a sinus infection. They use a blood test to check for certain patterns in the blood that appear with infections, but I have a lot of allergies,
which is to say, abnormal immune system responses, and that can cause the blood tests to not indicate when I have a sinus infection.
Now that I've had two in 12 months, I know myself when I have them. I go to an ENT, who doesn't use blood tests, and says they are worthless.... but the ENT also happens to possess the expensive equipment to put a camera into my face and see all my sinus cavities. Then he gives me the antibiotic my GPs refuse to do, et voila! Healed in no time. I've known other people who were sick for weeks and swore it was a sinus infection, but their docs also didn't diagnose a sinus infection, and they were miserable.
I'm saying all this because your swollen lymph node is in your shoulder, not far from your head.
Also, if you have hives, you are having an allergic reaction.
As I have aged (almost 60 now), I've noticed over the last five years that if I don't get enough sleep for a stretch of time, my immune system goes on alert and I end up with stiff and painful joints. The older I get, the more joints. If I am sleeping long enough on a regular basis, I'm fine. In other words, the lesson i picked up is immune system alert = inflammation all over the place, anywhere in the body.
While we sleep, in particular levels of sleep or at certain times of the night, our immune systems are programmed to go into hyper-drive and do house cleaning so to speak on a nightly basis. If I'm not sleeping well, then I'm screwing up my circadian rhythms, and maybe that disturbs the functioning of my immune system... if it doesn't get its chance to house clean at night, then perhaps the impurities in my blood build up to a level that sets alarm bells ringing in my immune system, and there I go...runny nose, coughing, eyes watering, joints aching....all cured by a good night's sleep or sometimes two.
Just random thoughts from a non-doctor.
Good luck!
= new reply since forum marked as read