Conditions that may have swollen lymph nodes as a symptom

You have lymph nodes throughout your body—they’re in your neck, armpits, chest, belly and groin area. Sometimes they get swollen. You might notice a lump when they do, and the site might feel sore or tender.

Most of the time, a swollen lymph node means your lymphatic system is doing its job. It’s trapping viruses, bacteria and pathogens and signaling your body to make white blood cells that can help you fight infections. “Rather than being something scary, most enlarged lymph nodes are a sign of a healthy immune system,” said Rebecca Moran, MD, a family medicine specialist at Banner Health Clinic in Phoenix.

When you have swollen lymph nodes, you’ll probably notice other symptoms from whatever is causing them, such as fatigue, fever, sore throat, runny nose or other signs of infection.

It’s typically things like cold viruses, strep throat, mononucleosis or skin infections that cause swollen lymph nodes. But there can be other causes, too:

• Autoimmune disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Some vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines, which can cause temporary lymph node swelling when your body makes antibodies against future infection. (In fact, women should consider postponing routine mammograms for four to six weeks after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, since swollen lymph nodes in the armpit could look like an abnormality.)
• Rarely, cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia or other cancers that have spread to the lymph nodes.

How can you prevent swollen lymph nodes?

You can’t stop a lymph node from swelling as it fights off infections and other things that don’t belong in the body. “That is what they are designed to do, and we want them to do it,” Dr. Moran said.

You can try to prevent the infections that lead to swollen lymph nodes by washing your hands, disinfecting surfaces, avoiding touching your nose and eyes and staying away from people with contagious infections. You can also help keep yourself healthy by getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding tobacco products.

How can you treat tender lymph nodes?

Tender lymph nodes will feel better when the underlying infection clears. If you have a bacterial infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. A viral infection needs to run its course. In the meantime, you can apply warm compresses to your tender lymph nodes and take pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

If an autoimmune disorder or cancer is causing your tender lymph nodes, your health care provider can provide treatments for those conditions.

When should you be concerned about swollen lymph nodes?

You don’t need to worry about your swollen lymph nodes most of the time. But you should talk to your health care provider if your swollen glands:

• Feel hard and don’t move around easily when you press on them
• Grow bigger than one centimeter (or the size of a large pea)
• Don’t shrink within a month
• Appear without any apparent reason
• Are located throughout the body rather than in one area
• Appear along with unexplained weight loss, persistent fevers or night sweats
• Develop just above your collarbone or in your armpit, especially if there’s no explanation for them
• Grow large quickly and become painful and red, which could mean they are infected

The bottom line

Swollen lymph nodes are a sign your body is fighting off infection, like it is supposed to do. But sometimes, they can signal a more serious problem. If you would like to talk to a health care provider who can help evaluate your lymph nodes, reach out to Banner Health.

Other useful articles:

• How to Know Whether It’s a Virus or Bacteria That’s Making You Sick
• Should You Use Antivirals for the Flu?
• What Happens if You Get Strep Throat a Lot?

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Almost everyone will experience a swollen lymph node at some point. That’s because these structures are designed to filter germs and other impurities from the body.

Lymph nodes become swollen as they trap viruses, harmful bacteria and damaged cells, then attempt to destroy them with lymphocytes, the white blood cells that fight off infection.

But swollen lymph nodes can also be a sign of cancer, including a type of blood cancer called lymphoma. So, when are swollen lymph nodes just a sign of infection, as opposed to a symptom of lymphoma? We checked in with lymphoma and myeloma specialist Felipe Samaniego, M.D.

How often do swollen lymph nodes appear as the first sign of lymphoma in undiagnosed patients?

That’s kind of hard to say. By the time we see most patients here at MD Anderson, they’ve already been diagnosed elsewhere or been told there’s a strong possibility that whatever it is that they have is cancer.

That being said, in the greater community, swollen lymph nodes among undiagnosed patients tend to fall into one of two categories:

1. Lymph nodes that patients notice or that a doctor sees or feels during a physical exam
2. Lymph nodes that are found during an MRI or a CT scan because the patient is complaining of something else, such as chest pain or a lump in their breast

What are the most common places in the body where swollen lymph nodes occur as a sign of lymphoma?

Most will be in the neck, because the mouth and throat — or oropharyngeal tract — are the main gateway for things to get inside our bodies. So, we need to have a good defense system there.

But patients can find swollen lymph nodes in other places, too — especially where they lie close to the skin’s surface, like the groin area (where the leg meets the trunk) and the axilla, or armpit.

Lymphoma is actually detected pretty frequently during mammograms, because the field of view also covers the armpit, so it reveals swollen lymph nodes in that area.

Occasionally, patients may develop swollen lymph nodes all over their bodies, but this is relatively rare.

Is there a way to tell the difference between cancerous swollen lymph nodes and non-cancerous ones?

Anyone who’s really concerned about a swollen lymph node should go see their doctor. But here are some general guidelines:

• Size: Lymph nodes are made to change in size because they’re doing a job. They grow larger as the number of cells caught inside of them increases and shrink back down to normal as that number drops. But the normal size of an average lymph node is under 1.5 centimeters, or about ¾ of an inch or smaller. So, if something is larger than that or growing continuously, it needs to be checked out.
• Age: Infections are a frequent cause of swollen lymph nodes among young people. So, if you’re a teen or a college student, my first thought would be something like strep throat or mononucleosis. Cancer is more likely in older people, though I’d still want to rule out an infection first. Even among older groups, probably less than half the people who have swollen lymph nodes will have them because of cancer.
• Consistency: Press the tip of your nose with your finger and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what a typical lymph node should feel like. Tumors tend to be harder and more solid, like what you’ll feel if you push on your chin with your finger.
• Sensitivity: Some people think cancer always hurts, but that’s not true. Tenderness tends to be a sign of an infectious process, because the immune system has been challenged. But lymph nodes that are swollen due to lymphoma are usually not painful.

What are other common symptoms of lymphoma?

In lymphoma’s earliest stages, patients often report itchy, inflamed skin or unexplained rashes. In more advanced cases, where patients have large tumors, we start seeing weight loss, fevers, night sweats, and fatigue. Some experience painful muscle aches after drinking alcohol, too, though that is fairly unusual.

When should someone see their doctor about a swollen lymph node?

Swollen lymph nodes usually just mean your body is working the way it’s supposed to. But if a swollen lymph node keeps getting bigger or doesn’t resolve on its own within two weeks, get it checked out.

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.

What else may cause swollen lymph nodes?

What can cause swollen lymph nodes besides cancer?

Can my lymph nodes be swollen for no reason?