Help! Red throat and swollen glands????

[Madison23]

Hello,

I first noticed my lymph nodes were swollen on the left side of my neck about 2 weeks ago. They may have been swollen longer than that, I'm not sure because I don't regularly feel my neck. I was concerned about it so I decided to go to the doctor. I explained my concerns to my doctor, told her I wasn't experiencing any other symptoms (no pain, sore throat, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc.) I also don't have swollen glands anywhere else. She did find that my throat was kind of red which I thought was strange because it hasn't been painful or sore. I was tested for strep but it came back negative. My doctor didn't really act like it was a major problem she just said it must be some sort of viral infection and should go away on its own. It has been about a week since I went to the doctor and I haven't noticed much of a change. Sometimes my lymph nodes seem smaller but then other times they seem like there is no change. One thing is for sure, they aren't getting any bigger but I don't know why they aren't going away if I feel fine and healthy. My throat is also still red on the sides. I'm starting to get worried. What if they have been swollen for months and still haven't gone away? Is it possible that I have cancer or some other life threatening virus? please help!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Neck lymph nodes can be the result of tonsillitis, pharyngitis (infection of upper throat), infection in mouth, caries in tooth, internal ear infection, outer ear infection, eczema, dermatitis, dandruff, breast cancer, fungal infection, other cancers like lymphoma etc. If you had flu like symptoms initially then it could be due to infectious mononucleosis too.  So if streptococcal infection is ruled out then this should be looked into. Another reason for an inflamed throat resulting in swollen lymph nodes is gastric reflux. Raise head end of bed. Take Omeprazole empty stomach in morning and an antacid gel at bedtime. Refrain from smoking, alcohol, fuzzy drinks and spicy food. Get a complete ENT and dental check up before you think of cancer as the cause— less likely as the lymph nodes swell and subside too. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do discuss with your doctor. Take care!

[Lambanien]

I forgot to mention MRI's are not the only way to check for cancer:

http://www.cancure.org/tests_to_detect_cancer.htm

Check website it talks about all lab test that can be administered to rule out cancer.  

[Lambanien]

I had a long answer for you but accidentally pushed ignore smh. Basically look at what your eating you may be deficient of iodine. Try rubbing iodine on the area. if it turns from yellow red to you regular skin color quickly then your skin absorbed the iodine and you may need some of that in your body. If not MRI's allows you to see if you have cancerous material growing. If they did find cancer doctors can use radiation to kill the cells either way theres no need to fear since its close to the surface of your skin and easily treatable.