Small lump behind my right ear lobe

Hi I'm 14 years old and I'm kinda worryed about a small lump behind my right ear lobe... I've already had the lump in the exact same place about 3-4 months ago.. (The lump was pea size) and my sister noticed that my neck was a bit swollen and it was hard for me to swallow food and drinks .. So I phoned my doctor and the doctor said use normal tablets (like the ones for head aches and stuff) and if it got bigger to them back . So I took the tablets and in about 2 weeks time it went.. But its started to grow back its fairly small but I'm very curious of what it is... I've had 1 headache and a bit of a cough.. I'm not sure if I got a cold or something but as I didn't get answeres but I got guesses from family about mumps etc... Please can I have some help thanks

[AaronTutssel]

I meant to phone them back btw aha

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

The lump is unlikely to be due to mumps, as it occurs in front of the ear. It could be enlarged lymph node/nodes. Lymph are protective mechanisms of the body and they 'trap' the infecting source causing enlargement of lymph nodes. The infection can be from the throat. The other causes for enlarged nodes are tumors or inflammations to name a few. The swelling and pain could also be due to mastoiditis, which is infection of the bone behind the ear. This happens when there is a middle ear infection, which spreads to involve the mastoid bone. If your symptoms are resolving, you could wait and watch. However, if you develop fever, increase in the size of the swelling or pain; please consult your primary care physician. In the meantime you can use OTC Acetaminophen for relief from pain.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.