Introduction
Lymph nodes are part of the body’s own defense system. Lymph node swelling usually occurs when the defense system becomes active for various reasons. Common reasons for lymph node swelling are various inflammations in the body. Serious causes of lymph node swelling can be cancer. Less frequent causes of lymph node swelling can also be systemic diseases, the use of certain medications or certain allergic reactions.
Causes
In classic allergies, lymph node swelling is not typically described as a symptom. The allergies that can cause lymph node swelling are usually not the typical type 1 allergies that occur, for example, as a reaction to nuts, house dust or pollen. There is a possibility that type 3 allergies cause swelling of the lymph nodes.
These do not necessarily manifest themselves in the same way as the classic allergies. They can be triggered by autoimmune diseases, bacterial infections, inhalation of dust or by some specific drugs or injections. If the lymph nodes swell up in an allergy, it may be because some allergic reactions result in so-called immune complexes (aggregation of antibodies and other components of the immune system). If these get into the lymph nodes, lymph node swelling can occur. Typical clinical pictures for this type of allergy are farmer’s lung (exogenous-allergic alveolitis), which can be caused by inhaling certain types of dust (such as mold, bird feathers, wood or straw), serum sickness, which can occur after injecting certain anti or vaccination serums, and certain vascular inflammations (vasculitis).
What are alternative causes for lymph node swelling?
Other and much more common causes of lymph node swelling are inflammation and infection in the body. The enlarged lymph nodes are usually painful due to pressure. The neck lymph nodes are often swollen in colds.
In some viral, bacterial or parasitic diseases, the enlarged lymph nodes can occur all over the body. Other causes of lymph node swelling can be various types of cancer. Other rare diseases such as certain autoimmune diseases or metabolic diseases can also cause lymph node swelling.
