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Swollen Lymph Nodes in Neck and Clogged Ear

I am a 19 yr old female and I have been having these symptoms for about 6 years now, but I do not know if anything is even wrong of if what is occuring is natural....I have had swolen lymph nodes in my neck constantly, even when I do not have a cold or a sore throat. They are mostly on the right side of my neck and especially around my right ear area, but some on the left too. My right ear has also felt odd. I would not really call it pain, but It throbbs sometimes and feels like there is a build up of air pressure in it that needs to be released. I feel like it is not connected to my head like my left ear. I dont know if this means anything but I can wiggle my entire right ear up and down. I have been swimming for over 10 years so I am thinking it could be swimmer's ear. It feels like there is something deep down in my ear that is clogging my ear canal and it needs to be pulled out. I went to a doctor about 2 years ago to get it checked and he said it was because I was chewing too much gum. I stopped chewing gum for a while but nothing changed. I dont know if this has anything to do with my ear and throat but I also always feel light headed, drowsy, and deenergized. I get normal amounts of sleep, I do not drink alcohol a lot, I do drink coffee, I drink regular amounts of water, and I eat healthy for the most part. I also do not have any allergies. I have been recently tested for STD's, mono, and anemia and do not have any. I am also not sure if this concerns anything, but whenever I open my mouth the right side of my jaw cracks. Or when I move my jaw left and right it cracks. It feels like the joint is getting disconnected. And when I open my mouth as wide as I can there is a cracking sound on the right side of my jaw I still have my wisdom teeth in maybe all these symptoms are due to that. Does anyone know why my lymph nodes are always swollen and why my ear is feeling this way and why I feel so drowsy all the time?
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Avatar universal
Hello, I have been looking online for people who are experiencing the same symptoms I am and I’m glad I’ve found this forum. Last year the lymph nodes in my neck began to get swollen periodically with a building pressure in my ears. It began a few months after I started orthodontics. I spoke with my doctor about it, and he tried to tel me I had allergies, when I’ve never had a problem with allergies in the past. I had ultrasounds done on the lymph nodes in my neck to rule out cancer in those nodes, but at this point I still have no answers. I see that Wolfarelli mentioned dental problems too. Has anyone else on here had orthodontics shortly before they  started getting these symptoms?
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Avatar universal
I have the same problem,  swollen neck lymph nodes and stuffiness in the ear. I've trace it to dental caries cause I had the same happened to the other ear when I detected another caries (same side as the ear). Also went to ENT; dentists, had head scans, etc. You could be having an asymptomatic micro infection around that zone of the ear, maybe a tooth (bad root canal, small caries, cavitation on an old tooth extraction site) , gum, tonsil, etc. If you have this symptoms, include an holistic dentist in your doctor list.
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Avatar universal
Swollen nasal glands caused all these symptoms, take precaution and proper treatment from an ENT specialist..Hope good health
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I used to get the cracking jaw all the time. The last time I was biting through a baguette and as I brought my teethe together my jaw locked. This was at the airport before a holiday. All the whilel I was there I was having trouble with no even being able to open my jaw wide enough to eat
When I returned home I was sent to a maxillofacial consultant. He faffed around a bit, measured how wide I could open my jaw and generally pushed and pulled my jaw. After that, I never had a single piece of trouble with my jaw again. No clicking or locking or anything, and that was over twenty years ago now. I do not know what he did and he said that he couldn't do anything for me but it just appeared to be better the next day!?
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Avatar universal
I went to Uganda last year, and while I was thee my ears popped while I was at my friends farm, there was a storm coming in....I was also taking 100mgs of Doxycycaline for Malaria prevention.
Ever since that day I have terrible congestion in both ears and have to pop them constantly.
I have been to ENT's and Ca. Ear institute an thy cannot find anything.
My lymph nodes seem swollen at times an I am going crazy with the pressure in my ears as we speak !!!!
I am a cancer survivor and I am scared. Can't trust the Drs. because they think I am crazy.
I am going crazy because I am sick to death of popping my ears.
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Avatar universal
I have the same symptoms as of 5 days ago, had ears flushed, doctor says " I canc see your ear drum, nothing wrong". Could it be glue ear maby? I haven't tried moving my jaw forward until now, I defiantly hear stuff move when I do it. Maby trying to drain, I'm going to leave my jaw foward and see if it drains.
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Avatar universal
I started having popping and pressure in my ears 6 months ago along with swollen lymph nodes in neck and have recently started having dizzy spells after I pop my ears.  One doctor says I have lupus, another says reflux and gastritis and another says allergies....  None of the medicines (allergy, nasal spray, mucinex, Pepcid), life style changes (diet and exercise), or holding my nose to pop my ears 10 to 12 times a day have helped and my lymph nodes continue to get larger.  I also had a dental exam but they found nothing but a couple of cavities.  I am miserable and have started having major anxiety issues because I have a tendency to fear the worst.  Any suggestions as to what could possibly be causing these symptoms and what could help them?
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2 Comments
Yes-- Go ro CFIDS/ME web sites.. Read.. Anxiety is usally part of the emotional fall out from Brain fog and " not knowing what one has!! There is hope.. Don't think your crazy..You will be just fine when You see a doctor who knows about this illness..The Lymph nodes swell because you are fighting a virus or bacterial infection..If you have low grade fevers that is part of it too..Have Hope.. Nila
I didn't mean to assume you have this illness but it sure sounds like what I have CFIDS/ME
Avatar universal
Have your symptoms continued?  Are they better?
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Avatar universal
It  really sounds like you have a slight case of tmj.  Have you looked into that before?
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Avatar universal
I am not sure if you got this sorted or not but i will ask anyways. Did you notice this before the gum or it happened while chewing gum?

Sometimes when i chew gum i have this problem. It's nothing serious and goes aways on it's own. The Spasm is caused by the muscles in your throat getting tired from swollowing and a Spasm in your throat can cause the muscle to get knoted or (Frogged). this should cease on its own But if it lasts longet than (3) days i would recoment seeing a doctor.

Hope it helps.
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Avatar universal
Have you ever had Tubes in your ear(s) in the (Eustachian tube) or Stationary Tubes? I have had tubes in my ears and they fell out way too early. Now I have trouble with my right ear all the time. Jaw Clicks, My ear clicks and pops when i swollow most of the time, a long with a lot of the other symptoms that are posted here. I got tired of it so i bought so earwax removal liquid. and i put some in my ear and rinsed it out and that helps for a few weeks. Then i do it over again.

Also keep in my that if you use ear buds to listen to music or take phone calls the vibrations from the ear buds or ever BlueTooth ause the ear wax to turn to liquid thus, making your ears clogged and giving the clicking sund when you swollow. As for the Clicking in your jaw, this may be caused by a swollen gland in your neck. a CT scan can find most problems, so give that a try. But they are expensive to think it through before taking the route.

I suggest trying trying the Ear Wax removal liquid you can get at the pharmacy over the counter. If you have ever had Tubes in your (Eustachian tubes) or more commeonly know as the Stationary tubes. This may be a factor in why you suffer these problems.

Good luck with finding the cause(s) and getting this treated properly.
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Avatar universal
I was chewing gum earlier and under my right ear I felt a muscle spasm, after I spit my gum out my cheek under the ear was swollen and there was pressure for awhile under my ear, if anyone can pass on some adivce I would appreciate it. John
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Avatar universal
well i am having fits also and its been going for 4 years. i was told my  ent that acid reflux cause the symptons of the full ear, air presure and feels like water inside the inner ear. i took the meds for a couple of years and then lost my insurance. i weaned myself off the omeprizol as it was too expensive, i did pretty well for a year with taking prilosec once in a while. now its out of hand. been to another ent since i have moved and he said it was a condition where the eutasian tube remains opened all the time and not caused from acid refluix. i 'm starting to think it is related to the acid going up into the passages like kelsey mentioned. so i am going to take the meds for a while and see if it helps. by the way, my problem started when i landed in a jet and my 1 ear didnt pop or clear. it never has in 4 years really cleared.
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Avatar universal
I have also had these problems now for 6 months. Can't imagine 6 years. Anyway started with a cold then ears plugged up and my throat got really swollen. The lymph nodes in my throat were really swollen and have not ever gone completely down. Went to my dr 4 times and was told that I had an ear infection. I did 2 rounds of antibiotics and neither one worked. They wanted me to go get allergy testing done and I decided to go to an ENT first for a second opinion. I was told that it is acid reflux. The acid goes up in your throat and irritates it enough that your lymph nodes swell which will also swell the tubes from your ears making them have the plugged up feeling. You can get dizzy from this because your ears feel plugged and they help you keep your equalibrium. My ENT has me on Prilosec OTC 2 pills once a day for 6-8 weeks and hopefully that should take care of it. Going on to my 4 week and feel a little bit better but lymph nodes are still swollen and ears are still plugged. Just thought I would put this out there so you can all do more research to see if maybe acid reflux is your problem. Hope this helps someone.
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1 Comments
I have been diagnosed with CFIDS/ME.. causes are many..swollen lymph nodes and gastric problems.. Brain Fog is hallmark because the blood doesn't flow as well during a time of illness..most of the time..Mucus buildup is definitely a big symptom and test for Latent Herpes Virus's.. Epstein Barr/ Mono, Go to those websites and read.. Do you also have body aches??? Big symptom...Flu-like illness/
Avatar universal
I have the same problem, in addition to great amount of salty mucus coming from my sinuses.   If you figure out what it is, please let me know, I do this "open mouth as wide as possible" too almost constantly, sometimes it feels like someone walked all over your jaws.
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Avatar universal
I have the same problem for more than 2 years now.  The same symptoms,  fullness of ear,  more in the one ear than the other,  the crackling of the jaw, sometimes I get a feeling like my throat muscles pulls stiff.  I move my jaw constantly, sometimes open my jaw as big as possible till it sounds like a piece of bone breaks off.  Went to dr. about 5 time with this problem.  Everytime I got nasal spray and sinus pills.  he said it would go away, but its been like this for more than 2 years.  also have a funny feeling below the right ear and jaw, dont think it is glands,almost itchy, swollen.  I keep pushing my lower jaw to the front, then the crackling in my ears go crazy!!!  I even went to a dentist and had my wisdom teeth removed, stil no luck!  Its driving me nuts!!!  Wish i could get this solved.  It is really starting to make me worried.  What is it!!!!!!!!  Its  not a pleasure to wake up in the morning and go through life like this!
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Avatar universal
I have the same thing! My doctor said it was water behind my eardrum, and that it would drain over time but it hasn't. I've tried using nasal sprays, a neti pot, and blowing my nose to try and release the pressure. My lymph node is also swollen. I try popping my ear all the time, it drives me nuts. I'd love to know what was causing all of this!
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Avatar universal
Did you ever get answers on this?

I just came across it - and the jaw clicking may be related to TMJ, same with the ear fullness. My mom had this and now I have it. I'm not sure about the swollen glands, though.
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334194 tn?1288289595
also...Possibly a muccus buildup in your mastoid cells on that side.  Can be seen on CT scans.
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334194 tn?1288289595
Go see a good holistic doctor.  Probably toxic buildup in your system
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Avatar universal
maybe it is a parasitic worm related to morgellons or strongyloides that labs and doctors cant diagnose?Worth buying anti-parasitic herbs online for 20.00 and giving that a try if doctors wont help
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Avatar universal
I have exactly the same symptoms as you but for 2 years and have had tests done aswell! Right down to the clicking jaw! i have no idea what it is, and it worries me. May change doctors.
Good luck fixing it!
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Avatar universal
Hello Monica,

I can totaly relate to what you saying. I have the same problem. Tomorrow I have an appointment with the Audiology, hopefully they can see what it is.
I will keep you posted. Please let me know if you have improvements.
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