Lump behind my left ear

[tedryn]

I have had a small reacurring lump behind my left ear for at least a year, but has never given me any trouble and has remained fairly small.  But within the past week it has swolen to the size of a pea and has become red a sore.  A few days ago, what appears to be another lump has appeared just above and slightly behind the original lump.  After a hot shower last night the lump seems to deflate a bit and this morning I noticed a small amount of blood on my pillow.  The lump still looks and feels quite sore this morning but is not as swollen as it was.

Could you please provide any advice?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

In all probability it is not cancer at all! Rest assured!

[tedryn]

Hi There,

Thanks for the reply.  I have an appointment booked for Monday evening so hopefully that should shed some more light on it.  

The lump has burst again over night and has gone down a bit, but it is still quite tender and sore looking.  I think my main fear was that it may be related to some form of Cancer, being in that particular position behind my ear.

Thank you again for your reply, and I will indeed keep you informed of my progress.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
It is difficult to comment without examination.  In your case it could be a lymph node. You may not have been sick but local infections like dandruff or dermatitis too can cause a lymph node to swell and be tender. It could also be a folliculitis (hair follicle infection) or an abscess. An infected cyst is also a possibility.
It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult a doctor and get this examined.  Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!