There has always been fear concerning the lymph nodes. This is nothing more than a structural part of the human immune system. Each of them contains lymphocytes, the white blood cells responsible for acting against any infection or disease that attacks the body.
Lymph nodes are distributed throughout the body structure linked together by lymphatic vessels. These are located more significantly in the abdomen, armpits, neck, and groin. Lymph nodes are more easily evident when an infectious process occurs, and these begin to swell and can become painful. Do the nodes hurt when touched? In this FastlyHealarticle, we will talk about lymph nodes and if they hurt when touched.
Table of Contents
What are lymph nodes, and why do they get swollen
Medically, lymph nodes are defined as small structures or masses less than 1 centimeter in size. These ganglia are a fundamental part of the immune system since, in them, we find the white blood cells that allow us to fight any infectious process or disease that attacks humans. They are distributed throughout the human body, detecting any foreign agent.
The medical importance of the lymph nodes is that they become inflamed in the presence of different infections, whether viral or bacterial. The lymph nodes or lymph nodes also become inflamed in cancer. The inflammatory process of these nodes is known as adenopathies. The sites in which the lymph nodes stand out the most and can notice are:
- The chest.
- The abdomen.
- The neck.
- The armpits.
- The inguinal region.
Lymph nodes generally go unnoticed due to their small size. When the body is exposed to any foreign agent, they become inflamed and can be touched much more quickly. The most common conditions for which lymph node enlargement appears are:
- Gripe.
- Ulcers in the mouth
- Gingivitis.
- Tonsillitis.
- Pharyngitis.
- Measles.
- Dental abscess.
- Mononucleosis.
- Skin infections
- Ear infections
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Leukemia.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Lymphoma
- HIV
- Cancer.
Do the nodes hurt when touched?
In a normal state, a lymph node is less than one centimeter long, is not painful to touch, and can be easily displaced as it is not attached to any plane of the skin.
On the other hand, as has already been described, the inflammation of the lymph nodes is directly related to the infectious process that the human body is going through. Logically, when the lymph node increases in size, the pain will appear when touched. This means that the growth of the lymph node produces pain.
Most of the time, the pain when touching the lymph nodes is mild and disappears just days after using the appropriate treatment. When the infectious process remits, the size of the lymph nodes returns to normal.
What should I do if I have swollen glands?
The treatment used to counteract the inflammatory process of the lymph nodes will depend on the cause to be treated. Generally, in case of a viral process, the size of the lymph node returns to normal once the viral infection subsides.
In the case of a bacterial infection, the appropriate treatment to use is antibiotics. Depending on the place and cause of the illness, the doctor will prescribe the proper drug. Logically the inflammatory process will diminish treating the preexisting condition. This applies in the case of immune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. On the other hand, there are natural and effective ways to relieve pain when touching the lymph nodes:
- Compresses with warm water: can be applied directly to the places where the swollen and painful lymph node is evident.
- Drugs: you can also administer an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. This reduces the painful process that accompanies swollen lymph nodes.
When to see the doctor
Already knowing that swollen lymph nodes can have a fibrous or elastic consistency, measure a few millimeters, are mobile, and can be painful or not. There are sure signs that can be considered warning signs to go immediately to the doctor or specialist:
- If the increase in size does not go away or persists for several weeks.
- If the lymph nodes, in addition to being swollen and painful, are complex.
- If weight loss is associated with fever and heavy sweating at night.
- If the lymph node is more significant than 2.5 cm.
- They are attached to deep planes; therefore, they do not move.
- That can be palpable in different parts of the body.
The Spanish Academy of Pediatrics [1] explains that the risk of malignancy of a lymph node increases according to size. Of 457 patients studied, it was found that lesions smaller than one centimeter were of benign cause. 85% of the malignant lesions had an extent greater than 3 cm. On the other hand, they explain that pain is produced by the rapid growth of the lymph node. In most cases, pain in the nodes is usually associated with inflammatory and infectious causes.
Regardless of the cause of the appearance of the swollen lymph nodes, it is worth going to the doctor who will do the pertinent physical examination, will indicate the tests that are necessary to determine that the inflammatory and painful process of the lymph nodes is due to a viral or bacterial infection. And not for a more complicated cause to treat.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Do the lymph nodes hurt when touched? We recommend that you enter our Immune System category.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.