Further SYMPTOME in case of swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck | Swelling of lymph nodes in the neck – how dangerous is that?

Further SYMPTOME in case of swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck

The swelling of lymph nodes in the neck is a symptom in itself. Healthy lymph nodes are usually not palpable, except in very slim people and children. However, the presence of other symptoms may be indicative of the cause of the swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck.

The most common cause of lymph node swelling is an infection, which is accompanied by typical symptoms such as sore throat, difficulty swallowing, earache, fever, headache. Inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye may also be associated with swollen lymph nodes. Often affected persons feel weak and tired.

Inflammation in the area of teeth and gums or the salivary glands can also manifest itself as painful and swollen lymph nodes. Inflammation of the thyroid gland can also result in swollen and painful lymph nodes. Rarely is a tumor disease, such as lymphoma, the cause of swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck.

This often leads to fever, weight loss and night sweats. In this case, the lymph node usually feels coarse and is not painful; the enlargement usually increases slowly. The pain intensity of the lymph node swelling is an important differential diagnostic criterion.

Painful lymph node swelling indicates inflammatory processes. The lymph nodes are then well displaceable against the ground and clearly limited. If lymph node swelling occurs without pressure pain, a malignant process should always be considered as a differential diagnosis and an attempt should be made to exclude this option.

Malignant processes are characterized by their painlessness. Furthermore, the enlarged lymph nodes are no longer clearly demarcated and fused with the surrounding area, and are therefore no longer displaceable. However, the absence of pain does not always indicate a malignant disease, even in the case of lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes) there is no pain.

Then the lymph nodes are palpable as small, hard nodes that can be moved easily. The occurrence of swollen lymph nodes in the neck in connection with headaches is not uncommon. The common cause is in most cases an infection of the respiratory tract.

Of course, there can also be different causes for both complaints. Lymph node swelling that has existed for longer than two weeks should be examined by a doctor. A malignant disease is rather rare but should be excluded, especially in the case of painless and non-sliding lymph nodesIf lymph node inflammation occurs together with night sweats, one should definitely see a doctor.

However, night sweat does not only mean light sweating during sleep, but it must be so intense that the laundry is soaked and has to be changed. The symptoms can have various causes, such as an infection. However, they also occur in some cancers, especially lymphomas (colloquially known as “lymph gland cancer“).

This suspicion must be followed up promptly by medical diagnosis. In the best case there is another cause and otherwise a therapy can be initiated early and in the best case a cure can be achieved. The first point of contact can be the family doctor.

Special caution is required if, in addition to lymph node swelling and night sweats, a large unwanted weight loss has occurred in the past weeks and months. One speaks altogether of a B-symptomatics, which is typical for many cancer illnesses, but does not prove this at all.However, clarification is required as soon as possible. There are many lymph nodes distributed over the entire neck.

If these swell up considerably, swallowing difficulties can occur regardless of the cause. The swollen lymph nodes are often caused by inflammation of the neck, which can cause painful swallowing difficulties. The swollen lymph nodes press from the outside against the wall of the throat or esophagus, thus causing the discomfort.

The oesophagus is only a tube about 1.5 cm wide, which can be obstructed in its function even by minor external constrictions. In particular in the case of whistling glandular fever, triggered by an infection with the Ebbstein-Bar virus, the lymph nodes in the neck often swell very strongly. In conjunction with the almonds, which are often swollen at the same time, this can lead to pronounced swallowing difficulties, making eating and drinking very difficult.

Even a harmless cold in the context of a viral infection can be enough to cause the symptoms. Care should be taken with swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck and swallowing difficulties, which develop slowly without infection and increase further. A doctor should be consulted to rule out a malignant disease of the throat, thyroid gland or esophagus.

A swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck caused by an infection does not usually lead to itching. In contrast, painlessly swollen lymph nodes with itching are particularly typical in malignant but usually treatable lymphoma (also known as “lymph node cancer“) Hodgkin’s disease. Even if a harmless explanation for the symptoms is more likely, this disease should be ruled out as a precautionary measure or at least detected in time by medical diagnostics.

Another possible cause of swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck is, for example, an intolerance reaction to a drug. In most cases, the trigger for swollen lymph nodes in the neck is a simple infection and there is no danger. The main reason for this is the occurrence of swollen lymph nodes in conjunction with an infection.

Frequently, sore throat, hoarseness, cough or fever then occur parallel to the swollen lymph nodes. Only rarely are swollen lymph nodes in the neck an indication of a malignant disease. If the swelling does not occur in connection with an infection or persists for a long time with increasing size, a doctor should be consulted.