Yesterday I woke up with soreness and swelling below my right ear just behind my jaw (salivarie gland or lymph node area). As the day progressed, the pain worstened. I used heat and Ice and this alieved the pain. I then prior to going to bed clean my right ear with a q-tip and discovered dark wax buildup and blood in the ear. I still have hearing and never had a pop or ringing sound in the ear and am unsure if a ruptured ear drum could occure without pain. Im concerend about the swollen area below the ear. I'm a 33 year old man, fairly active, so I'm unsure what to think of this as I have never had a ruptured ear drum or swollen glands anywhere. Today, the pain is very mild and the swelling has come down. The size of the swollen area was about 2 inches X 1 inch and felt hard. Today I cleaned the ear again, and still found some blood and waxy buildup. My concern is, could this be from a simple infection, or could there be something more troublesome to worry about. I am wondering how long I should wait to see my physician if this condition doesn't end. Thank you, Robert