come and go and i can get a little dizzy at times

Answered by Dr. Prasad Akole (16 minutes later)

Dear friend, welcome to Healthcaremagic!
I am Dr. Prasad Akole (Critical Care Expert- http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole) and am glad to address to your query here.

I read that you have an underactive thyroid and now you have neck swelling coming up and going.

Do you mean you have any lump in the neck or just diffuse swelling?
How long does it stay?
Was an ultrasound done for the thyroid in the past? If yes, what did it show?
Do you have any fever, pain in the neck?
Is it always on the same side?
It would greatly help if you could upload a photo of the neck swelling here using the uploading service available on this site just below the text box. You can email the reports / scans to
YYYY@YYYY with subject- (Attn: Dr. Prasad Akole)
Is the parotid / angle of the jaw bone swollen?
Do you have any other problem with the swelling?

It may or may not be related to the thyroid. But a nodular thyroid would not come and go.

Please describe greater details.
I would be glad to answer any further queries. Take care and please keep me informed of your progress at http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole
Good Luck!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Prasad Akole (52 minutes later)

its the bone or gland down the side of my neck that swells up and is on the left side then my ears feel a little sore and a bit of tightness goes up into the left hand side of my head, i dont feel as if i have a cold but this can make me feel miserable and tired, prior to all this i had a feeling of water in the left ear but this has now disappeared some time ago , could this be an allergy
thanks

Answered by Dr. Prasad Akole (52 minutes later)

Thanks for the info.
It seems that either the sternocleidomastoid muscle or a lymph vessel in the neck must be periodically swelling up.
Neck is a complex structure and there are other possibilities. Thyroid is of course there.
It is prudent that you get yourself evaluated. A sonography of the neck may be advised on physical examination. A connection with ear symptoms is unexplained and needs evaluation.
A photo if uploaded could be useful.
Please answer other questions I asked.

As it helps us to improve continuously, may I request you to write a rating review before you ‘accept’ and ‘close’ the query anytime.

Thank you!!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Prasad Akole (27 minutes later)

yes its always on the same side, and i dont have any other problems with the swelling, sorry i am not able to send you a photo, but to be honest the swelling wouldn't show up as its not a big swelling just enough to let me there is swelling and generally bad form, really the ear would be the biggest problem thanks

Answered by Dr. Prasad Akole (19 minutes later)

Thanks.
You need evaluation of the left ear and the neck and an ultrasound of the neck and if needed a CT scan.
Please seek an ENT opinion. Basic labs like hemogram are needed.
I hope it will fetch a diagnosis.

I hope to have answered your query satisfactorily. I would be glad to answer any further queries. Take care and please keep me informed of your progress at http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole
Good Luck!

As it helps us to improve continuously, may I request you to write a rating review before you ‘accept’ and ‘close’ the query.
Thank you!!

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar