Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Swollen Lymph Nodes On Neck, Under Jaw Are, Migraine Headaches. CT Scan Done. History Of Whiplash. Treatment?

My boyfriend is a mechanic in the National Guard. He was also involved in a car accident several years ago, some whiplash. He has swollen lymph nodes on one side of his neck under the jaw area. He is having migraine headaches with severe pain behind one eye. He has had ct s and examined several times by military doctors with no diagnosis. Today he was working on my car and is now suffering with these symptoms. I read about occipital neuralgia but it didn t say anything about having swollen lymph glands. Please advise us on any specific tests he needs or what you think he could be suffering from. Thank you
Fri, 13 Jul 2012
Report Abuse
Psychiatrist,  's  Response
Good question and thanks for asking. He could have what is termed "post-concussive migraine". This can result from mild to moderate head injury that primes the small branches of the trigeminal nerve to causes dilatation of the blood vessels within the brain which causes the pounding that classically manifests during a migraine. These migraines are treated in identical fashion to regular migraines. These headaches he is having may also be cluster headaches, rather than migraines. It's difficult to say without a complete history and physical. Cluster headaches are treated slightly differently than migraines. As for the lymph nodes, their origin could be due to a multitude of factors. It depends on how long these nodes have been swollen. If these nodes are more recent, they are most likely unrelated to head trauma and possibly due to viral infection, for example. If these nodes became enlarged soon after the head trauma and they have remained that way ever since, it could be due to chronic blockage to lymphatic drainage and an MRI of the head and neck may reveal the cause. Consulting a neurologist and ENT specialist would be helpful in establishing the correct diagnosis and proper treatment. I hope this has helped orient you. Best of luck and health to him!
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Occipital neuralgia


Loading Online Doctors....
Swollen Lymph Nodes On Neck, Under Jaw Are, Migraine Headaches. CT Scan Done. History Of Whiplash. Treatment?

Good question and thanks for asking. He could have what is termed post-concussive migraine . This can result from mild to moderate head injury that primes the small branches of the trigeminal nerve to causes dilatation of the blood vessels within the brain which causes the pounding that classically manifests during a migraine. These migraines are treated in identical fashion to regular migraines. These headaches he is having may also be cluster headaches, rather than migraines. It s difficult to say without a complete history and physical. Cluster headaches are treated slightly differently than migraines. As for the lymph nodes, their origin could be due to a multitude of factors. It depends on how long these nodes have been swollen. If these nodes are more recent, they are most likely unrelated to head trauma and possibly due to viral infection, for example. If these nodes became enlarged soon after the head trauma and they have remained that way ever since, it could be due to chronic blockage to lymphatic drainage and an MRI of the head and neck may reveal the cause. Consulting a neurologist and ENT specialist would be helpful in establishing the correct diagnosis and proper treatment. I hope this has helped orient you. Best of luck and health to him!