Duration of lymph node swelling in the neck | Lymph node swelling in the neck – How dangerous is that?

Duration of lymph node swelling in the neck

The question of how long lymph nodes remain swollen cannot be answered in general. If lymph node swelling in the neck occurs, for example, as a result of a simple cold or an infection of the pharyngeal tonsils, lymph node swelling only lasts a few days in some patients. In others, however, the lymph nodes remain palpable for several weeks and subside only slowly.

If lymph node swelling occurs repeatedly as a result of infections, adhesions can develop within the lymph nodes. As a result, the affected lymph nodes remain permanently palpable despite the infection having subsided. It should be noted that the duration of lymph node swelling in the neck can vary significantly for different diseases.

In HIV and tuberculosis, they can last for months, while in other infectious diseases they typically last only a few days. Lymph nodes that swell as a result of tumor disease or metastases often remain swollen until death or only shrink again after treatment. Despite the mostly harmless causes, palpable lymph nodes that have not yet disappeared within 3-4 or are growing noticeably should be presented to a general practitioner.

Treatment

Since the cause of lymph node swelling is usually not primarily in the lymph node, the reduction of the swelling is not specifically treated, but the underlying disease, which usually does not need to be treated at all in the case of a harmless infection.In some cases, a bacterial disease is then treated with an antibiotic, which also reduces the swelling of the lymph nodes. If the underlying disease is cancer, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy must be performed. You can find more information here: Therapy of lymph node cancerHomeopathic remedies can also be used to treat lymph node swelling.

Which remedy is used depends on the cause of the lymph node swelling. Among others, the following are used: Abrotanum, Barium carbonicum and iodatum, Calcium fluoratum and Chimaphila umbellata, Clematis, Iodum and various Mercurius preparations. Whether antibiotics are needed for lymph node swelling in the neck depends on the causative disease and the severity of the symptoms.

Swollen lymph nodes themselves are per se no reason to take antibiotics. Most infections that cause lymph node swelling heal without the support of antibacterial drugs. This usually also leads to the swelling of the lymph nodes.

Some infections, however, such as severe tonsillitis, severe otitis media or tuberculosis, must be treated with antibiotics. In rare cases, swelling of the lymph nodes, the causes of which remain unknown despite detailed diagnostics, are treated with antibiotics because they still cause pain even after several weeks. In the case of lymph node swelling in the neck, if there is no clear trigger for the swelling, the family doctor should be consulted first.

He or she is responsible for treating lymph node swelling caused by colds, infections or vaccinations. However, if a vaccination has been administered by another doctor (e.g. gynecologist), the lymph node swelling can also be imagined to have been treated by this doctor. If the family doctor cannot find an explanation for the swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, he usually refers the affected person to a radiologist first, who can perform an imaging of the affected body region. Depending on the findings, other doctors can then be involved in the therapy.