If the lymph node behind the ear is inflamed, what should I do? This is a common question that we will deal with in this article.
Lymph nodes are natural barriers to infections and various toxic substances in the body. Nevertheless, there are cases when they themselves can be affected by self-detained pathological elements. Inflammatory reactions develop, and the disease itself calls "lymphadenitis." Preschool children get sick much more often than adults. This is due to the structural immaturity of the immune system: the lymph nodes do not have dense connective tissue of their capsules and partitions, and therefore the infection easily penetrates into them.
Pathology Description
Lymphadenitis occurs, as a rule, under the jaw, in the neck, under the armpits and in the inguinal region. It is in these places that clusters of lymph nodes are located. Sometimes the lymph node behind the ear in a child becomes inflamed.
They collect lymph from the temporal and parietal areas of the head. In addition, the networks of the lymphatic vessels connect them with other nodes located in the ear region and those located in the ear salivary glands.
Thus, the lymph node behind the ear can become inflamed if elements of infection from the temporal and parietal tissues of the head, as well as the teeth and oral cavity, get into it.
The functioning of the lymph node system
Lymph is formed, as a rule, from the intercellular fluid, which contains the breakdown products of toxins, the remains of cellular structures, dead white blood cells and other microorganisms. Lymph can enter the smallest capillaries, and they, in turn, intertwine with each other, forming lymphatic vessels. Such vessels pass directly to the lymph nodes. They filter fluid through lymphocytes and special reticular cells, which have the unique ability to capture large particles of harmful microorganisms and digest them. After this, the lymph begins to move along the outgoing lymphatic vessel, moving in the direction of the next lymph node.
Lymph approaches the large thoracic duct and begins to flow into the veins of a person passing directly into the heart chambers. Further, venous blood with pure lymph mixed with it begins to move through the lungs, where it is enriched with oxygen and back through the heart into the arteries of the body. Purified blood, thus, spreads across all tissues, enriching them with oxygen, water and nutrients. The lymph cycle closes.
Communication with the circulatory system
It should be concluded that the lymphatic system is tightly connected with the circulatory system, and therefore the bulk of the lymph nodes are located along large vessels. A vein passes near the lymph node behind the ear, collecting blood from the mastoid located in the temporal bone, as well as branches of this vein, collecting blood from the parietal part of the head. The above lymph nodes are located in the area of ​​the temporal bone, where they are covered by the skin. In most cases they are not visible, to the touch it is also impossible to determine them.
Causes of behind the ear lymphadenitis
Most often, this is a sign of inflammatory processes in the parietal, as well as the occipital region or in the mastoid process. Is the lymph node behind the ear enlarged? The cause may also be the pathology of the ear itself, but such cases are rare. Pathological microorganisms and toxins enter the lymph node through the lymph and, when there is a definite possibility of weakening the immune system, begin to damage the structure of the lymph node itself. Most often, the lymph node behind the ear becomes inflamed. This is caused by opportunistic bacteria, anaerobes, and intracellular parasites. These include:
- staphylococcus;
- pale treponema, which is also the causative agent of syphilis;
- streptococcus;
- chlamydia
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis;
- francisella, which is the causative agent of tularemia;
- aspergillus;
- E. coli;
- clostridia.
Disorders that can cause isolated inflammation of the lymph node behind the ear:
- feline scratches in the crown of the head and temples;
- sores, abrasions, acne, infected scratching in the same areas;
- external and otitis media;
- mastoiditis;
- tularemia;
- tick-borne encephalitis, which occurs with bites in these areas;
- tumor metastases;
- lymphogranulomatosis;
- tuberculosis;
- actinomycosis of the scalp;
- syphilis (in rare cases).
Other reasons
Very often, when the lymph node behind the ear becomes inflamed, this may indicate a certain lesion of the lymphatic system, which is observed with the following pathologies:
- rubella;
- measles;
- HIV infection;
- malignant tumor (lymphoma);
- adenovirus infection;
- Infectious mononucleosis.
The clinical picture of lymphadenitis
If the lymph node behind the ear hurts , what does it mean? Lymphadenitis is a certain inflammatory process and it usually follows a violation and a change in the structure of the lymph node.
Any process of this nature is accompanied by specific features.
- Swelling - in this case, an increase in lymph nodes is formed. The skin behind the ear is usually very thin, and it is stretched over the solid structures of the skull - tendons, as well as bones. Swelling is formed in a limited area, which is always accompanied by the growth of the lymph node in size. In the posterior space, one or several small tubercles appear, the size of which, as well as the structure, depends on what type of inflammation occurs in each case.
- Hyperemia. In the area of ​​inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ear, the blood vessels dilate and the process of stagnation of arterial blood begins. Visually, it may look like redness of the skin at the site of an enlarged lymph node.
- Fever. Active cellular processes, which are accompanied by an increased blood flow to the area of ​​inflammation, lead to a sensation of heat, as well as a local violation of heat transfer.
- Soreness. It can occur due to the pressure of edema on the sensitive nerve receptors that are located in the skin and tendons. Their sensitivity greatly increases when exposed to biologically active substances released by destroyed cells. Such pain is usually pulsating in nature. When the process of pain subsides, unpleasant sensations are observed only when touching the lymph node.
- When the lymph node behind the ear becomes inflamed, dysfunction occurs. This situation can become a factor that provokes lymph retention in the tissues, which causes their swelling and swelling.
Disease classification
The source of infection in the lymph nodes varies:
- odontogenic path - from the mouth and teeth;
- rhinogenic - from the nose;
- tonsilogenic - from the nasopharynx and throat;
- dermatogenic - is associated with damage to the skin in the temples or crown;
- otogenic - from the ear.
It is possible to determine the source of infection for an inflamed lymph node behind the ear only in some cases, and such information is extremely important for the organization of subsequent therapeutic procedures.
According to the characteristics of the course, the disease can be of several types.
Spicy:
- Serous-purulent - when under the skin behind the ear there is a slightly painful "ball" with a diameter of up to 1-2 cm - a lymph node. It has a soft elastic consistency, and the skin around it may have a normal color or slight redness. The lymph node is mobile, not fused to adjacent tissues.
- Purulent - a limited cavity is formed, which is filled with pus (abscess). The general condition of the patient is not violated, and the lymph node itself can be moderately painful. The skin above it has a red color, and the adjacent tissues swell strongly. At the beginning of this process, the lymph node can be mobile, after which the process of soldering it with tissues begins, as a result of which its mobility is impaired.
- Adenoflegmon - is formed when pus is released from the capsule of the lymph node into nearby tissues. The patient's condition deteriorates sharply - the body temperature rises, there is a feeling of chills and aching muscles and joint pain, severe weakness. The pain becomes even more pulsating and intense. In the tissue area behind the ear, in most cases, a dense infiltrate is felt that does not have clear boundaries.
Chronic:
- Productive - when initially there is a slight increase in the lymph node, which for several months continues to gradually grow. The course of this process can be either wave-like, or in the form of alternating stages of exacerbation and remission, however, the size of the node does not reach normal values. Pain may be mild or completely absent. The skin above the knot remains within the normal range; it does not fuse with the underlying tissues. The lymph node, as a rule, retains its mobility.
- Abscessing - when acute lymphadenitis develops. In the body of the enlarged lymph node, the formation of a limited cavity begins, which is filled with pus and an abscess develops. The lymph node becomes very painful, and its consistency becomes dense. It begins to gradually grow together with the underlying tissues and lose mobility. Such an inflammatory process leads to a sharp deterioration in well-being, as it causes acute intoxication of the body.
In children
In children, most often the lymph nodes increase significantly due to viral infections. Measles and rubella can be accompanied by a characteristic rash. Adenovirus infection may be accompanied by conjunctivitis and sore throat. In cases of infectious mononucleosis, the causative agent of which is the Epstein-Barr virus, the formation of edema of all groups of lymph nodes can begin, as well as an increase in the liver and spleen. What else can provoke the appearance of an enlarged lymph node behind the ear?
Other forms of the disease
Specific forms of lymphadenitis cause specific pathogens. Their names are determined by the nature of the clinical manifestations:
- tuberculous
- actinomycotic;
- bubo with tularemia.
When the lymph node behind the ear hurts, complex treatment is required.
Treatment of lymphadenitis behind the ear
Doctors of different specializations can treat such a disease, depending on what cause of the disease occurs in each individual case.
Since the inflammation of the lymph nodes is a consequence of the defeat of various infections, the source of the pathology itself must first be eliminated. To this end, treatment is carried out with drugs such as broad-spectrum antibiotics from the group of cephalosporins or sulfonamides.
With inflammation of the lymph node behind the ear, what should I do?
Medication
Additional drugs that can normalize the functioning of the immune system are:
- antihistamines that can reduce inflammatory processes and contribute to the subsidence of chronic foci of inflammation;
- immunomodulators - medications that also help the immune system fight infection pathogens;
- vitamins - patients need to receive high doses of vitamin C, since it plays a very important role in the formation of immune cell activity.
Physiotherapy
Locally, in order to treat lymph nodes behind the ear, physiotherapeutic procedures are possible:
- Electrophoresis using proteolytic enzymes.
- Influence on the area of ​​inflammation with ultrahigh frequencies of electric current.
- Irradiation with helium-neon lasers.
Physiotherapy is used, as a rule, in acute forms of serous and chronic inflammation in enlarged lymph nodes behind the ear.