Introduction
Lymph node swelling can be indicative of many diseases that are not dangerous, such as a cold or infection, or it can be a symptom of a more serious disease, in the worst, but also in the rarest case, cancer. In principle, however, a swelling indicates that the immune system is currently fighting with pathogens. The lymph nodes belong to the lymphatic system of the body, which is part of the immune system and includes several primary and secondary organs.
In the primary lymphatic organs, lymphocytes (defense cells) are formed and in the secondary lymphatic organs, the lymphocytes are differentiated and developed further. The lymph nodes are secondary organs and are responsible for removing the foreign substances and pathogens transported with the lymph from the body. They are found increasingly on the neck, armpits and along the aorta (main artery) and, of course, on all other internal organs.
The lymph vessels run through the body in a similar way to the blood vessels and are primarily responsible for ensuring that pathogens do not enter the body more deeply, but are removed again. Normally, the lymph nodes reach a size of about a few millimeters. However, they can swell considerably and can grow up to a few centimeters in size.
Since the lymph nodes that swell are usually those that are in the immediate vicinity of the infection or other disease, the location often already gives a lot of information to the treating doctor. Although they can be the cause of serious diseases, lymph node swelling is in most cases “only” a side effect of various inflammations in the body. In most cases, it is not necessary to treat them specifically, because an intact immune system usually manages the defence itself. They are therefore only very rarely classified as dangerous.
Symptoms
Healthy lymph nodes cannot normally be felt. But there are always people in whom isolated lymph nodes are always palpable. These affected people must always keep an eye on their lymph nodes, as they can quickly reach a dangerous size.
They should be checked regularly by a doctor. Otherwise, you can only feel your lymph nodes when there is an inflammatory reaction in the body. The swelling of lymph nodes can be accompanied by many other symptoms, but these depend entirely on the cause of the enlarged lymph nodes.
As a rule, however, it is typical flu-like symptoms that accompany swelling of the lymph nodes, such as fever, sore throat, a cold, and possibly coughing. Depending on the cause, the lymph nodes can sometimes cause pain. Infections can cause severe pain, especially if you touch the lymph nodes.
Especially in the case of cancer, however, there is no pain at all, although the lymph nodes can sometimes grow together with the surrounding area. You can find more information here: Symptoms of lymph node cancer, lymph node swellingSwelling of lymph nodes is often not dangerous, since one of the most common causes is infectious diseases in close proximity to the swollen lymph nodes. The infections are usually easily treatable, so that if a therapy is initiated promptly, the swelling can be reduced well.
Infectious or inflammatory swellings usually develop within a short time and are painful. However, lymph node swelling can also occur as part of a tumor disease, which is usually accompanied by a more dangerous course. Typical signs of a possible tumor disease are a painless swelling that lasts for several weeks and does not recede.
Likewise, the lymph nodes are often not very displaceable, baked together and hardened. In such cases a doctor should be consulted urgently for further clarification. As already mentioned, the causes are usually manifold and cannot be diagnosed at a glance.
In case of doubt, one should always consult a physician, because there are some serious diseases that are associated with lymph node swelling. If the swollen lymph nodes are accompanied by flu-like symptoms, it is likely that they have become palpable, for example, due to a cold or flu. If no other symptoms are noticed, however, a doctor should be consulted in any case.
The cause of lymph node swelling can be, for example, Pfeiffer’s glandular fever.Most commonly, the Epstein-Barr virus that causes this disease is transmitted via saliva, as in kissing. Especially in young adults, this is the reason why this age group suffers from this disease very frequently in comparison. In addition to enlarged lymph nodes, enlarged spleen, sore throat and fever, as well as fatigue and headaches are also found as symptoms.
Unfortunately, this disease can also inflame other organs, so it must be treated as soon as possible. In most cases, patients have to spend some time in hospital for this. The diseases measles and rubella can also be a cause.
However, most children are vaccinated against these diseases. Nevertheless, these are two diseases that can have serious consequences if left untreated. HIV/AIDS can also be a cause of enlarged lymph nodes (
