What to do if the lymph node behind the ear is inflamed? Lymph nodes behind the ear. Their role, causes of enlargement and treatment Parotid lymph nodes inflammation causes in adults

The parotid lymph nodes are located along the posterior auricular vein. These are formations measuring 3-5 mm, rounded, oval or bean-shaped. Normally, the lymph nodes behind the ear are soft, not palpable. Inflamed, they become larger, denser and easily determined by palpation.

Inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ear

Soreness of the parotid lymph node often indicates a malfunction in one of the nearby organs, may indicate the onset of an infectious disease. If the lymph node is enlarged, but there is no pain and suppuration, and after the treatment of the underlying disease, the normal state quickly returns, this is local lymphadenopathy, a reaction to an infection that has entered the lymph and caused a specific disease.

If one lymph node behind the ear becomes inflamed, the swelling is accompanied by pain, this is lymphadenitis, a disease of the node itself. The disease occurs when the lymph node is affected by infected cells from the inflamed focus. Accompanied by fever, sometimes suppuration appears in the region of the parotid lymph node, a general malaise is felt, they are disturbed in the "bump". The focus of suppuration, formed with purulent lymphadenitis, is called adenophlegmon.

Symptoms

Purulent lymphadenitis is subject to surgical treatment. The surgeon opens the lymph node, removes pus and destroyed tissues from it, and rinses it with antiseptic solutions. After the node capsule is loosely sutured and drainage is left in it, through which the release of pus and exudate continues. If the lymph nodes hurt for a long time and conservative therapy does not bring any relief, they are also removed surgically.

Lymphadenitis is a sign of ill health and a focus of infection in nearby tissues. Finding the cause of inflammation and its elimination allows you to effectively cope with enlarged lymph nodes. If, after the node behind the ear has become inflamed, the nodes on the neck have increased in size, then one should think about the lymphogenous spread of the infection and make efforts to limit the process. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor with signs of suppuration, severe pain and the involvement of more and more new lymph nodes in the process.

Video: enlarged and inflamed lymph nodes - Dr. Komarovsky

Common diseases in which the lymph nodes behind the ear become inflamed:

• Ear diseases: nerve damage, furuncle, eustacheitis, carbuncle;
• Pathology of the nose and sinuses;
• Diseases of the throat and oral cavity: pharyngitis, caries;

Against the background of pathology, concomitant bacterial infections should be excluded: tuberculosis, syphilis, chlamydia. A qualified doctor, when probing, will be able to determine the nature of the infectious lesion of the formations. So with syphilis, the lymph node will be soft. Tuberculosis is characterized by a simultaneous increase in axillary and subclavian analogues.

These diseases cause chronic inflammation that exists in the body for years. Syphilis can be cured with antibacterial agents, while tuberculosis is more difficult to fight, as it forms in immunocompromised people. The sensitivity to modern antibacterial drugs in this microorganism is quite low.

What to do

Treatment of lymphadenitis should be carried out when determining the following symptoms of pathology:

• Compaction of the lymph nodes;
• Loss of elasticity;
• Redness of the inflamed ear;
• Soreness behind the ear;
• Headache;
• elevated temperature;
• Weakness.

Inflammation can be unilateral and bilateral. In any case, you need to determine the cause of the pathology. Only in this way can a specialist decide what to do with ear lymphadenitis.

During treatment First of all, it is necessary to alleviate the general condition of the patient. To do this, he is assigned the use of large amounts of water and bed rest.

Besides, drink vitamins and active dietary supplements. Maintain an average temperature in the room and do not forget to humidify the air.

In order to prevent the appearance of pustules, antibiotic therapy is necessary.

Pay attention to the condition of the lymph nodes near the nasopharynx. If the inflammation is localized immediately behind the ears and in the nose area, seek medical help immediately, as in some cases such symptoms signal the initial stages of cancer.

Treatment of the disease

After you have consulted with an ENT doctor and have undergone examinations, start treatment. Many people, after consulting a doctor, are concerned about the question of how to treat an inflamed lymph node behind the ear.

Remember that inflammation of the lymph nodes is provoked by viral infections.

Treatment should be aimed at relieving pain and swelling, as well as eliminating viruses. For this purpose, the patient is prescribed antibiotics from the group of cephalosporins, sulfonamides, for example, "Flemoxin Solutab".

Antibiotics for inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ear are necessary.

In addition, the patient needs a course of funds, helping to normalize the immune state. They include:

1. Antihistamine drugs that reduce inflammatory reactions. In the case of a chronic disease, they contribute to the reduction of symptoms - Zirtek, Telfast, Erius.
2. Medications that normalize immune health.
3. A course of vitamins with a lot of vitamin C. Medications are also needed to raise the overall tone in the body: Cefotaxime, Tsiprolet, Cefalexin.
4. Antimicrobials "Ibuklin", "Nurofen", "Paracetamol".

Besides, It is important for the patient to undergo a complex of physiotherapeutic procedures:

1. Electrophoresis with proteolytic enzymes to prevent fusion of the lymph node with surrounding tissues.
2. Impact of ultrahigh frequencies of electric current.
3. Course of laser therapy.

It is important to know that not all methods of physiotherapy are suitable for serous or chronic forms.

Pathogenic organisms are all around us, but not all of them succeed in harming our systems. This happens due to the protective forces of the immune system, which has a complex structure. One of its elements is the lymphatic system, but it sometimes fails. In such cases, the lymph nodes become inflamed due to the attacks of microorganisms.

What to do if the lymph node behind the ear is inflamed?

The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and capillaries through which a special fluid moves. It contains toxins, cell debris, neutralized microorganisms and dead white blood cells. Lymphatic fluid from the capillaries moves through the vessels to its end point - the lymph nodes. In them, lymph is filtered by reticular cells and lymphocytes.

After passing through a kind of filtration, the purified lymph enters the vein through the vascular system, where it mixes with human blood. Then all together they pass through the lungs, enriched with oxygen and back to each cell.

The lymphatic system is closely connected with the veins, so all its large filter nodes are adjacent to large vessels. The behind-the-ear elements lying on the temporal bone interact with the veins that collect blood from the temple and crown area. Normally, these nodes should not be palpable and visible under the skin.

Causes of enlarged behind-the-ear lymph nodes

Lymph nodes become inflamed when they are unable to properly filter the fluid that comes to them. Toxins and neutralized microorganisms, settling in the tissues of the site, cause inflammation. This process is called lymphadenitis.

1. Injury to the skin in the parietal and temporal zones, associated with the penetration of microorganisms into the tissues, is a common reason why the lymph nodes behind the ears become inflamed.
2. The lymph node can become inflamed against the background of otitis media and mastoiditis occurring in the organ of hearing, as well as due to colds and viral diseases spreading through the ENT system.
3. Inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ear can appear after a bite in the parietal or temporal region of a tick infected with encephalitis.
4. Lymphadenitis occurs with the growth of malignant tumors that metastasize to the region of the organ of hearing, the temporal and parietal regions of the brain.
5. Tuberculosis, syphilis, lymphogranulomatosis often become the reason why nodules appear behind the ears.
6. Systemic lesions of the lymphatic system that occur with infections (rubella, mumps, scarlet fever, measles, mononucleosis, adenovirus), as well as against the background of a weakened immune system due to HIV, can also cause inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ears.

Symptoms

Ear lymphadenitis is always accompanied by specific symptoms. Symptoms of an inflamed lymph node:

• The swelling of the capsule of the element due to the special location (thin stretched skin behind the ear) becomes immediately noticeable. The lymph node affected by inflammation begins to appear under the covers in the form of a tubercle.
• Near the inflamed lymph node, the skin begins to turn red. This is due to the fact that tissue damage is accompanied by an expansion of blood vessels in which blood stagnates.
• The temperature of the skin over the place where the lymph node behind the ear has become inflamed increases significantly.
• The growing swelling of the capsule leads to compression of the nerve receptors - pain appears, which occasionally becomes pulsating. Tangible discomfort is felt if you palpate the lymph nodes near the ear.
• Since the inflamed lymph node begins to collapse under the action of microorganisms, it does not perform its direct functions - it does not filter and does not remove fluid from the tissues that are “attached” to it. Because of this, these areas of the head swell noticeably.

Classifications of lymphadenitis

Experts classify the inflammation of the lymph nodes, based on the way the infection enters the lymph, the features of the course of the pathological process.

By source:

• An odontogenic inflammatory process occurs after microorganisms enter the lymph from the oral cavity;
• rhinogenic lymphadenitis develops due to inflammatory processes in the nasal cavity;
• dermatogenic inflammation of the lymph nodes begins after injury to the scalp;
• otogenic lymphalenitis occurs against the background of otitis media;
• tonsilogenic inflammation begins against the background of damage to the tonsils.

Finding out exactly where the tissue damage began is very important, because basically the treatment of nodules behind the ears is to eliminate the causes that caused them.

Lymphadenitis is also classified according to the nature of its course: it can be acute and chronic.

The acute form, in turn, is divided into three categories according to the stage of development of the disease:

1. Serous-purulent, in which the lymph nodes behind the ear swell almost painlessly, the skin over them turns slightly red. A nodule that has begun to become inflamed is still moving freely under the skin without causing discomfort. An adult and a child almost do not notice this stage of the development of the disease.
2. Purulent, in which an abscess forms under the skin, while the lymph nodes themselves behind the ears become painful, the skin above them noticeably reddens and swells. At first, the nodule moves freely under the dermis, and then it is tightly soldered to the tissues on which it lies.
3. Adenophlegnomal, in which the capsule of the inflamed lymph node bursts, and pus flows into the tissues. A breakthrough infection causes fever, weakness, and muscle aches. In place of the tubercle, a dense infiltrate is formed without clear boundaries, and the pain intensifies.

Chronic lymphadenitis also goes through several stages of its development, significantly extended in time.

1. The productive stage is characterized by the fact that the nodule under the ear begins to grow and grows imperceptibly for 2-3 months. At the same time, the tubercle is almost not painful, mobile, and the skin above it does not change its color and structure.
2. The abscess formation phase develops after the productive stage. In enlarged nodes behind the ears, cavities appear, which are gradually filled with pus. The tubercle that has undergone an abscess thickens, begins to hurt, rather quickly it grows to the underlying tissues and loses its normal mobility. The formation of pus leads to intoxication of the body - the temperature rises and the patient's well-being worsens significantly.

Treatment

So, if you have all the symptoms that the lymph node behind the ear has become inflamed, what should you do?

Since the lymph node behind the ear does not suppurate by itself, its treatment should be aimed primarily at eliminating the cause of inflammation.

The treatment of an inflamed lymph node that has festered due to an infection consists in treating its focus: colds, otitis media, flu, etc. As soon as the root cause is eliminated, the painful nodule will disappear and the system will work as expected.

1. Since an increase in the lymph nodes behind the ear occurs due to pus produced inside, the treatment of an inflamed tubercle should not contain elements of thermal exposure. Compresses, heating pads and even a woolen scarf can increase the production of exudate, which will lead to a breakthrough of the contents of the tubercle into the tissue and cause intoxication.
2. Lymphadenitis should be treated under the supervision of specialists: a therapist or an immunologist. They will prescribe you adequate therapy, which will allow you to quickly and reliably eliminate an unpleasant pathology and its root cause.
3. The attending physician will prescribe antibiotic therapy with a wide spectrum of medications to eliminate the focus of inflammation.
4. Additionally, antihistamines are prescribed, which help to quickly remove the inflammation of the lymph node and prevent it from increasing.
5. To enhance the protective reaction of the body, the attending physician recommends that you take immunomodulators and complex vitamins.
6. Physiotherapy helps to speed up the treatment of an inflamed lymph node behind the ear. It is prescribed at the initial acute or chronic stage of the disease. Electrophoresis does not allow the nodule to grow to the underlying tissues, and the effect of a helium-neon laser and high-frequency current has a positive effect on the dynamics of recovery.
7. If pus remains in the lymph node near the ear after conservative therapy, you will be prescribed a surgical cleaning of the cavity. Chronic, refractory inflammatory processes, as a rule, lead to the removal of the lymph node.

If you find a painful tubercle behind the ear, be sure to consult a doctor. He will examine you, determine what caused the pathology and decide how to treat the inflamed lymph node behind the ear. If you do not deal with the disease, the capsule with pus will break through and the infection will affect neighboring tissues of the body. Untreated inflammation can also cause a negative reaction of the entire lymphatic system.

Prevention

To avoid inflammation of the lymph nodes, it is important to follow preventive measures:

• Pass professional examinations with narrow specialists - laura, dentist and therapist;
• treat infectious diseases only under the supervision of the attending physician and strictly follow his appointments;
• the resulting scratches and injuries of the soft tissues of the head should be immediately treated with antiseptics and prevent the development of an infectious lesion;
• any catarrhal disease should not be carried "on the legs", it is also dangerous to drown out the symptoms of ARVI with the help of currently popular packaged remedies.

Inflammation of the lymph node with lymphadenitis is a defensive reaction of the body in response to the introduction of infectious agents into it or to the active manifestation of aggression from the inside - oncological processes. Normally, the lymph nodes are hardly noticeable, are small in size and are not subjectively felt in any way. With inflammation, these formations become painful, increase in size and, on palpation, are determined in the form of rounded seals located under the skin.

About lymph nodes

Behind the ear lymph nodes stand in the way of lymph outflow from the parietal, temporal, occipital region of the head. In addition, they are involved in the filtration of lymph coming from the oral cavity, teeth, and ENT organs.

Most often, inflammation of the behind-the-ear lymph nodes signals the presence of pathological processes in these areas, as well as the region of the mastoid process. Or it is a signal of diseases of the organs of hearing and balance.

Enlarged lymph node

Causes of inflammation

The causes of regional behind-the-ear lymphadenitis may be the following conditions:

Symptoms of inflammation of the lymph node are nonspecific signs of the disease. To establish the exact cause of lymphadenopathy, specialists pay attention to the accompanying symptoms, indicating the localization of the primary pathological process:

When determining the cause of behind-the-ear lymphadenitis, the age of the patient also matters. In particular, infectious mononucleosis is more often observed in the youth age group, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia - in elderly patients.

In addition, in determining the causes of the disease, the role of examination, anamnestic data and patient complaints is great. With otitis, in particular, the patient will complain of ear pain, and visually the specialist will determine that the ear has increased in size, swollen and sore.

Behind the ear lymphadenitis with otitis externa

With odontogenic (associated with inflammatory diseases of the teeth and adjacent tissues) causes of behind-the-ear lymphadenitis, lymphadenitis will be recorded in the neck on one side (on the side of the lesion).

The size of the lymph nodes with lymphadenitis usually has no diagnostic value and does not facilitate the diagnostic search for the cause of lymphadenopathy.

Soreness of the lymph node signals a rapid increase in the anatomical formation in volume. This situation occurs when the inflammatory process is accompanied by suppuration or hemorrhage. Soreness of the lymph nodes has no differential diagnostic value.

The consistency of the lymph nodes may vary depending on the etiology of the lesion. Based on this indicator, we can draw the following conclusion about the causes of the pathological process:

Treatment

In the case of behind-the-ear lymphadenitis, treatment has the following directions:

• determination of the sources of the inflammatory process and selection of the appropriate treatment for the underlying disease;
• relief of an acute or chronic process in the lymph node itself.

Uncomplicated cases should be treated at home.

The tactics of therapy for behind-the-ear lymphadenitis will depend on the results of the diagnostic stage and the identified pathological processes.

The following groups of pharmaceutical preparations are used for treatment:

The choice of drugs is carried out taking into account their tolerance to the patient. And in the case of antibacterial and antifungal drugs, in addition, the sensitivity of the pathogen to a particular drug matters. Until the results of tests for the susceptibility of microorganisms to antibiotics are obtained, broad-spectrum drugs are prescribed. Preference should be given to drugs that are protected from the effects of enzymes secreted by microorganisms.

Treatment regimens for certain diseases accompanied by behind-the-ear lymphadenitis

By itself, inflammation of the lymph node is not an independent disease. This is a secondary condition caused by the primary infection.

Therefore, first of all, treatment is aimed at eliminating the primary focus as the cause of the pathological condition.

Otitis externa and otitis media

The vast majority of cases of otitis externa have a bacterial etiology. Therefore, antimicrobial therapy is an integral part of treatment. In the case of uncomplicated otitis externa, local treatment demonstrates high efficiency, so the appointment of systemic antibiotic therapy in this case is impractical. For the treatment of uncomplicated otitis externa, the following drugs are used in the form of ear drops:

• Dancil;
• Tsipromed;
• Combined Duo;
• Otipax;
• Otofa.

The appointment of systemic antibiotic therapy makes sense in the treatment of patients with post-radiation otitis externa, patients with concomitant pathologies such as diabetes mellitus or in a state of immunosuppression, regardless of its etiology.

In addition to etiotropic therapy, standards for the treatment of otitis externa include adequate pain relief with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These include:

• Paracetamol;
• ibuprofen;
• Ketoprofen;
• Dexketoprofen.

Regular sanitation of the external auditory canal is also necessary.

Therapy for otitis media includes:

• systematic sanitation of the nasal cavity using isotonic sodium chloride solution or sea water;
• the use of vasoconstrictors - decongestants:
  • Oxyphrine;
  • xylometazoline;
  • Galazolina;
  • Naphazoline;
• the use of intranasal glucocorticosteroid drugs;
• the use of mucolytic and secretolytic agents:
  • Acetylcysteine;
  • Rinofluimucil;
• topical antibiotic therapy.

For the relief of pain, local and systemic drugs are used.

Drug therapy regimens:

For systemic therapy of acute otitis media, drugs of choice are drugs based on amoxicillin, provided that the patient has not taken such drugs for the last 30 days. In case of insufficient effect of treatment with amoxicillin after three days, it is necessary to replace the drug of choice with a combination of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid or an antibacterial agent of the 3rd generation cephalosporin class (Cefixime, Pancef, Ceftibuten), which are protected from the effects of β-lactamases produced by pathogenic microorganisms.

The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate is recommended in oral form.

SARS

Therapy of acute respiratory viral infections is carried out on an outpatient basis or in a hospital, depending on the severity of the patient's condition. Patients suffering from a severe form of the disease or complications from it, or according to epidemic indications, are subject to hospitalization.

Treatment goals:

• stop the spread of the pathological process;
• prevent and stop the development of complications of the disease;
• prevent the development of residual effects;
• prevent the formation of recurrent and chronic course of the disease.

For the treatment of acute respiratory viral infection, the following drugs are used:

sinusitis

In severe and moderate forms of sinusitis, the use of systemic antibiotic therapy is recommended. Selection of drugs is carried out on the basis of the alleged pathogen or a combination of them.

In the case of mild sinusitis, antibiotic therapy is prescribed only in cases where the infection of the upper respiratory tract is recurrent and the duration of clinical symptoms is more than 5-7 days. Antibacterial therapy is also indicated for patients with severe concomitant somatic pathology, for example, with diabetes mellitus, as well as for patients who are in a state of immunodeficiency.

The main goal of the treatment of acute sinusitis is the complete eradication (destruction) of the infectious agent that provoked the disease. In this regard, when prescribing antibiotics, preference should be given to agents that have the most rapid bactericidal effect. The criterion for the effectiveness of the therapy used is the dynamics of clinical symptoms. In the absence of a noticeable effect for three days, the drug should be replaced without waiting for the end of the course.

The drug of choice is Amoxicillin, administered orally according to the following scheme: from 500 to 1000 mg twice a day.

Alternative drugs are:

In case of intolerance to β-lactam antibiotics, the following drugs are used:

If the initial therapy is ineffective or if the infectious agent is resistant to it, a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate is used orally at 625 mg 3 times a day or 1000 mg 2 times a day.

Alternative means are:

• Levofloxacin;
• Gemifloxacin;
• Moxifloxacin;
• Cefditoren

in individually selected doses.

The drug of antibacterial action must be selected taking into account contraindications and tolerability of medications by the patient. In case of resistance of an infectious agent to initial therapy, it is recommended to analyze the sensitivity of the pathogen to antibiotics and select therapy based on the results of the study.

The use of topical anticongestants improves nasal breathing and aeration of the paranasal sinuses.

mastoiditis

Conservative therapy for mastoiditis involves the early initiation of systemic antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy should be started from the very beginning of the disease, without waiting for the bacteriogram. As soon as the results of a bacteriological study for antibiotic sensitivity of an infectious agent become available, it may be necessary to adjust antimicrobial therapy.

Antibacterial drugs for this disease are administered parenterally at regular intervals. Cancellation of antimicrobial treatment does not occur until the complete biological recovery of the patient, that is, the complete eradication of the pathogen that provoked the disease.

In order to cover the widest possible list of suspected pathogens, it is advisable to prescribe at least two antibacterial drugs during initial therapy.

The drugs of choice are β-lactam antibacterial drugs, which are injected into the body intravenously slowly or in the form of drip infusions.

Good results show:

• a combination of ticarcillin and clavulanate;
• Cefuroxime;
• Cefotaxime;
• Ceftriaxone;
• Cefoperazone.

Severe course of mastoiditis is associated with dehydration and severe intoxication syndrome. To correct these pathological conditions, isotonic sodium chloride solution is used. In order to prevent thrombosis of the sigmoid sinus, anticoagulants are included as a component in the therapeutic regimen. Of the direct ones, heparin sodium, Fraxiparine is most often used, and of the indirect ones - Fenindione.

Mumps

The disease is more common in children than in adults.

In the treatment of parotitis (mumps), it is necessary to simultaneously solve several problems:

• elimination of intoxication syndrome;
• prevention of the spread of the infectious process (it must not be allowed that the surrounding tissues become inflamed);
• prevention of the occurrence of complications of the disease from other systems and organs;
• prevention of the development of residual effects of the disease.

The first priority is:

• pathogen eradication;
• detoxification;
• desensitization of the body in order to improve the patient's condition.

A mild degree of the disease is treated on an outpatient basis.

Drug therapy involves the use of the following groups of drugs:

Brucellosis

Treatment of patients with suspected brucellosis, as well as with an established diagnosis, is carried out in a hospital setting.

This is necessary to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the patient.

Rubella

Simultaneously with inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ear with rubella, the lymph nodes located in the occipital region also increase.

In the case of an uncomplicated course of the disease, symptomatic therapy is prescribed on an outpatient basis, child care, restorative measures as rubella symptoms fade. Reception of a complex of vitamins is shown.

In the case of the development of rubella encephalitis, the use of pathogenetic therapy is indicated, which involves the use of anti-inflammatory, vasoactive, neuroprotective and antioxidant drugs.

Etiotropic therapy consists in the use of interferon preparations, which are prescribed subject to the presence of signs of damage to the central nervous system.

The registration of the attachment of a bacterial infection is an indication for the appointment of antibiotics.

With the development of rubella arthritis, the main role in the treatment is played by the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - both in systemic forms and in the form of topical agents.

allergic reactions

Allergic reactions that do not threaten the life of the patient, are not associated with swelling of the upper respiratory tract, do not make breathing difficult, do not cause suffocation, can be treated on an outpatient basis. To stop allergic conditions, blockers of h1-histamine receptors are used. The choice of the drug is determined by the age of the patient, the severity of the symptoms of the disease, the patient's tolerance to drugs from the antihistamine group.

With severe symptoms, accompanied by urticaria, itching and burning, increased nervousness, it is advisable to use 1st generation antihistamines as a starting therapy:

• Diphenhydramine;
• Suprastin;
• Tavegil.

The advantage of these drugs is an additional sedative effect, as well as the possibility of parenteral administration if necessary.

The downside is the short duration of action, as a result of which the frequency of use is 2-3 times a day.

Antihistamines of the latest generations do not have a pronounced sedative effect, they can be used by patients of working age without fear for the ability to concentrate and speed of psychomotor reactions.

Another advantage is the long-term effect of such drugs - 12-24 hours. In some cases, a single dose per day is sufficient.

In order to exclude contact with the allergen in food and drug allergies, enterosorbents are indicated, which include:

• Polysorb;
• Smecta;
• Enterosgel.

Infected soft tissue injury or skin rash

In these cases, antiseptic solutions are used to disinfect wounds, and if necessary, aseptic dressings.

For the treatment of infected elements of the skin rash, aseptic solutions are used, as well as antibacterial ointments. At the same time, the problem of identifying the cause of the rash, diagnosing and treating a skin disease or an allergic reaction should be solved.

Immunodeficiency

The choice of treatment in this situation depends on the cause of the development of the pathological condition. In the case of the viral nature of immunodeficiency (HIV), antiviral agents are used that block the replication of RNA viruses.

With the infectious nature of immunodeficiency, immunomodulating agents, interferon inducers, vitamin therapy, general strengthening measures are prescribed.

Oncological processes

The method of therapy is chosen after determining the nature and cellular composition of the tumor.

With various types of neoplasms, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical treatment are effective.

When is hospitalization necessary?

Indications for emergency hospitalization are the following conditions:

• acute serous-purulent lymphadenitis;
• acute inflammation with abscess formation or phlegmon of the lymph node;
• chronic productive inflammation;
• chronic abscessing process.

Patients subject to planned hospitalization:

• with long-term (more than a month) chronic lymphadenitis;
• with post-vaccination lymphadenitis, for example, after BCG in babies;
• with the initial stage of chronic specific lymphadenitis.

The lymph nodes They are a kind of biological filters. They are located in different parts of the body. The function of these peripheral organs of the immune system is to delay bacteria and viruses circulating in the lymph flow, analyze them and signal the need to develop a specific immune response. However, in some cases, this mechanism does not work quite accurately; bacteria begin to multiply right in the nodes. Then the inflamed node increases.

Strictly speaking, certain groups of lymph nodes are responsible for the inflammatory process in certain areas of the body. In particular, inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ears usually indicates an infectious process localized in the head and neck. Therefore, if the nodes behind the ear have increased, the following should be done.

1. Examine the scalp. You may find large pimples - which could provoke an increase in lymph nodes. In this case, boils should be treated with special ointments, if they have not yet opened, and after opening. The posterior ear lymph nodes increase with inflammation of the outer, middle or inner ear. Perhaps you should visit an ENT doctor.

2. Sometimes inflammation of the throat, such as sore throats, pharyngitis and laryngitis, can lead to an increase behind the ears, or behind one ear. If there is no pain in the throat, examine it. Enlarged tonsils and redness indicate the presence of an inflammatory process. In this case, you also need to make an appointment with the ENT. You can gargle at home with a solution of soda, diluted calendula tincture, special antiseptic solutions, irrigate the throat with special medicines. This also includes herpes. Yes, it also sometimes causes the development of lymphadenopathy.

3. Inflammation of the maxillary sinuses- sinusitis can sometimes also be the cause of an increase in the lymph nodes behind the ears. Here, a consultation with an ENT and specific therapy is shown.

4. Oral diseases can cause swollen lymph nodes behind the ears. Eliminate inflammation of the gums - gingivitis, stomatitis of various nature, caries.

5. Allergic diseases may also be associated with lymphadenopathy.

If you discovered if you have any of these infectious diseases, most likely, the lymph nodes have increased because of them. In this case, treat the disease-causes of the increase, normally, the nodes themselves will decrease over time. However, if the signs of the disease have disappeared, the lymph nodes may remain enlarged for some time. If they are abnormal in size for more than two weeks, after curing the underlying disease, they began to hurt more, grow even more, be sure to consult a doctor.

Also need examine and the posterior auricular lymph nodes themselves. Normally, when they are filled with pus as a result of an infectious process, the lymph nodes are painful, but mobile, that is, they are not soldered to the surrounding tissues. During the infectious process, they usually increase to 3-5 cm, there are no excessively protruding areas, there are no roughness on the nodes. Redness or a rash may occur on the skin above the node, which usually also indicates an infection that has settled inside. It is good if the lymph node is soft and elastic.

Absence soreness and stone hardness is not always a good sign. Sometimes the lymph nodes increase with a far advanced oncological process. Metastases that enter the lymph flow are delayed by nodes, begin to grow there, which leads to an increase, but is usually not accompanied by pain. Then you should not hesitate to go to the hospital, as well as with ulceration of the skin over the node, the release of pus from it. There is no need to make any lotions on the enlarged lymph nodes themselves, as this can aggravate the course of inflammatory processes. The main tactic includes 3 points:

1) Treatment of the underlying disease. If this is caries, then you need to treat your teeth. If a furuncle of the scalp or, use Vishnevsky's liniment or ichthyol ointment, they contribute to the discharge of pus, the "breakthrough" of the abscess. Then apply dressings with methyluracil ointment or levomekol ointment containing an antibiotic. By the way, there are also more severe purulent diseases of the subcutaneous tissue of the head and neck - phlegmon and carbuncles. They also provoke an increase in the lymph nodes behind the ears. Only they need to be treated by a surgeon, but not at home. Be sure to treat tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, sinusitis and otitis media. Ideally, if the treatment is still prescribed by a doctor. Also minimize allergic reactions, take allergy medications prescribed by your doctor.

2) Monitor enlarged lymph nodes. As they recover from the underlying disease, they should also decrease in size. In the absence of pain and infectious disease, consult an oncologist or a simple therapist. He examines the enlarged node, if necessary, takes from it for analysis the contents - punctate, and determines whether there are bacteria or metastases in the node. An ultrasound examination of the lymph nodes and taking a piece of tissue for a biopsy is also performed. If the presence of an oncological disease is confirmed, the doctor decides on further research in order to establish the depth of the development of the process and determine the method of treatment.

3) Strengthen your overall immunity. To do this, you can drink immunostimulants: tincture of echinacea or eleutherococcus, ginseng.

The behind-the-ear and submandibular lymph nodes are normally not palpable. Any enlargement of the lymph nodes and a change in their consistency and mobility suggests inflammation. Lymphadenitis behind the ear is often not only an isolated process, but a reactive one.

The Latin ending "itis" in the word lymphadenitis emphasizes the inflammatory nature of changes in the lymph nodes. Behind the ear lymph nodes are not more often and not less often than others are subject to inflammatory processes

Lymph from the skin of the auricle and inner ear, eardrum, partly from the temporal region and scalp flows into these formations, which serve as a kind of filter for a bacterial, viral infection or cancer cells in the body. Normally, the lymph nodes are not palpable. Any increase or change in mobility, soreness or adhesion to the skin indicates pathological changes.

The cause of inflammation can be an acute bacterial infection in areas whose lymphatic drainage passes through the behind-the-ear lymph nodes. The most common pathogens are staphylococci (golden or epidermal), streptococci. Perhaps specific inflammation in tuberculosis, leprosy. The submandibular lymph nodes are also inflamed. Normally, lymph nodes do not exceed five millimeters in diameter.

A common cause in children is rubella, a viral disease in which, in addition to the behind-the-ear nodes, the posterior cervical nodes increase and a multiple red rash appears, consisting of dots that sometimes merge into a continuous field. Another example of a viral lesion is an adenovirus infection, in which there are also catarrhal phenomena (runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis).

Lymphadenitis behind the ear can also be the result of inflammation of the parotid salivary gland of a bacterial or viral nature (mumps). Parotitis is caused by a virus, often occurs in childhood and is colloquially called mumps. Replication of the virus in the gland tissue necessitates increased lymph flow and leads to a reactive enlargement of the nodes.

Skin processes lead to nonspecific changes in the behind-the-ear group of lymph nodes. This is atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema. At the same time, long-term allergic processes, the accumulation of protein breakdown products and toxins require an increased load on the lymphatic vessels to remove them from the foci and cause the proliferation of lymphoid tissue.

Isolated behind-the-ear lymphadenitis is the process of inflammation of the nodes themselves under the action of bacterial agents. Inflammation goes through several stages (catarrhal, purulent). In this case, the nodes increase in size, thicken, painful when touched, often soldered to the skin. With purulent fusion of the node, the formation of a fistulous tract is possible, through which pus and necrotic masses depart. Rarely observed necrosis of the behind-the-ear lymph node. Such phenomena are possible with bubonic plague, which is still recorded in the world.

Lymphadenitis should be diagnosed by a doctor. With all doubts about the inflammatory nature of the changes, punctures or biopsies of remote nodes are indicated. A number of clinical, biochemical, serological and immunological blood tests are performed. Of the additional methods, x-ray and ultrasound diagnostics are used.

In this case, differential diagnosis is carried out with tumor diseases (lymphomas, lymphatic leukemia, cancer of the lymph nodes). Rarely, such changes accompany lymphogranulomatosis, in which changes in the lymph nodes will be the primary and often the only manifestations of the disease.

In oncopathologies, there is a more massive increase in nodes, their doughy or very dense consistency, frequent associations of nodes into conglomerates. There are also characteristic changes in blood tests (the number and ratio of individual populations of leukocytes changes, anemia appears and an acceleration of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate appears, blast and young forms of the leukocyte population appear). Diagnostic search is carried out by the therapist together with the surgeon. If necessary, the patient is referred for a consultation with a hematologist or oncohematologist.

Treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor. It is unacceptable to prescribe heating of the lymph nodes until the diagnosis is clarified. It is absolutely unacceptable to do this at home. What can initially be interpreted as lymphadenitis may turn out to be a tumor disease, the progression of which (and, therefore, the worsening of the prognosis for the patient) is easily provoked by thermal procedures.

In the treatment of behind-the-ear lymphadenitis of a reactive nature, the main emphasis is on the treatment of the pathology that led to it. This is how rubella or mumps is treated with antiviral drugs, skin diseases with hormones or antihistamines, and fungal processes with antifungal drugs. Inflammations of the inner ear and ear canal also require specific therapy depending on the pathogen.

The drugs of choice in the treatment of idiopathic inflammation of the nodes are broad-spectrum antibiotics. These are semi-synthetic penicillins, beta-lactam antibiotics, macrolides, cephalosporins. This tactic is justified if it is impossible to sow the discharge of the lymph node and an unidentified causative agent of the infectious process. The criterion for the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy is a decrease in the size of the node, its pain, the disappearance of the temperature reaction.

Pain relief and suppression of fever is achieved with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: ibuclin, nurofen, paracetamol.

Antihistamines eliminate the allergic component of inflammation, reducing tissue swelling. Preferably third-generation drugs that affect the central nervous system to a lesser extent and almost do not cause drowsiness.

It is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner if there is an enlarged lymph node behind the ear. This can reduce the duration of treatment, avoid complications and detect advanced forms of cancer.