![movable lump on jaw bone that hurts movable lump on jaw bone that hurts](https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Female-patient-talking-about-jaw-and-bruxis-732x549-thumbnail.jpg)
It wasn’t the best reason to order a test to begin with, and now there were these tiny abnormalities. She had done the blood work to reassure the patient - and herself - that everything was normal. And indeed, his haptoglobin level was low.ĭeGeorge was a little annoyed at herself. If more blood is being destroyed than usual, the level of haptoglobin drops. Because red blood cells are usually destroyed at a consistent rate - as they reach the end of their useful lives - the level of haptoglobin is usually stable. This protein’s job is to clean up the detritus of discarded red blood cells. She called the lab and added a third test to check the level of a protein called haptoglobin. One abnormal lab test result could be an error, but when two linked test results are off, it suggests that the findings are real. Still, bilirubin goes up when red blood cells are destroyed at a higher-than-normal rate. If the node went back to normal before the appointment - it often took weeks to get in to see subspecialists - he could cancel. And she would refer him to an ear, nose and throat doctor (E.N.T.). Still, she would get blood tests just to make sure there was nothing else going on. It often takes more than four weeks for these nodes to recede. She told him that the lymph node was probably a response to the sore he had in his mouth. It was easily moved around - that was normal - and not at all tender. DeGeorge was surprised at how firm this one felt. But even enlarged, they usually have a soft texture. Most of the time, lymph nodes are too small to feel, but when fighting off an infection, they can grow. It was almost a centimeter long and felt a little rubbery. When DeGeorge examined the patient, she easily located the nodule he was worrying about. The man told her he’d had a little sore on the inside of his mouth, but it was gone now. Any sores on your face or in your mouth? the doctor asked. He thought it was probably a swollen lymph node, but it had been there for a while, he said, and he was a little worried about it. Over all, he felt well, except for this small bump he found under his chin. Now he was training for the Chicago Marathon and, after that, a 100-kilometer race. He told her that he recently had run his first ultramarathon - 50 kilometers, or just over 31 miles. A couple of years ago, he took up long-distance running, and now he was logging 30 to 40 miles most weeks. He was a healthy guy and always fun to talk to.
![movable lump on jaw bone that hurts movable lump on jaw bone that hurts](https://emedicalupdates.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/The-jawbone-holding-the-lower-set-of-teeth-image-photo-picture-300x196.jpg)
Katharine DeGeorge, a family-medicine doctor in a small practice just outside Charlottesville, Va., greeted her patient warmly. It was probably nothing - but he wanted to hear it from a professional. He was due for his yearly physical, so he made an appointment to see his doctor. Years ago, a friend had found a lump near her collarbone and ended up dying of cancer. The soreness had gone away, but still, the lump made him nervous. When he first saw it, while shaving maybe a couple of weeks earlier, it was a little tender. His fingers quickly found the small double-lobed bulge. Lowering his razor, he lifted his chin to see if the lima-bean-size lump was still visible on the right side of his neck, just under his jawbone.
![movable lump on jaw bone that hurts movable lump on jaw bone that hurts](https://kissimmeeoralsurgery.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Jaw-Bone-Health.jpg)
The 40-year-old man stared into the mirror.