Many people have had this experience. When you touch the back of your ears, you will sometimes suddenly feel a small hard bag. I don’t know when it grew out, and it will be sore when you press it. Sometimes this small bag will grow slowly, and some will disappear after a few days.
In fact, this small hard package is mostly related to lymph node enlargement , epidermoid cyst or boils. Today we will talk to you about these three possibilities.
1. Lymph node swollen
The root of the human ear is where a large number of lymph nodes gather. lymph nodes is part of the lymph system and is also the human body's immune organ . Swelling of lymph nodes is like a signal soldier of the body, reminding us that there may be problems in the body.
infection, various diseases, etc. may cause lymph node enlargement, and lymph node enlargement behind the ear is most common in bacterial infection , and the common pathogenic bacteria are Staphylococcus aureus or hemolytic streptococci .
The enlarged lymph nodes behind the ear are manifested in that your hands can feel soft or hard small bumps, because infection will cause local skin temperature to rise, and it will be uncomfortable to swallow when eating, drinking, and drinking.
Sometimes gum pain, otitis media , suppurative mumps can also cause enlargement of the lymph nodes behind the ear, and in severe cases, it will cause rupture of the small hard packet and seep out of the pus.
2. Epidermoid cysts
Epidermoid cysts grown behind the ears are generally derived from damaged hair follicle structures or traumatic implantable epidermis. This cyst usually doesn't feel pain unless it is pressed with your hands, but when there is a local inflammatory reaction, the skin begins to turn red, the temperature increases, and it is accompanied by pain.
Image source: TuChong Creative
If you squeeze the epidermal cyst with your hands, off-white, cheese-like, and smelly substances will be excreted. Because secondary infection may occur, forced squeezing is not recommended.
3. Boil
Boil is caused by bacterial infection of the skin hair follicles. The pathogenic bacteria are similar to the previous situation, mainly Staphylococcus aureus. At the beginning, the boil was just a small red and swollen hard nodule, but it gradually became bigger and it would hurt more and more.
Usually after two to three days of growth, the hard nodule will become soft and feel volatile to the touch. A small yellow-white pus plug will appear in the center of the hard nodule. If the pus is broken, pus will be discharged and the inflammation will be relieved.
Although the infection area of the boil itself is relatively limited, if it is squeezed suddenly, it may cause the spread of bacterial infection, so it is not recommended to squeeze with your hands.
In addition to the three conditions mentioned above, it is not ruled out that there are other diseases such as autoimmune diseases , allergic reactions, lymphoma , etc., so when you find that a small hard bag grows behind the ear, don’t squeeze it at will. It is recommended to seek medical treatment in time or take a photo to determine the cause, and then choose the corresponding treatment method.
