I’d been having a lightly swollen lymph node on my left jaw just below the ear for a few days, didn’t think much about it, figured it was coming from a mildly infected razor cut and would clear up on its own. Yesterday, a series of mildly painful bumps arose just inside my hairline, vaguely like insect bites, and the lymph nodes enlarged a bit more, but still not painful.
This morning, the lymph nodes are very painful and noticably enlarged, and the bumps have merged together into a painful rash slightly larger than a quarter, all still inside my hairline. I’m beginning to be concerned that it’s MRSA. I have no idea what could have come into contact in that spot specifically, other than perhaps a telephone receiver, that’s my “phone ear.”
I can’t get to a doctor until tomorrow, unless I pay through the nose for one of those doc-in-the-box afterhours places. Is there something I can do, topical antimicrobial or something, that won’t do more harm than good? I’m perfectly open to herbals and alternatives, know quite well that they can be effective, but this is a new one on me, and it’s frankly a little scary.
I may be over reacting on your behalf because my (now ex/deceased) husband had chronic lymphocytic leukemia. One time he merely scuffed a small - less than dime sized area on his hand and another time he got a small paper cut down in the V between thumb and forefinger. Both times he came very close to having his arm amputated above the elbow.
Granted, he had leukemia so his immune system was compromised but staph moves fast.
Years ago I dated a guy who delivered the WSJ and was healthy as a horse. He cut his hand on the string he used to secure the rolled up paper and he came down with a staph infection. He called me and when I went to his apartment he was delirious with fever and had a bump on his arm near the elbow area. I managed to get him in my car and I took him to the doctor. He had staph which had spread.
The point I’m trying to make about my friend is he was healthy as a horse and still became very ill very quickly. If it were me I’d go ahead and go to the doc in the box but then remember, I’ve been ‘spooked’ twice.
I’m not a doctor nor will I give any advise. If you’re concerned, go see a doctor. Lymph node enlargement could possibly indicate infection. If it gets worse or it really bothers you, by all means go see someone asap.
My bout with mrsa was never a skin thing. I had a 104 fever and severe back pain. I hadn’t eaten in 3 days and was in bad shape.
The web has plenty of pictures of mrsa skin infections.
Did you see the doc yet? Painful bumps along the hairline could be Shingles.