Diagnosis of lymph node swelling in the child
Which symptoms accompany lymph node swelling in children depends strongly on the cause. If there is a mild infection, there are often no further symptoms. If it is an infectious disease such as rubella or measles, it is accompanied by a rash, which usually starts at one spot and then spreads over the body and disappears again after a few days.
Fever can also occur, and the general condition of the child may be reduced. Pfeiffer’s glandular fever is accompanied by swelling of the lymph nodes, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, increased tiredness and possibly an enlargement of the liver and/or spleen. However, the child usually does not notice this; it can be noticed during an ultrasound examination of the abdomen.
In Kawasaki’s syndrome, swelling of the cervical lymph nodes occurs, usually accompanied by high fever, reddening of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet and possibly a rash. The tongue is usually strongly reddened and shiny, the lips are red, dry and cracked. If leukemia is the cause of the swelling of the lymph nodes, the child may be noticed because he or she seems tired and listless, quickly gets bruised and often suffers from infections of the upper respiratory tract.
The lymph nodes are usually swollen, hardly moveable and not painful. The editors also recommend: Symptoms of measlesThe occurrence of painful lymph nodes during a viral or bacterial inflammation in children is often part of the body’s immune response and not dangerous. If a child is in severe pain, parents can give paracetamol or nurofen juice to relieve the pain and inhibit inflammation.
The dose must be adjusted to the child’s weight. As the infection is cured, the painful swelling of the lymph nodes should also decrease. In case of a bacterial infection, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics depending on the clinical findings.
When should I go to the doctor?
Since children, especially in kindergarten, are increasingly exposed to harmless infections involving the lymph nodes, a brief swelling of these should not be a symptom in itself, so a doctor should be consulted. However, if an infection is exceptionally severe and the general condition of the child is poor, a visit to the pediatrician is advisable. In addition, if the lymph nodes are growing slowly and steadily and are not painful, cancer must be ruled out. An indication of a malignant event is if the lymph node cannot be moved.
