Neck Lumps - Know More About Them!

We have often noticed these outgrowths around the neck in a lot of people. The neck lumps are of varying size. While some may be unduly large in size, others range from being moderate to minuscule.  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, speedy detection is expedient to arrest any further damage. The neck lumps stem from a lot of reasons. Some of the most common causes may be enlisted as the following.

a) 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. 

b) Cancers
 While a neck lump may not necessarily mean a sign of cancer, some lumps could occur due to tumour formations which unfortunately indicate a malignant growth. Radioscopy and biopsy are the usual techniques through which the malignancy of the tumours can be detected.

c) Thyroid Disease
Some neck lumps occur due to an inflammation in the thyroid glands. On account of certain hormonal imbalances, the thyroid glands may swell up leading to neck lumps.

d) 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.

e) 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 any alarming nature, to avert any major ailment, it is worthwhile to be cautious beforehand.