lump on my fucking head

Tube

it's not a bruise, and it's not a spot, but it kind of hurts if I poke it. It's hard and a big protrusion, and I'm pretty sure I haven't hit my head there. It's also got a small base, not like a big bruise.

so do I have a brain tumour or what

I'm not going to the doctor, I'm hardly out of the fucking place as it is, and I'm pretty sure brain tumours sort themselves out

Calamity Jane

Does it have a color to it?

Tube

kind of hard to tell, it's behind hair. I asked someone to check it out and they didn't mention colour, but said they didn't think it was a spot.

they also fucking pressed it really hard like a fucking jackass and it didn't pop so I guess it isn't a spot for definite

Calamity Jane

Were you outdoors lately? It may be an insect bite.

Tube

We don't really get those kind of insects here, and it's rainy so not so much.

Calamity Jane

Let's see here...

Would you say it's dime sized? Or are we talking quarter here?

Tube

I'm in the UK, it's a little smaller than a 20p piece

Calamity Jane

It'd be best if there was some sort of picture I could use as a point of reference, as I'm not finding much in the way of info.

bent

It could be a horsefly bite, or even a swollen flea bite.

Zsetrek

It could be a wen - a type of benign cyst that usually occurs on the scalp. Both my mum and my dog get them.

The usual procedure for any bump or skin blemish, however is to just keep an eye on it. If it changes colour or texture, or grows, or if it's a nuisance then go see a doctor.

witch_ie

Could be an ingrown hair.

JoeUser

Cross-posted from the SE thread:

Cardboard Tube wrote: »

JoeUser wrote: »

A few questions:
1) How long have you had it?
2) Has it seemed to change size at all?
3) Where is it in relation to your ear (Behind, above, etc.)?

an inch behind and about level, only noticed it tonight

Ahh, it could be enlarged lymph nodes (another source here), which could be caused by a few things.

When swelling appears suddenly and is painful, it is usually caused by injury or an infection. Enlargement that comes on gradually and painlessly may, in some cases, result from cancer or a tumor.

The Cat

I had one of those on the base of my skull last year, but it vanished on its own before I got around to getting my head poked at. Could be a fluid-filled cyst of some sort, Zsetrek sounds right on the money.

Chenjesu

I've had a series of cysts removed from my head. They start small, and slowly grow over time. No real pain, but eventually get very large (like U.S. quarter sized). Just lumps under the skin which kind of wiggle with the skin. Last was diagnosed as a keratinoid cyst. Mine were hard, not fluid or dead skin filled.

Maybe what you have is different, since there's pain, but not all wierd head lumps are cancer. I would recommend seeing a doctor, at worst he'll say "Oh, it's a cyst, we can take that out if you like".

Cryogen

I've had pimples before that had no 'head' and were essentially unpoppable. At least, i assume they were pimples... my dad always called them 'blind pimples' when i was young so i just assumed thats what they are. In any case, how long have you had it? Mine generally went away in a week. Depending on where they are they can indeed hurt like a mofo. All the other descriptions you gave sounded like the same thing i've felt, and i've had them under my hair too, in a similar place behind the ear as you've described. I guess it could be an ingrown hair too, as witch_ie said.

Incenjucar

I assume you mean those clear-liquid oozing lumps that form a yellowish crystalline substance?

Those are fricking annoying.

Only thing I've found thing that helps is applying a bit of disinfectant to keep it from getting infected, and just letting it do its thing.

Fibretip

i'd lean towards the glands suggestion. When i had glandular fever (mono for you americans) a couple years back i woke up one night with a lump about 50p sized behind my ear, just where my head it starts feeling fleshy and not boney if you follow. It felt like it was pressing down on my neck muscles, real pain in the ass, it felt like the tendons or whatever in my neck were about an inch shorter than they should be. I could push it back in, but it hurt to do so.

my question is... does it help if you put something warm against it? (hot flannel etc) glands and stuff always feel a bit better with warmth, spots don't normally. Is it causing any continual discomfort?

BobCesca

It's probably just a spot or an infected bite of some kind.


If you're really worried, go and see your GP just to be sure.