Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Lymph Nodes?What Causes Swelling?SymptomsDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Lymph Nodes?
What Causes Swelling?
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Swollen lymph nodes will usually return to their normal size within a few days when a child gets over an infection. However, lymphadenopathy can be a sign of serious conditions, such as cancer or autoimmune disease, so it’s best to keep an eye on it and have your child’s pediatrician check it out if it doesn’t improve within a few days.
Children are small, and you might be able to feel a child’s lymph nodes even if they don’t have lymphadenopathy. It is not uncommon to feel normal-sized lymph nodes in infants and toddlers, with the lymph nodes measuring less than about 1 centimeter (cm), around 1/2 an inch.
This article covers what lymph nodes are, why they swell, and how to treat them.
Thelymph nodesare part of the body’s lymphatic system, which includes lymph fluid,lymph vessels, thetonsils, thethymus gland, and thespleen.
Lymph nodes serveseveral functions:
Children have larger lymph nodes than adults, and they can frequently become swollen because children are exposed to new infections that require their immune systems to make immune cells and antibodies.
Lymph fluid includeswhite blood cellsand proteins to help fight infections. As the fluid moves through the lymph vessels (a venous network parallel to the blood circulatory system), lymph nodes filter out materials such as pathogens and cancer cells.
Locations
There are over 600 lymph nodes located throughout the body, ranging from near the surface of the skin to deep in the abdominal, pelvic, and chest cavities.
Along with their location, the distribution of swollen lymph nodes can help your child’s healthcare provider determine the cause of the swelling.
Lymphadenopathy may be localized or generalized (widespread). Generalized lymphadenopathy may be related to a viral infection,autoimmune disorder, ordisseminated diseases. Localized lymphadenopathy can occur due to a mild infection, an infection from a contaminated injury, or a local spread ofcancer.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Viral infections are the most common cause of lymphadenopathy in children. However, lymphadenopathy develops whenever the lymphocytes proliferate or when a disease such as cancer or an immune disease affects the lymph nodes.
Common Causes
Many young children temporarily develop swollen glands when they have an infection. Lymphadenopathy can be especially prominent in the nodes closest to the site of infection.
Common causes of lymphadenopathy in children include:
The lymph nodes may also enlarge due to an allergic response. This is when the body’s immune system overreacts to a harmless substance, such as pollen orpet dander. Your child’s lymph glands may become swollen after an insect bite or a severe case of hay fever. Lymphadenopathy might not be as noticeable as the othereffects of an allergy.
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Serious Causes
Severe infections and cancer can cause fluctuating, yet persistent lymphadenopathy.
Sometimes the body is not able to effectively fight an infection, or the immune system is impaired. Cancer cells can spread to the lymph nodes, and the immune system may be unable to destroy them.
Serious and less common causes of lymphadenopathy in children include:
These more severe cases of lymphadenopathy will not resolve until the cause is treated.
Axillary lymphadenopathycan cause tenderness under the arms, with increased pain when a child moves their arms.Enlarged cervical lymph nodescan cause neck pain and may make it uncomfortable to lie down.Mediastinal lymphadenopathyin the chest can make it difficult to breathe if the lymph nodes are severely enlarged.
The most common symptoms associated with lymphadenopathy are the symptoms of the primary condition (such as infection or cancer).
Symptoms your child can experience along with lymphadenopathy can include:
Your child might have pain or redness near the swollen lymph nodes. This occurs because lymphadenopathy is typically a response to a condition in the body, and the lymph nodes that become the most swollen are generally located near the primary condition.
Associated symptoms, such as persistent or unexplained fever,unintentional weight loss, fatigue, andnight sweatscan be signs of a serious condition.
What Causes Glands to Swell?Lymph glands can swell when they produce more immune cells than usual. This most commonly happens when your body is fighting an infection. It can also occur due to an allergic reaction, autoimmune disease, or cancer.
What Causes Glands to Swell?
Lymph glands can swell when they produce more immune cells than usual. This most commonly happens when your body is fighting an infection. It can also occur due to an allergic reaction, autoimmune disease, or cancer.
Your child’s healthcare provider will take a history of their symptoms and do a physical examination when evaluating swollen lymph nodes. The healthcare provider will consider the size of lymph nodes, their location, consistency (soft, firm, or rubbery), whether redness is present, mobility (if it moves) and whether there is tenderness.
The cervical, axillary, and inguinal nodes are the ones most readily felt during a physical exam. These lymph nodes can be swollen in around half of all children between the ages of 3 and 5 who are perfectly healthy.
Certain lymph nodes, especially the supraclavicular, epitrochlear, and popliteal glands, are rarely swollen, even in children. This would be considered a red flag to healthcare providers that further investigations are needed.
Depending on the clinical history and physical examination findings, your child might have diagnostic tests to determine the cause of their lymphadenopathy.
Your child’s healthcare provider may also obtain a biopsy of the cells from a swollen lymph node for examination with the microscope. This is often performed with a fine needle aspiration (FNA) in which a hollow-core needle is inserted through the skin into the lymph node.
Occasionally, if lymphoma is suspected, the FNA may not be enough to make the diagnosis and an open or surgical biopsy will be recommended so the lymph node or a piece of it is removed in the operating room.
When Further Investigation Is NeededYour child’s healthcare provider will perform more diagnostic tests in these circumstances:If the lymphadenopathy is generalizedIf the lymph nodes are larger than 1 inchIf lymphadenopathy persists despite treatmentIf lymphadenopathy spreads to other parts of the bodyIf the lymph nodes are hard, painless, and fixedIf there is unexplained weight loss or night sweats
When Further Investigation Is Needed
Your child’s healthcare provider will perform more diagnostic tests in these circumstances:If the lymphadenopathy is generalizedIf the lymph nodes are larger than 1 inchIf lymphadenopathy persists despite treatmentIf lymphadenopathy spreads to other parts of the bodyIf the lymph nodes are hard, painless, and fixedIf there is unexplained weight loss or night sweats
Your child’s healthcare provider will perform more diagnostic tests in these circumstances:
The treatment for lymphadenopathy depends on the cause. For mild cases, it is best for your child to get some rest and to be comfortable. Viral infections are generally not treated with medications and they resolve on their own.
Your child might feel a little better if a small ice pack is placed near the swollen area for a few minutes, several times per day. You can check with your child’s pediatrician to see if using a pain reliever or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for relief of symptoms would be helpful as well.
How Can I Treat Swollen Glands in My Neck?
Lymph Nodes and Cancer Risk
Summary
Swollen lymph nodes in children indicate that your child is fighting off infection. This happens to children often because they are frequently exposed to new infections. Typically, a virus can cause swollen lymph nodes, but more serious conditions can also cause it. Swollen lymph nodes don’t cause symptoms, but they can be tender or painful and occur alongside fever, rash, fatigue, and soreness. Treatment varies depending on the cause.
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.He L, Sun Y, Huang G.Identifying threshold sizes for enlarged abdominal lymph nodes in different age ranges from about 200,000 individual’s data.Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 19;11(1):1762. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81339-9Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.Rajasekaran K, Krakovitz P.Enlarged neck lymph nodes in children.Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013;60(4):923-36. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2013.04.005Additional ReadingKliegman RM, St Geme JW.Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.He L, Sun Y, Huang G.Identifying threshold sizes for enlarged abdominal lymph nodes in different age ranges from about 200,000 individual’s data.Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 19;11(1):1762. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81339-9Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.Rajasekaran K, Krakovitz P.Enlarged neck lymph nodes in children.Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013;60(4):923-36. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2013.04.005Additional ReadingKliegman RM, St Geme JW.Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
He L, Sun Y, Huang G.Identifying threshold sizes for enlarged abdominal lymph nodes in different age ranges from about 200,000 individual’s data.Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 19;11(1):1762. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81339-9Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.Rajasekaran K, Krakovitz P.Enlarged neck lymph nodes in children.Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013;60(4):923-36. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2013.04.005
He L, Sun Y, Huang G.Identifying threshold sizes for enlarged abdominal lymph nodes in different age ranges from about 200,000 individual’s data.Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 19;11(1):1762. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81339-9
Gaddey HL, Riegel AM.Unexplained lymphadenopathy: Evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(11):896-903.
Rajasekaran K, Krakovitz P.Enlarged neck lymph nodes in children.Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013;60(4):923-36. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2013.04.005
Kliegman RM, St Geme JW.Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019.
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