Duration

The duration of the lymph node swelling at the collarbone depends on the underlying disease as well as on the success of the therapy. In the majority of cases, the swelling as a symptom of influenza subsides within 3-7 days. Longer infections can also take a few weeks.

If the disease has subsided, but the resulting swelling persists in the long term, this is no cause for concern at first. Lymph node swelling on the collarbone, which has a non-reactive cause (i.e. without an underlying inflammation), often remains for weeks to months. The swelling is an indication of the success of treatment and should disappear a few weeks after the start of therapy.

Swelling of lymph nodes after vaccination

Swelling after vaccination is not untypical. In conventional standard vaccinations, small so-called “dead” parts of the pathogen are injected into the muscle. They cannot trigger the disease itself, but they cause an immune reaction in the body similar to the infection.

As a result, defense cells are formed in the lymph node, among other things, in order to be prepared against the pathogen in case of a real infection. Since the lymph nodes on the collarbone are located in the drainage area of the upper body and arms, they also come into contact with the vaccine when vaccinated in the muscle of the upper arm. Swelling shortly after vaccination is therefore not unusual.

Painless swelling

The painless swelling can give an indication of a malignant disease. In malignant lymphomas, the painlessly swollen lymph node on the collarbone is a possible first symptom. To clarify this, a tissue sample is taken from the painless lymph node.

However, a painlessly swollen lymph node is not initially a cause for concern, because other causes may also be involved. Even simple infections can cause long-standing and painless lymph nodes. In order to determine these causes, it is recommended that painless lymph nodes be examined by a doctor.