I had a lump come up today on my neck below my jawbone. It is now (since this morning - 8 hours) about the size of a golf ball. It is minimally tender when I touch it, but there is a little tenderness. It does not feel connected to a dental problem, I do not have a toothache. It does not seem to affect my swallowing. We are going into a 3 day holiday. Should I go to the emergency room or the urgent care clinic?
Hi. Thanks for your query. Noted the history and understood your concerns. The fast-growing swelling in the sub-mental region that is below the chin can be due to an enlarging lymph node or Ludwig's angina wherein one get inflammatory mass in the mid-line. This is dangerous and can spread very fast even compromising the airspace once it spread to the neck spaces.Hence, it is obligatory to go to ER, consult a Doctor, get an ultrasound and FNAC and thus get an appropriate diagnosis, get started on proper antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medications to get better and if the problem is serious you may have to cancel the trip of holiday.