A number of possible reasons can cause a lump behind ear lobe. In this page, find the cause, symptoms and treatment options available. Depending on the causes, the lump maybe soft, hard, small, or big and at times a very painful cyst or just a pea sized cyst.
A lump behind ear lobe is a localized area of swelling that occurs on either one or both of your ears. Other terms used to describe the various types of lumps include bump, nodule, tumor and cyst. Lump can be as a result of a number of conditions, including infections, inflammation, tumors or trauma. Depending on the causes, a lump behind ear can be single or multiple, soft or firm, painful or painless. They grow rapidly or may not change in size.
Common sites for ear lumps include your ear canal, ear lobe, and behind your ear. Ear lumps can be caused by exostoses and osteomas, which are types of tumors that grow in the bones of the ear canal. An ear lump and tenderness in the bone behind your ear, along with pain and swelling, could indicate mastoiditis (infection of the mastoid bone).
The lump can disappear over a few days or weeks without any need for medical attention. But if you notice an annoying lump behind one of your ears for more than four weeks, you should consider seeing a doctor.
Lump behind ear lobe symptoms
The symptoms are dependent on what is causing your lump and whether or not the lump has become inflamed or disturbed in any way. If you scratch to a point where it bleeds, it could become infected, which makes it much worse.
Although statistics are not available, we do know that cysts behind the ear are rather common. The symptoms of a cyst behind ear would include the following;
- Small soft lumps
- Pimple-like bump
- Pain
- Fever or chills if cyst is infected
If you have a history of acne, it will likely be easy to identify lumps behind the ears and quickly realize that there is nothing to worry about. When doing a self-check, ask yourself, does the lump feels soft? If it does, then it could be a cyst or fatty tissue. Ask yourself, is the spot tender and painful when I touch it? In cases where a person feels slight pain, it is often a pimple or an abscess forming. You will want to take note of any other symptoms such as fever or chills.
What causes a lump behind the ear lobe
A lump or swelling behind the ear lobe can be caused by a number of possible reasons. They include:
1. Sebaceous cysts bumps.
A small cyst behind the ear can be caused by non- cancerous lumps that tend to rise beneath the skin. Sebaceous or epidermoid cysts are often painless and tend to cause no problem at all such that they do not warrant any treatment. However, if the cyst appears to bother you or it’s painful, you may choose to have it removed through a surgical procedure.
Sebaceous cyst appear as a small, round bump under the skin. The cause of sebaceous cyst occurs when cells move deeper into your skin and tend to increase in number rather than sloughing off. In the process, the cells produce keratin: a thick yellow fluid that drains into the cyst behind the ear.
If you have a damaged hair follicle or oil gland, the abnormal multiplication of cells is linked as the cause, this consequently forms a cyst behind your ear. If the sebaceous cyst is infected, it will develop into abscesses causing a severe inflammation. This will necessitate medical treatment since the cyst is pus filled, smelly and painful.
2. Swollen lymph node behind ear.
Bacterial or viral infection around the ear leads to swelling of lymph nodes behind the ear. Small and soft bumps sometime painful when touched would appear behind the ear, this can be accompanied by fatigue and or fever.
If you have a cold/flu, strep throat or sinusitis, your lymph nodes behind the ear and cheeks tend to swell. Infection stimulates the body to produce more white blood cells to fight infection
3. Mastoid bone infection.
A lump behind the ear can occur as a result of infection in the mastoid bone. This is a condition commonly in children and tends to spread to the mastoid bone found at the back of your ear. The symptoms include protruding swelling presenting either small or large pimple like sacks. If you have mastoiditis, the infected bumps behind the ear is associated with fever, ear pain and redness.
If left untreated, possible serious problem can occur including hearing loss or impairment. Treatment involves use of intravenous antibiotics to help drainage of the fluid filled in the cyst. You need to see your doctor as soon as you notice the above symptoms.
4.Lump behind ear Cancer
Cancer is a more serious condition that requires quick remedy as soon as it is detected. Common symptoms of head and neck cancer are manifested as cyst or bumps behind the ear. If you have a difficulty in swallowing associated with a sore throat that does not heal, it could be a signal of salivary gland cancer.
Swollen lymph nodes start as bumps in the back of your ear, this can be a sign of leukemia and lymphoma: a form of cancer that present itself as swollen lymph nodes. Although the cyst behind the ear might not be painful, it could signify a more complicated health problem. Salivary gland cancer and or skin cancer tend to grow as malignant cells behind the ear.
5. Lipoma movable lumps on ear bone.
Lipoma is a fatty lump that develops between the layers of your skin. It can develop anywhere on your body, and it’s almost always completely harmless. Lipomas are not always detectable from the skin’s surface, but the larger they grow, the more likely it is that you will be able to feel them with your hand.
6. Psoriasis, acne zit or pimple behind ear.
Psoriasis is a skin disease marked by red, itchy, scaly patches, Acne on the other hand is a common skin condition that occurs when hair follicles in the skin become clogged. Dead skin cells and oil can clog the follicles. As a result, pimples and bumps may develop. In some cases, these bumps will grow to be large, solid bumps that can be painful.
7. Lump behind ear piercing
Using unsterilized object to pierce your ear might be risky, this is because it could be used to transmit infection from one person to the other. This could cause the development of a lump behind the ear lobe.
8.Lump behind the earlobe.
Common sites for ear lumps include your ear canal, ear lobe, and behind your ear. Ear lumps can be caused by exostoses and osteomas, which are types of tumors that grow in the bones of the ear canal.
Painful Lump behind ear lobe
Lump or cysts are common and can occur anywhere on the body. Cysts are often caused by infection, clogging of sebaceous glands or around earrings. It is unusual for cysts to cause pain unless they rupture, become infected or inflamed
If you have a history of acne, it will likely be easy to identify lumps behind the ears and quickly realize that there is nothing to worry about. When doing a self-check, ask yourself, does the lump feels soft? If it does, then it could be a fatty tissue. Ask yourself, is the spot tender and painful when I touch it? In cases where a person feels slight pain, it is often a pimple or an abscess forming.
Majority of bumps behind the ear are nothing to cause you any worry. However, if the cyst is painful or hurts when touched, it could mean you have an infection that requires medical attention. In addition, rare cases of life threatening conditions are associated to bumps or nodules behind the ears.
Lumps behind the ear caused by infection or inflammation are usually temporary as the body responds to fight the infection. Bumps located behind the ear will resolve on their own with time. However, if you find complications, visit your doctor for examination and treatment.
Small lump behind left ear lobe
A small lump behind the ear lobe is most likely to be a cyst. It would appear as a small and hard bump in the ear lobe or behind the ear. Most of the cyst in the earlobe are typical sebaceous cyst: a sack formed beneath the skin filled with pus, blood and dead white blood cells. The cyst behind or located in the earlobe can be mild, moderate or severe depending on the level of infection, pain and size.
Normally, whenever there is a bump or pimple on any part of the body, there is that urge to pop it with a needle or squeezing it. A cyst behind ear should not be popped or squeezed, instead visit your general practitioner for diagnosis and treatment. Sebaceous cysts are not a serious health risk and will resolve on their own with time.
However, if you try to squeeze or pop a bump behind the ear, you increase the risk of infection and scarring. This delays the healing process and can be painful.
Large lump behind ear
Having a large lump behind the ear could be painful and cause a lot of discomfort. As stated earlier the size of the lump will depend on the causes of the lump. A large lump behind the ear is not an immediate cause of alarm and you don’t need to get worried. However is best for you to seek immediate medical attention if:
- The lump is causing pain or discomfort.
- You experience difficulty or pain when trying to move your neck or head.
- You have difficulty swallowing.
- The tender area appears to be spreading or growing.
- A cyst becomes inflamed, starts leaking pus, or ruptures on its own.
- The lump does not go away after several days or weeks, even if it is painless.
- Any accompanying symptoms do not seem to be lessening over time, or are getting worse.
Sore pea size lump behind ear
If you notice a sore pea sized lump behind your ear, it would most likely be a lipoma ( a soft, fatty lump that grows under the skin). It’s fairly common, harmless and can usually be left alone. When you press a lipoma it should feel soft and “doughy” to touch. It can range from the size of a pea to a few centimeters across.
A cyst is a sac under the skin that contains fluid, usually pus. It can look a bit like a lipoma but is close to the surface of the skin (lipomas are deeper under the skin). Cysts are firm to the touch. A cyst may disappear without treatment or you may need to have it drained.
Soft head bump behind ear
A soft head bump behind your ear is most likely a lipoma. Lipoma is a soft fatty lump that grows under the skin. It’s fairly common yet not harmless and can disappear within a few days if left alone without scratching.
Lump on neck behind ear
Lumps on the neck behind the ear are common and the causes is usually benign. Inflammatory lymph nodes are the most common cause. The lump may be the presentation of more serious disease such as chronic infection. You need to see your doctor to avoid the spread and faster medication of the underlying condition.
Big lump behind ear on bone
A big tender lump in the bone behind your ear, along with pain and swelling, could indicate mastoiditis (infection of the mastoid bone). The lump can disappear over a few days or weeks without any need for medical attention. But if you notice an annoying lump behind one of your ears for more than four weeks, you should consider seeing a doctor.
Common sites for ear lumps include your ear canal, ear lobe, and behind your ear. Ear lumps can also be caused by exostoses and osteomas, which are types of tumors that grow in the bones of the ear canal. You need to see your general practitioner as soon as possible to advise incases of an underlying medically condition.
Depending on how serious your bump might be, your doctor may prescribe one of the following procedures for the removal and treatment of the cyst,
- Surgical procedure
- Draining the content of the bump
- Injection and other anti-inflammatory medication.
Painful lump behind ear
When you notice that the cyst behind your ear is growing and swelling. You will need to see your general practitioner as soon as possible. If your doctor is uncertain, they may recommend that you have an ultrasound scan or a biopsy. Surgery may be needed to remove this type of bump.
You should also your doctor as soon as you notice your lump:
- is getting bigger
- is painful
- feels hard
- grows back after it’s been removed
Painless lump behind ear
A small cyst behind the ear mostly caused by non- cancerous lumps that tend to rise beneath the skin. Sebaceous or epidermoid cysts are often painless and tend to cause no problem at all such that they do not warrant any treatment. However, if the cyst appears to bother you or it’s painful, you may choose to have it removed through a surgical procedure.
Sebaceous cyst appear as a small, round bump under the skin. The cause of sebaceous cyst occurs when cells move deeper into your skin and tend to increase in number rather than sloughing off. In the process, the cells produce keratin: a thick yellow fluid that drains into the cyst behind the ear.
If you have a damaged hair follicle or oil gland, the abnormal multiplication of cells is linked as the cause, this consequently forms a cyst behind your ear. If the sebaceous cyst is infected, it will develop into abscesses causing a severe inflammation. This will necessitate medical treatment since the cyst is pus filled, smelly and painful.
Soft small lump behind ear lobe
Sebaceous cyst appear as a small, round bump under the skin. Sebaceous cyst occurs when cells move deeper into your skin and tend to increase in number rather than sloughing off. In the process, the cells produce keratin: a thick yellow fluid that drains into the cyst behind the ear.
If you have a damaged hair follicle or oil gland, the abnormal multiplication of cells is linked as the cause, this consequently forms a cyst behind your ear. If the sebaceous cyst is infected, it will develop into abscesses causing a severe inflammation. This will necessitate medical treatment since the cyst is pus filled, smelly and painful
Treatment of lump behind ear lobe
Drainage
For large cyst behind the ear, and those filled with blood and pus, your doctor will have to drain the cyst to speed healing process. With this method, a small cut is made in the cyst and the content squeezed gently. It is actually fast but the cyst tend to often recur.
Surgery
A large cyst behind the ear can be completely removed. If the cyst causes a lot of pain and discomfort, your doctor may recommend a surgery. This would be done if the cyst has a history of infection and keeps on coming back. A minor surgery would be done to get rid of the cyst. Surgery is considered a safe and effective way of removing a recurrent cyst.
Injection
If the cyst behind your ear if infected, your doctor will recommend an injection to reduce swelling and inflammation and also reduce the risk of transmission of other diseases such as those caused by virus and bacteria. That’s why it is not good for you to scratch and rapture the lump.
How to get rid of lump behind ear – Home remedies
Apart from the above procedures, other home remedies might serve well to sooth the lump, reduce the itching and get rid of the cyst behind the ear lobe. The following are the home remedies that you might use on your lump behind ear.
Warm compress
Warm compress the sebaceous cyst to speed up the healing process. A little warmth helps to drain the cyst fast and reduce swelling. Here’s how to remove the cyst:
- Use a piece of clean towel or cloth
- Soak the towel in warm water
- Apply/compress the warm towel onto the cyst for about 10 – 15 minutes
- Repeat the procedure above at least twice daily
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is popularly known for its skin benefits and generally as a medicinal plant that is good for your health. Aloe Vera has anti-inflammatory and anti – bacterial properties that helps to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Here’s how to use aloe Vera to remove cyst behind ear.
- Get gel from fresh cut aloe Vera plant
- Apply the gel directly to the cyst
- Rub gently on the area to help it penetrate deep into the infected cyst
- Do this twice daily for effective result.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a natural home remedy that has anti – bacterial, anti – fungal and antiseptic properties. It can be used at home to cleanse infected cyst behind your ear. Here’s how to use apple cider vinegar to remove nodules behind the ear.
Popping Large Cyst behind Ear Lobe
Further reference:
- http://www.healthline.com/health/causes-lumps-behind-ears
- http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/skin-care-articles/treating-lump-behind-ear
- http://www.enkivillage.com/lumps-behind-ear.html
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313968.php
