Introduction
Swelling of lymph nodes in the neck is characteristic of infections in the area of the head. These include inflammation of the middle ear and infections of the nasopharynx. Diseases of the salivary glands, the thyroid gland and suppurations in the jaw or dental area can also lead to swelling of the lymph nodes, as these are reactively involved in the immune system. In most cases, a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck is therefore harmless, only rarely is there anything dangerous behind it.
How dangerous is a swelling of lymph nodes in the neck?
Whether a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck is dangerous or not depends on the trigger or cause. Usually a simple infection is the trigger, then the swelling is completely harmless and should disappear by itself. In rare cases, a malignant disease can also be behind a lymph node swelling in the neck.
So if the swelling does not occur in connection with an infection, is unilateral or accompanied by B-symptoms, it should be clarified by a doctor. The cause of swollen lymph nodes is often an infection, since lymph nodes are part of the body’s immune system and thus ward off infections. When fighting off infections, lymph nodes absorb foreign substances and pathogens such as bacteria from the lymph.
This leads to the formation of antibodies as a reaction. Overall, this leads to a swelling of the lymph nodes. The infectious disease can be a harmless cold, tonsillitis or scarlet fever.
But malignant diseases can also lead to swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck area. These include lymphomas, a cancer that affects the lymph nodes, especially in the neck region. One can distinguish between Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
In addition to swelling, the disease is sometimes accompanied by fever, weight loss, night sweats and tiredness. You can find more information here: If a cancer is responsible for the swelling, it does not always have to develop primarily in the lymph node, but can also settle there due to metastasis. A metastasis in the cervical/neck lymph nodes often occurs in lung, thyroid, nasal and stomach cancer.
Although tuberculosis has become rare, it can also cause swelling of the lymph nodes. The venereal disease syphilis can also cause swelling of the lymph nodes. In addition to these bacterial diseases, viral disease can also be the cause.
These include flu, influenza and also Pfeiffer’s glandular fever, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Especially in the neck, lymph nodes are usually swollen in the case of inflammation in the neck, mouth and parotid gland areas.
- Lymph gland cancer and
- Symptoms of lymph gland cancer
In a vaccination, substances that are very similar to certain pathogens or attenuated pathogens themselves are injected into the body.
The aim of the vaccination is to enable the immune system to train the defence against this pathogen without the risk of infection. Therefore, vaccination is always accompanied by an activation of the immune system. A possible consequence of this is swelling of the lymph nodes.
These often occur in the armpit of the vaccinated arm. Lymph node swelling can also be caused by the vaccination on the neck, jaw, chin and nape of the neck. Lymph nodes do not usually swell due to muscle tension.
If, however, swollen lymph nodes do occur, e.g. as a result of an infection, this can certainly lead to tension in neighboring muscles. The reason for this is that a suddenly swollen lymph node exerts pressure on the neck muscles and can thus lead to muscle irritation. The tension usually disappears at the latest when the causing lymph node subsides.
In some patients, tension and lymph node swelling in the neck area have the same cause. For example, they can occur together as part of a cold, an inflammation of the neck or even meningitis. In these cases, swollen lymph nodes are a sign of a defensive reaction to pathogens and usually disappear within 2 weeks after the infection has healed.Occasionally it happens that lymph nodes that have been enlarged for a long time only become noticeable when the neck muscles are tensed, because the neck region is then given more attention.
