Symptoms
If the lymph nodes are swollen, sensitive to pressure and painful at the same time, this indicates an infectious process. At the same time, accompanying symptoms of infection strongly suggest a harmless cause of the lymph node swelling. Swollen tumor lymph nodes have a firmer consistency and are usually not painful.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma has a special feature because several lymph nodes are fused together and can be painful after drinking alcohol. This is called alcohol pain. A tumor disease is often accompanied by the so-called B-symptoms, which consist of the symptoms fever, night sweats and weight loss.
As a rule, there is a bilateral swelling of the lymph nodes. If swelling occurs on only one side, it is more likely to be suspicious. Therefore, especially if no accompanying infection occurs, a biopsy (tissue sample) of the lymph node should be taken to examine the material microscopically for malignant tissue.
Child/Toddler:Children have a much higher incidence of lymph node swelling than adults, as their immune system is not yet as strong and they often come into contact with new germs for the first time. If the lymph nodes are swollen for a long period of time, a doctor should be consulted. However, in children, a more serious cause of the swelling is very rarely responsible.
Neck pain due to swelling of the lymph nodes is not unusual and occurs relatively frequently. The reason is often an inflammation of the lymph nodes, which is caused by the penetration of pathogens from the bronchi, the throat or the nasal cavity. Such inflammation usually lasts only a short time, but can be painful, especially when pressure is applied.
In addition, the sudden increase in size due to pressure on the surrounding tissue can cause pain or slight muscle tension. Occasionally, an inflammation or infection of the skin in the neck area is the cause of pain and swelling of the lymph nodes. Especially people with acne, immunodeficiency and diabetics are prone to infections of the skin, which can also occur in the neck area.
In rare cases, the combination of lymph node swelling and neck pain is a sign of meningitis. The neck pain is usually severe and is provoked by various movements such as bending forward or bending the head. In most cases, other symptoms such as headaches, fever or paralysis are quickly added to the meningitis.
Mild neck pain can be treated with painkillers such as ibuprofen or diclofenac. However, if it lasts longer or gets worse, a doctor should be consulted. Tension in the neck and neck pain are usually due to muscular problems.
In connection with a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, the tension is mainly caused by a reflex-like tension of the neck muscles with other accompanying symptoms such as headaches. Frequently, the swollen lymph nodes are due to an infectious disease, which causes headaches and fatigue, whereupon the neck muscles may become tense. If the lymph nodes are painfully enlarged, the pain can also radiate into the neck, causing pain-related tension.
Lymph node swelling often occurs in connection with colds, the flu or other infectious diseases such as sinusitis, often together with headaches. Typical of these diseases are additional symptoms such as cough, sore throat, aching limbs, a skin rash or a cold. In unvaccinated children, headaches accompanied by swelling of the lymph nodes can be the beginning of a childhood disease such as rubella or measles.
A doctor’s appointment is necessary if the symptoms are very severe or if there is evidence of one of the typical childhood diseases, in order to prevent potentially dangerous disease progressions at an early stage. If severe headaches and swelling of the lymph nodes occur in isolation, they can be the first signs of meningitis, among other things. Earache can be both the cause and the consequence of lymph node swelling in the neck.If the earache occurs due to an infection of the ear, this can activate the immune system and thus cause the lymph node swelling.
A cold can also cause earaches via the connection between the nasopharynx and the middle ear. It is not uncommon for colds and other upper respiratory tract infections to be associated with lymph node swelling. However, swelling of lymph nodes in the neck can also cause earache.
More precisely, lymph nodes are also located directly behind the ears. If these are swollen together with the neck lymph nodes, they can cause ear pain via local pressure. Pus accumulations in the skin are signs of an infection with bacteria such as streptococci or staphylococci.
Skin infections often lead to swelling in neighboring lymph nodes. Infections of the neck, head or upper back can cause swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, for example. The pus is usually located in a small cavity, a so-called abscess (neck abscess).
Once it reaches a certain size, it must be removed by a doctor to ensure rapid healing. Pusty infections of the skin can, if not treated properly, spread under the skin and lead to life-threatening diseases like phlegmon. In some cases, pus that cannot pass through an opening to the outside is confused with lymph node swelling.
Usually the pus is located in a small cavity, a so-called abscess (neck abscess). Once it reaches a certain size, it must be removed by a doctor to ensure rapid healing. If not treated properly, purulent infections of the skin can spread under the skin and lead to life-threatening diseases such as phlegmon.
In some cases, pus that cannot pass through an opening to the outside is confused with lymph node swelling. Pain in swollen lymph nodes in the neck occurs relatively frequently and can have various causes. As a rule, a cold or other harmless infection causes pathogens to enter the lymph nodes.
This leads to an inflammatory reaction that can cause pain. In addition, due to the swelling, the lymph nodes press on the neighboring tissue and can cause pain or tension. The pain usually lasts only a few days.
Non-painful lymph node swelling usually speaks against an infectious cause of the symptoms. In this case, the swollen lymph nodes are often fused with the surrounding tissue so that they cannot be moved against the skin. Especially when it comes to a single painlessly swollen lymph node, other causes for the swelling should also be investigated.
Painless lymph nodes tend to be suspected of tumorous diseases and should be examined by a physician. Lymph nodes in the neck and throat area can swell in the context of many and very different diseases. In some of these diseases, lymph nodes in the neck tend to be affected on one side, in others on both sides.
If they are only swollen on one side, the cause is usually an infection of the respiratory tract, neck or skin. Lymph nodes are then usually only relatively small, soft, painful and can be moved easily under the skin. However, fast and strongly growing, nonpainful lymph nodes that are only visible on one side should be clarified as soon as possible, because they can be the first symptom of cancer.
Other diseases that cause predominantly unilaterally enlarged lymph nodes are infectious diseases that are rare in Germany, such as tuberculosis or cat disease. These diseases are only relevant after stays abroad. In the case of unilaterally swollen lymph nodes, it is also irrelevant whether the left or right side is affected.
However, whether lymph nodes in the neck are swollen on one or both sides is not always an additional indication of the causative disease. In the vast majority of cases, the causative disease is a harmless viral infection of the neck or throat. These can cause unilateral and bilateral lymph node swelling.
In everyday medical practice, it is therefore not so much important to know which side is affected as how long the swelling has been present, whether the affected lymph nodes are painful, whether there are other accompanying symptoms or which previous illnesses are present.Bilateral swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck can occur in many diseases. The most common causes are infections of the respiratory tract or the throat and pharynx, for example through viruses, streptococci or in the context of Pfeiffer glandular fever. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck are rarely the first sign of serious diseases such as HIV infection, various autoimmune diseases or a cancerous disease such as leukemia or lymphoma. Slight bilateral lymph node swelling on both sides is usually no cause for concern. They only need to be clarified if the affected lymph nodes grow rapidly, remain swollen for more than 4 weeks or if there are no typical accompanying symptoms such as fever, sore throat or cough.