What do you do to relieve a very painful swollen gland below right ear. it is almost the diameter of a golf ball tonsils are a bit swollen.?

Infection: It could be that either you have a dental abscess or have a wisdom tooth trying to come in and it could be causing some issues in that area. It might also be a number of issues related to your ears or your teeth or any of the many stuctures in that area. You need to see a dentist or possible an ear nose & throat specialist as soon as you can.

Monitoring Centers: Lymphatic system absorbs/carries things too big to go into the arteries/veins like bacteria eaten by white cells/digested food. Lymph nodes "taste" the lymph everywhere for bad stuff like bacteria/viruses/cancers, etc. When it detects a problem, it alerts the immune system and your body reacts. They enlarge in response to the inflammation they create when they react. They shrink when all is well.