During a bout of flu or cold, one is often susceptible to experiencing swollen glands or lumps below the skin, especially on the face. These glands also known as lymph nodes tend to swell up during the course of an infection as the body is busy fighting off the infection-causing pathogens. Some infections if left untreated can cause the glands to get even more enlarged and tender, bringing about pain and discomfort. There are other various reasons for swollen glands and some of them include an accidental injury, such as a gash or insect bite and in some rare cases swollen glands can also point out to tumors in the oral cavity, head, or neck.
Hence the rule of thumb should be to undergo a thorough medical examination with the help of a reputed medical expert. You should consult your physician for the cause of the swollen glands for correct diagnosis and treatment. The best expert to visit for such problems is an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT) who would obviously be familiar with the issue.
One of the most common reasons for the swelling below the jaw would be a condition known as angioedema. In what can be characterized as the most distinctive symptoms of this disorder, an external or internal factor can trigger off the swelling of the mouth. One may also experience swelling in the tongue, the velum, the floor of the mouth, and sometimes even the throat and then voice box, thus causing much pain and discomfort in the affected regions. If the condition is severe, and left untreated, the swelling of the lymph glands can also cause suffocation.
There are a various other plausible factors that can cause the swelling and some of these possibilities include: sensitiveness towards certain foods or medications, specific hypertension or hypotension drugs, environmental elements, such as intense heat or cold, small hurts and trauma, blood transfusion etc. Fortunately a simple blood test is usually the best test in determining whether you are experiencing angioedema.
Apart from angioedema, other types of infections that can cause swollen glands include –