Causes of lymph node swelling in various parts of the body
The lymph nodes on the neck are particularly numerous. The most common cause of swelling is, as with all lymph nodes in general, inflammation. In the neck area, for example, inflammation of the throat or tonsils (in the case of removed tonsils, the inflammation of the lateral strands) can occur.
It is usually caused by viruses, more rarely by bacteria. Antibiotics only help in the case of bacterial infections.The pathogens may have been inhaled through the orifices of the mouth and nose, or they may have been transferred from the hands to the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eyes by smear infection. Injuries to the skin or inflamed skin impurities are another point of entry for pathogens.
An inflamed tooth can also lead to swelling of the nearest lymph node. Possible viral pathogens are the classic cold viruses: rhino-, corona- and adenoviruses. These trigger a flu-like infection.
A real flu is triggered by the influenza viruses. Other viruses are the pathogens of the childhood diseases measles, mumps and rubella. The childhood disease scarlet fever is caused by bacteria and is also often accompanied by swelling of the lymph nodes.
The possible malignant causes include cancers such as malignant lymphoma (lymph gland cancer, especially the group of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas), leukemias (blood cancer) or secondary tumors (metastases) of distant tumors. Cancers of the neck, which originate from the following organs, may be considered as the original tumors: thyroid gland, lungs, nose, stomach and skin. In the armpit are the lymph nodes that receive the lymph fluid from the breast.
A painlessly enlarged lymph node can, in the worst case, be a daughter ulcer of breast cancer. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma from the group of malignant lymphomas can also cause swelling in the armpit. More often, however, the first symptom of lymphoma is the swelling of cervical lymph nodes.
Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, weight loss and night sweats. A little nocturnal sweating is normal. Night sweat is only referred to when it is actually necessary to change clothes.
In addition to a malignant cause, a harmless cause is always possible. Especially in the armpit region, for example, simple small cuts during shaving can also cause pathogens. The result is a harmless infectious swelling of the lymph nodes.
If this does not heal well, however, abscess formation can also occur. An abscess is an encapsulation of the inflammatory process, which may have to be surgically removed. In the armpit, lymph node swelling can also occur after vaccination in the upper arm.
The components of the vaccine are transported into the lymph nodes, which then react to the molecules and produce antibodies against them, as after an infection. The vaccine components, in turn, cannot cause disease, but stimulate antibody formation in the body, which in the case of a real infection leads to rapid defense mechanisms and prevents or attenuates disease. Lymph node swelling can typically occur within the first days after vaccination.
In addition, swelling of the lymph nodes may occur during lactation if the maternal breast tissue is susceptible and at risk for bacterial mastitis. These can occur due to milk congestion, small tears and injuries in the breast tissue and can lead to painful breast pain, fever and other signs of inflammation. The pathogens are typically transported via the lymphatic system to the axillary lymph nodes, which then swell and cause an immune response to the pathogens.
As the inflammation subsides, the lymph nodes normally regress. During the course of the disease, in addition to the swelling, they can be very painful, reddened and overheated. The lymph nodes of the groin receive the lymph fluid of the legs and the pelvic area.
Infections and injuries of the lower half of the body can therefore lead to swelling of the groin lymph nodes. A banal cut, for example by an object such as a shard, is sufficient as an entry point for pathogens. The bacteria also reach the inguinal lymph nodes via the lymph channels along the leg and are fought here.
In the worst case, blood poisoning (sepsis) can occur if the immune system is not strong enough to fight off the pathogens. In addition to injuries to the skin, inflammation of organs located near the inguinal lymph nodes can also cause swelling of the inguinal lymph nodes. These include intestinal diseases, for example.
In men, infections in the genital area, the prostate and the epididymis can also be the cause. In women, the uterus can become inflamed.The best known sexually transmitted diseases are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes or fungal diseases such as candida. The main cause is again infections in the areas supplying lymph fluid.
For example, an inflammation of the external auditory canal, the middle ear or an infection of the parotid gland can cause an inflammation. Inflammation of the parotid gland, also known as the parotid gland, occurs in the context of viral mumps disease or when secretions are accumulated by salivary stones. Other infectious causes of a primary swelling of the lymph nodes behind the ear are the following infections: the viral childhood disease rubella, the parasite-induced toxoplasmosis transmitted by cat feces and the bacterial venereal disease syphilis.
It can also be caused by a carcinoma of the parotid gland or other tumor diseases in the head area. Skin cancer (e.g. malignant melanoma) can also form daughter ulcers in the lymph nodes of the head region. A typical cause is Pfeiffer’s glandular fever, also called mononucleosis or kissing disease.
It is triggered by the Epstein-Barr virus. Symptoms are a pronounced tonsillitis with fever and headache as well as swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck and throat. All other inflammations in the head area can also lead to swelling of the neck lymph nodes.
Examples are inflammation of the throat, gums and salivary glands. In children, diseases such as rubella or measles can also be the cause. In general, lymph node swelling occurs more quickly in children, as their immune system is confronted with many pathogens for the first time and the reaction is more pronounced, which is accompanied by more severe swelling.
Temporary lymph node sizes of up to 2cm are harmless. One speaks of generalized lymph node swelling when lymph nodes in more than 3 body regions, for example in the neck, groin and abdomen, are swollen. Viruses that can cause such lymph node swelling in different parts of the body simultaneously are More exotic pathogens are the Dengue virus or the West Nile virus.
HIV usually causes lymph node swelling only shortly after infection. The swelling often lasts more than 3 months, affects several parts of the body and then disappears again.
- The HI-Virus (Aids)
- Hepatitis B Virus
- Cytomegalovirus
- Ebstein-Barr Virus
