Swollen glands: causes and warning symptoms

"I have swollen glands." This phrase is very common to hear, and is usually accompanied by a self-test on both sides of the neck and in the lower part of the jaw.

It is an inflammation that is benign in most cases, but sometimes it may be indicating the presence of a serious pathology. In this article we are going to explore lymphadenopathy or swollen glands, its causes and the most relevant warning symptoms.

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What are nodes?

Lymph nodes or lymph nodes are a series of structures through which lymph circulates. They are responsible for filtering this substance, so that prevent bacteria or viruses from spreading through the lymphatic system, to later integrate it into the blood vessels.

The lymphatic system can be considered part of the immune system, given that another of the great functions of the lymph nodes is to contain the lymphocytes that fight against infections and the entry of pathogenic elements into the body. Thus, they are very relevant by contributing to the body's immune activity, but it also has relevant functions by absorbing the lymph the nutrients of the digestive system to later direct them to the veins and maintain a balance in the liquid level interstitial.

These ganglia are distributed in a chain throughout the body, some of the areas being more known to most of the population those of the neck (below the chin, on both sides), armpits and English. Also in the abdomen or chest. But lymph nodes can become infected and inflamed for any reason.

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Lymphadenopathy or swollen glands

Sometimes the lymph nodes can suffer some type of abnormality that causes them to become inflamed. This alteration is called lymphadenopathy, and it can appear in a single ganglion as well as in a chain or spread to the whole system.

Swollen glands tend to generate harmful and annoying symptoms. Specifically, it usually appears in addition to the bulging of the ganglion itself the presence of a sensation of heat, redness and increased sensitivity in the area. Likewise, it is very common for fever, weight loss, sweating and pain in the area where the swollen lymph node or nodes are located. It is also common for appetite to be reduced and fatigue and respiratory disturbances appear.

Most people have suffered at some point in their life some type of lymphadenopathy from one cause or another: it is a phenomenon that can occur at any age and under any condition, but is usually especially frequent in the childhood. Have swollen glands it is not a disorder or disease in itself, but rather a symptom of the existence of an infection or problem of some kind.

Possible causes of inflammation

In general, the vast majority of people with swollen lymph nodes have them due to the presence of mild alterations, generally due to a viral or bacterial infection.

Some common causes are the presence of infections such as the flu, pharyngitis, or tonsillitis. Some diseases in which it also appears are chickenpox and measles, mononucleosis or rubella. Sometimes the inflammation persists for a time even when the subject has finished rejecting a previous infection.

Another possible cause of having swollen glands can be found in a lack of adequate and complete nutrition, as well as a lack of rest and high stress. It may also appear as side effect of taking certain medications.

However, not always all causes of swollen glands are so relatively mild. And it is also lymphadenopathy appears in diseases as serious as cancer (for example lymphoma or cancer of the breast, lung or testicle), malaria, lupus or venereal diseases such as infection with HIV (in AIDS) or syphilis. Likewise, diseases such as the bubonic plague also caused such inflammation.

Should I be worried? Alert symptoms

Although, as we have said previously, lymphadenopathy usually have causes that are not very serious and tend to disappear easily, the truth is that they can also be a symptom of a serious health problem that could even be endangering our lifetime.

That is why it is always advisable to go to the doctor when lymphadenopathy appears. to ascertain its causes and receive treatment, although we consider that the cause may be slight.

However, it is especially urgent to consult a professional when the lymph nodes are swollen in situations where fever has not appeared, it is hard to the touch or it is detected that the lymph node has presented a large growth of form sudden. Although it seems contradictory, if the inflammation appears without any type of pain it can also be worrisome. Also, if the inflammation lasts for more than a month after the disappearance of the infection that caused it you should go to a consultation.

It should also be taken into account if the inflammation appears hard and rigid or on the contrary they are mobile. Although the second case is common in infectious processes, the existence of great rigidity could speak of a serious disease, such as cancer.

The size of the node is one of the criteria to take into account: if they exceed four centimeters we may be facing a significant infection.

Finally, the area in which the ganglion is infected must also be taken into account. For example, having swollen glands in the neck is not uncommon and in many cases the causes are not usually serious. Groin infections are often related to lower limb infections or sexually transmitted diseases. Talking about those located on the clavicle Regardless of their characteristics, they require a quick consultation visit, since they tend to be dangerous and can be linked to the suffering of some type of cancer.

Treatment

Treatment of swollen glands will largely depend on its cause. Antibiotics will usually be prescribed to treat an infection, and / or pain reliever medication to ease the pain while the infection subsides.

In other cases, a possible drainage of the lymph nodes may be necessary, start a specific treatment to treat autoimmune disorders or start treatment for problems such as cancer if the diagnosis is confirmed.

Bibliographic references:

• Fauci, A. (2008). Harrison: Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th Edition. McGraw-Hill; Interamerican of Mexico.