Dr. Mohan Raut

We have often noticed outgrowth around the neck in a lot of people. The neck lumps are of varying sizes. While some may be unduly large in size, others range from being moderate to miniscule.  Usually, neck lumps do not bode any cancerous development and are benign in most cases. However, certain specific types of neck lumps can often bode serious health impairments. A lot of the neck lumps are painless and do not cause any discomfort to the patient. However, these lumps must not go unattended in either case. Especially if they are cancerous, a speedy detection is expedient to arrest any further damage. The neck lumps stem from a lot reasons.

Some of the most common causes are enlisted below:

1. Swollen Lymph nodes:  Lymph nodes are spread all over your body. They are often susceptible to infections caused by germ attacks. Infection causing bacteria or viruses often result in the enlargement or swelling in the lymph nodes. This manifests itself as neck lumps, albeit sometimes. This could also arise out of allergic reactions to certain foreign substances. 
2. Cancer: While a neck lump may not necessarily mean a sign of cancer, some lumps could occur due to tumor formations, which unfortunately indicate a malignant growth. Radioscopy and biopsy are the usual techniques through which the malignancy of the tumors can be detected.
3. Thyroid Disease: Some neck lumps occur due to an inflammation in the thyroid glands. On account of certain hormonal imbalances, hyroid glands may swell up leading to neck lumps.
4. Mumps: Mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by a viral infection in the respiratory tract. As a consequence, the salivary glands may swell up causing neck lumps. Mumps are very common in children.
5. Tumour in the salivary glands:  Another common cause of neck lumps are tumours in the salivary glands. On account of a variety of external as well as internal reasons, there may be an abnormal growth in our salivary glands. This leads to lumps in the neck.

The earliest signs of neck lumps should goad you to consult a doctor. While it may not be of alarming nature, to avert any major ailment, it is worthwhile to be cautious beforehand.

Before starting out for a walk, relax and take a deep breath and fill your lungs with fresh air which will move them into their most efficient position. After you exhale, maintain the chest in this position with shoulders down and slightly back throughout the walk.