Introduction
A bump on the head is colloquially defined as any form of swelling that is palpable or even visible with or without a recognisable cause. Often it is an increased accumulation of fluid in the tissue, which can easily occur due to the only thin padding of the skull bone as a result of an injury to the head. In most cases, bumps on the head are harmless and do not require special treatment. Under certain circumstances, however, prompt medical clarification is recommended in order to initiate any necessary therapy in good time.
Causes
In the case of a bump on the back of the head or at another point on the head, it is useful to classify the causes according to whether there is a trigger for the swelling or whether it has occurred for no apparent reason. The most common cause of a bump is an injury to the head. It is easy to hit or bump your head on an edge in everyday life or during sports.
A fall on the head also usually leads to a bump on the affected area. There are many causes of bumps on the head that occur without a direct trigger, but they are generally less common than those that occur as a result of an injury. A distinction must be made between enlarged lymph nodes, which mainly occur at the back of the head or neck, but also under the lower jaw or in front of or behind the ear.
In addition, bumps can occur due to benign fatty tissue tumours (lipomas) or purulent inflammation of a hair follicle. Other possible but rare causes of bumps in the head area can be diseases of the salivary glands, skin or bone. In general, benign diseases are much more common.
Only in extremely rare cases does a bump on the head conceal a malignant disease. It is therefore advisable to have a bump, which develops without a recognisable cause, lasts longer than two weeks or is getting bigger and bigger, examined by a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor can either give the all-clear or promptly initiate further diagnostics and any necessary therapy.
A summary of the most common causes of bumps on the head are summarized below. A fall on the head or the back of the head usually leads to the development of a bump. The special feature of the head is that the bony skull is only surrounded by a thin soft tissue mantle consisting of skin, subcutaneous fatty tissue and partly a thin layer of muscles and tendons.
In a blunt injury, such as a fall, this tissue is compressed because the bone does not yield. As a result, tissue water leaks into these layers, which then leads to the mostly visible and palpable bump on the head and is usually accompanied by pain. It is best to cool the affected area as soon as possible after the fall and keep the head in a raised position, for example by sitting down or lying down with a raised upper body.
In this way the extent of the bump is kept as small as possible. Depending on the size of the bump, it usually recedes within a few days and heals without any consequences. If the fall has also caused a head laceration, or if further injuries have occurred, you should consult a doctor.
The same applies if complaints such as dizziness, loss of consciousness or nausea occur after the fall. A lipoma or adipose tissue tumour is a benign proliferation of the fatty tissue under the skin. A lipoma can basically occur in all parts of the body.
In the area of the head it is often noticed more quickly, as it leads to a palpable and sometimes even visible bump on the head. As a rule, the tumour does not cause any complaints, is not painful under pressure and can be easily displaced in relation to the bone. The consistency can be described as soft to rubbery.
A lipoma is completely harmless and poses no danger. If necessary, removal may be considered for aesthetic reasons, for example if the lipoma occurs in the area of the face. An abscess is a possible cause of a bump on the head, although this is most likely to occur on the neck in the area of the hairline.
An abscess is an encapsulated inflammation caused by bacteria with pus formation. The path of origin is usually due to skin bacteria that penetrate into the hair roots and trigger the inflammatory reaction. This destroys the surrounding tissue and forms a capsule around the site of pus.
The development of an abscess is favoured by an impairment of the immune system, for example in people suffering from diabetes (“diabetes”), as well as poor hygiene. An abscess on the head should be treated by a physician allowing the pus to drain away under sterile conditions. This can be done with a puncture for small abscesses and a small incision for larger ones, possibly under local anaesthetic.
The following articles may also be of interest to you: Abscess on the face – What to do, abscess on the forehead and abscess on the lip. In the area of the back of the head as well as in the face there are many sebaceous glands in the skin, which can lead to a painful bump in case of an inflammation. The sebum produced by these glands provides a breeding ground for bacteria that are naturally present on the skin.
If excessive sebum is produced, for example in acne, the ducts of the glands can become blocked and an inflammation can develop. Depending on the extent of the inflammation, smaller “pimples” or larger bumps may develop. If there are more frequent bumps on the head due to inflamed sebaceous glands, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist.
Bumps on the head can be caused by sunburn. This is caused by swelling under the skin due to increased storage of tissue water, whereby the face is particularly affected. As a rule, however, it is not a single bump, but a swelling of the entire face or individual parts of it, such as the forehead area.
In addition to absolutely avoiding further exposure to the sun, treatment can be carried out by cooling with moist cloths or curd wraps. Under certain circumstances, a short-term application of an ointment containing cortisone may also be appropriate. If possible, this should only be used after consulting a doctor.
A bump on the head is a malignant tumour only in extremely rare cases. Although there are cancers that originate in the soft tissues and can usually manifest themselves as a hard, non-displaceable bump on the head, such diseases are rare. A brain tumour, on the other hand, does not lead to a bump on the head.
A tumour originating from the lymph nodes, which is known as lymphoma or colloquially as “lymph gland cancer“, can in principle cause a bump on the back of the head, but this is also very rare. A swelling of the lymph nodes has a benign cause in the vast majority of cases. If cancer really is present, this is usually not only expressed by a bump, but other unspecific symptoms occur, such as fever over a long period of time, a strong unwanted weight loss or pronounced sweating at night. Confusingly, the term “tumour” in medical terminology simply means “swelling”, so even a simple and harmless bump can be called a tumour by doctors. One should not be confused by this term, as usually no malignant cause or cancer is meant.