The thing to understand is swellings in the neck in the head and neck region which are lymph nodes can have multiple causes for that. Certainly one of the possibilities is HIV infection. So you should definitely consider getting yourself checked for HIV. There are either few infections or medical conditions to keep in mind including the possibility of syphilis, of bacterial infections or viral infections happening in the mouth, ear, nose, throat, scalp, or the skin of the head and neck region and depending upon the age, the risk factors whether you smoke or you consume alcohol or how much alcohol you consume or other risk factors. There could be other things to keep in mind like certain types of cancer, certain types of thyroid problems and certain types of lymphomas such as Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a general question. I would certainly advise you to go meet with well trained family medicine specialists or a general medicine specialists to discuss this matter and HIV testing should also be considered.
