Swollen glands are a fairly common feature offibromyalgia(FMS), and of the similar diseasemyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome(ME/CFS) as well.
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Why Glands Swell
In most cases, swollen glands are associated with getting sick—having acute illnesses such as thefluor thecommon cold.
When glands puff up, it’s a sign that your immune system is working hard to destroy some kind of pathogen, such as a virus or bacteria, pumping out specialized cells that seek out and destroy the things that are attacking you.
It’s fairly normal for swollen lymph nodes to ache, even in “healthy” people who are fighting an illness, so they’re especially likely to hurt when you have FMS.
That’s because of a defining characteristics of this illness: lowpain threshold, which is defined as the point at which your brain perceives a sensation as painful. Some people with ME/CFS may have lowered pain thresholds as well.
That feeling of general malaise or “unwell” that may accompany the swelling is very likely to mean you’ve picked up some acute illness. It could also mean your body is having a harder time than usual in the battle against longer-term pathogens.
If you are a ME/CFS patient and develop swollen glands, other causes should be ruled out before attributing the problem ME/CFS.
Longer-Term Pathogens?
What Are Lymph Nodes?
The glands people refer to when they talk about swollen glands are actuallylymph nodes, which are little bundles of capsules that contain immune cells. When your body increases its volume of white blood cells to fight off the bug, the area gets puffed up with them.
However, especially in FMS, they may also be a consequence of what some researchers describe as thick or sluggish bodily fluids. Lymph is a fluid that contains white blood cells, which are key players in your immune system, and moves through your body’s lymphatic system.
In FMS, the lymph that should easily pass through seems to get backed up. We have lymph nodes throughout the body, in these locations:
If you have swelling or pressure in the center of your neck, it could be a problem with yourthyroid gland, not just a lymph node. Be sure to have your healthcare provider check that out right away as it could be a serious problem that needs to be treated.
Treatment
If you have pain in one or more lymph nodes, keep track of how you’re feeling. Have you been sick recently or exposed to someone who was sick? Are you more tired than usual? Note any changes in symptoms and talk to your healthcare provider about it.
Correction - June 7, 2023: This article was updated to remove the statement indicating that manual lymph drainage is a form of deep tissue massage.
2 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.Shee CD. Phantom lymphadenopathy.An association with chronic fatigue syndrome.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2003;79(927):59-60. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.59Mohseni S, Shojaiefard A, Khorgami Z, Alinejad S, Ghorbani A, Ghafouri A.Peripheral lymphadenopathy: approach and diagnostic tools.Iran J Med Sci. 2014;39(2 Suppl):158–170.
2 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.Shee CD. Phantom lymphadenopathy.An association with chronic fatigue syndrome.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2003;79(927):59-60. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.59Mohseni S, Shojaiefard A, Khorgami Z, Alinejad S, Ghorbani A, Ghafouri A.Peripheral lymphadenopathy: approach and diagnostic tools.Iran J Med Sci. 2014;39(2 Suppl):158–170.
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.
Shee CD. Phantom lymphadenopathy.An association with chronic fatigue syndrome.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2003;79(927):59-60. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.59Mohseni S, Shojaiefard A, Khorgami Z, Alinejad S, Ghorbani A, Ghafouri A.Peripheral lymphadenopathy: approach and diagnostic tools.Iran J Med Sci. 2014;39(2 Suppl):158–170.
Shee CD. Phantom lymphadenopathy.An association with chronic fatigue syndrome.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2003;79(927):59-60. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.59
Mohseni S, Shojaiefard A, Khorgami Z, Alinejad S, Ghorbani A, Ghafouri A.Peripheral lymphadenopathy: approach and diagnostic tools.Iran J Med Sci. 2014;39(2 Suppl):158–170.
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