About swollen lymph nodes
There are lymph nodes throughout your body. They’re part of your immune system. They filter your blood and kill any viruses and bacteria they catch.
Lymph nodes become swollen for many reasons. It’s usually nothing to worry about.
Swollen lymph nodes happen most often when your body is fighting a viral or bacterial infection like the common cold, flu or glandular fever.
Swollen lymph nodes can sometimes happen after vaccination. This is because vaccines ‘trick’ your immune system into thinking it needs to fight an infection.
Swollen lymph nodes can also happen if a part of your body is inflamed – for example, because of an abrasion, a burn or an insect bite.
Some young children with eczema have swollen lymph nodes all the time. This is because germs more easily pass through their inflamed skin into their body and the lymph nodes help to get rid of them.
Cancer is a rare cause of swollen lymph nodes in children and teenagers.
Swollen lymph nodes might also be called swollen glands.
Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes
Lymph nodes might swell up all over your child’s body or just in the area near the infection or inflammation.
For example, if your child has tonsillitis, you might notice swollen and tender lumps in their neck. Or if they have a skin infection on their finger, there might be swollen and tender lumps under that arm.
Sometimes lymph nodes can swell up to several centimetres in size.
Lymph nodes can swell up quickly. But then it can take weeks for them to slowly shrink back to their usual size after the infection or inflammation has cleared up.
Children’s lymph nodes are usually bigger than those of adults, so it’s easier to feel them. You can sometimes feel the ones on either side of the neck, the armpits and at the front of the groin where your child’s leg bends, even when your child is well. If your child is thin, you might even be able to see them.
Medical help: when to get it for children and teenagers with swollen lymph nodes
You should take your child to the GP if they have swollen lymph nodes and:
- There’s no obvious reason for the nodes to be swollen, like a sore throat, runny nose or other mild infection.
- The swollen lymph nodes aren’t getting smaller, even after many weeks.
- The swollen lymph nodes are in your child’s neck and making it hard for them to swallow or breathe.
- The swollen lymph nodes are in your child’s neck, and your child also has fever, rash, changed skin colour on the hands and soles, and red lips and tongue – these might be the signs of Kawasaki disease.
- Your child also has weight loss, night sweats or bruising.
- There’s pain or tenderness around the swollen lymph nodes.
- There are changes in skin colour over the swollen lymph nodes – for example, the skin is red, brown, purple or grey.
Also take your child to the GP if they have swollen lymph nodes and they just seem very unwell or you’re worried about them.
Treatment for swollen lymph nodes
Treatment will depend on what’s causing the swollen lymph nodes.
If your child’s swollen lymph nodes are caused by a viral infection, all you can do is treat the symptoms of the virus, like the sore throat and fever.
If your child’s lymph nodes are swollen because of a bacterial infection, your child might need antibiotics.
In rare cases, a lymph node itself becomes infected by bacteria. If this has happened, the gland will be large, the skin around it will be inflamed, and it will be very painful, especially when you press on it. Seek immediate medical attention – your child will need antibiotics and might need the infection drained.