Lymph node swelling – causes, treatment & prevention

• virus infections

• a cold

• Flu

• tonsillitis

• bacterial infections

• Tuberculosis

• Syphilis

• Salmonellosis

• rubella

• measles

• HIV infection

• Malaria

• rheumatic diseases

• Tumor

When to the doctor?

If the lymph nodes swell rapidly, see a doctor immediately. In harmless cases, there is an inflammation or infection that is spreading in the organism and must be treated. In severe cases, the symptom may hide cancer. There is an acute need for action here, otherwise there is a risk of a life-threatening condition. Medical examinations are urgently needed to prevent the spread of the cancer if possible. The lymph nodes in cancer are often hard and painless.

Swollen lymph nodes that are soft and easy to move are a symptom of a cold. If the affected person is already receiving medical treatment for this reason, there is no need to see the doctor again. The swelling also goes down within a few days or weeks as the cold subsides. If this is not the case or if structural changes occur in the lymph nodes, a doctor should be consulted.

Mutations can be closely observed in chronic lymph node swelling. If it spreads, if there is additional pain or if the structure changes, a doctor should be consulted. Lymph node swelling is common, especially in children. The lymph glands are enlarged and the immune system first has to learn how to deal with certain pathogens. Swelling that lasts longer than 3-4 weeks should still be seen by a doctor.

diagnosis and course

In order to treat an existing lymph node swelling, a correct diagnosis is essential. An examination of the general state of health, the history of the patient, as well as other complaints and the localization of the enlarged lymph nodes give the doctor the first clues for making a diagnosis.

Examination of the swollen lymph nodes also gives further indications of the underlying disease. The doctor checks the pain, mobility and consistency of the enlarged lymph node. Normally, lymph nodes are elastic and soft and can be moved slightly.

Inflamed lymph nodes are painful and firm in consistency. Hard, non-painful and hardly movable lymph nodes suggest a malignant lymph node swelling. In addition, the doctor checks whether lymph nodes in other parts of the body and/or the spleen are also enlarged.

If the lymph nodes are swollen, the body temperature is always measured and blood tests are carried out in order to obtain more precise information about the cause. Depending on the suspected cause, ultrasound examination , biopsy, X-ray examination , computer or magnetic resonance imaging or even special blood tests may be necessary in order to obtain precise information about the reason for the lymph node swelling.

complications

Swelling of the lymph nodes involuntarily triggers anxiety in many people. They fear that they are terminally ill and will die, even before they see a doctor. Since cancer of the lymph is associated with the formation of nodules, there is a possibility of developing a tumor. This involves surgery and subsequent chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Side effects of therapy include hair loss, general malaise, pain, and poor emotional state. The therapy lasts for several months and is associated with increased fatigue, listlessness and social withdrawal behavior. Mental disorderscan occur and worsen the general state of health. The fear of death is omnipresent during the entire therapy period and burdens the person concerned and his entire environment.

In most cases, lymph node swelling is associated with a viral disease. A flu-like infection leads to the symptoms. Other symptoms are cough, sore throat, fever, headache, body aches and hoarseness. There is a high risk of infection for everyone in the vicinity. People with a weakened immune system are generally very susceptible to being infected by the virus. They often lack sufficient defenses. This must be taken into account during treatment, otherwise there is a risk of permanent damage or death.

treatment and therapy

The therapy for a lymph node swelling always depends on the existing underlying disease. If the lymph nodes are swollen due to a local infection or inflammation, the swelling goes down on its own once the infection or inflammation has healed.Bacterial infections often require treatment with antibiotics . Viral infections are usually only combated by symptomatic treatment. Virus-inhibiting agents, also called antivirals, are only used in certain viral diseases.

Rheumatic diseases can be treated with medication and special rheumatic therapies. If benign or malignant tumors are the cause of lymph node swelling, special tumor treatment is carried out, which usually also includes chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

If the swelling of the lymph nodes is caused by taking certain medications, the doctor must decide whether the medication should be stopped or replaced with another.

outlook and prognosis

The further course of a lymph node swelling usually depends relatively heavily on the underlying disease, so that a universal course of the disease cannot be predicted in most cases. If it is a common cold or a flu-like infection , the swelling of the lymph nodes can be combated relatively easily and the course of the disease is always positive.

Those affected are severely restricted by this complaint in their everyday life and also suffer from a weakened immune system or paralysis. With the usual infections or inflammations, the swelling of the lymph nodes can be reduced relatively easily with the help of medication. In many cases, the spleen is also affected by this swelling. Furthermore, in an unfavorable case, blood poisoning can also occur, which can be fatal for the person concerned. Whether the underlying disease can be treated cannot usually be universally predicted either. With early treatment, however, the symptoms of lymph node swelling can be limited relatively well, so that the life expectancy of the patient is not reduced.

prevention

Nobody can directly prevent the occurrence of a lymph node swelling. Preventive measures can only be taken to a certain extent against the possible causes. For example, an influenza vaccination can protect against the occurrence of influenza infections. In general, a healthy diet, sufficient exercise and compliance with general hygiene rules protect against a variety of diseases, some of which can also cause lymph node swelling.