What Causes Swollen Spot On Back Of Head?

Posted on Sat, 7 Mar 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 7 Mar 2015 Answered on

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi I have a swollen spot on back of my head ... roughly !/2 way between my ear & the cranial groove on back of neck ... it is also tender to the touch & I have some congestion. I also had moments of referred pain in back of head too ::: Well, I imagine that it might be swollen lymph related to fighting my tooth infection. I have been drinking lots water & doing reflexology points on myself for past few hours. It does seem less swollen & tender now. I am not feeling those tinges of pain right now either ... But it is very worrisome. Should I go to ER? Thanks!

Answered by Dr. Baranidharan Kuselan (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Enlarged lymph node likely cause

Detailed Answer:
Hi there,
Thanks for using HCM.

The swollen spot could be a swollen sub occipital lymph node.
The other possibility is a local skin infection like a boil.

Either of these do not warrant a trip to ER.
Since there is some improvement, you can consult your primary care physician.

He may order for a complete blood count to rule out infection and may prescribe a course of antibiotics and pain killers.

I hope that answers your question.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
With kind regards,
Dr.Barani

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E