Why is my left lymph node swollen

About swollen glands

Swollen lymph glands are usually a sign of infection and tend to go down when you recover. However, they can sometimes have a more serious cause and may need to be seen by a doctor.

Lymph glands (also called lymph nodes) are pea-sized lumps of tissue that contain white blood cells. These help to fight bacteria, viruses and anything else that causes infection. They are an important part of the immune system and are found throughout the body.

The glands can swell to more than a few centimetres in response to infection or disease. Swollen glands, known medically as lymphadenopathy, may be felt under the chin or in the neck, armpits or groin, where they can be found in larger clumps.

Many different types of infection can cause swollen glands, such as a cold or glandular fever. Less commonly, swollen glands may be caused by a non-infectious condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or even cancer.

Urgent advice: See your GP if you have swollen glands and:

• they haven't gone down within a few weeks or are getting bigger
• they feel hard or don’t move when you press them
• you also have a sore throat and find it difficult to swallow or breathe
• you also have unexplained weight loss, night sweats or a persistent high temperature (fever)
• you don't have an obvious infection and don't feel unwell

If necessary, your GP may request some tests to help identify the cause. These can include:

• blood tests
• an ultrasound scan  
• a computerised tomography (CT) scan
• a biopsy (where a small sample of fluid is taken from the swelling and tested)

Common causes of swollen glands

Swollen glands are usually caused by a relatively minor viral or bacterial infection, including:

• a cold
• tonsillitis
• glandular fever
• a throat infection
• an ear infection
• a dental abscess
• cellulitis (a skin infection)

The glands in the affected area will often become suddenly tender or painful. You may also have additional symptoms, such as a sore throat, cough, or fever.

These infections usually clear up on their own, and the swollen glands will soon go down.

Treating swollen glands

When an infection causes swollen glands you can help to ease symptoms at home by:

• drinking plenty of fluids
• resting
• using over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen

Less common causes of swollen glands

Less often, swollen glands may be the result of:

• rubella – a viral infection that causes a red-pink skin rash made up of small spots
• measles – a highly infectious viral illness that causes distinctive red or brown spots on the skin  
• cytomegalovirus (CMV) – a common virus spread through bodily fluids, such as saliva and urine
• tuberculosis (TB) – a bacterial infection spread that causes a persistent cough 
• syphilis – a bacterial infection usually caught by having sex with someone who is infected
• cat scratch disease – a bacterial infection caused by a scratch from an infected cat
• HIV – a virus that attacks the immune system and weakens your ability to fight infections
• lupus – where the immune system starts to attack the body's joints, skin, blood cells and organs
• rheumatoid arthritis – where the immune system starts to attack the tissue lining the joints
• sarcoidosis – where small patches of red and swollen tissue, called granulomas, develop in the organs of the body

Could it be cancer?

Occasionally, swollen glands can be a sign of cancer that has started elsewhere in the body and spread to the lymph nodes, or a type of cancer affecting the white blood cells, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Swollen glands are more likely to be caused by cancer if they:

• don't go away within a few weeks and slowly get bigger
• are painless and firm or hard when you touch them
• occur with other symptoms, such as night sweats and weight loss

See your GP if your glands have been swollen for more than a couple of weeks. The swelling is probably the result of a non-cancerous condition, but it's best to be sure by getting a proper diagnosis.

Last updated:
29 April 2022

Swollen glands; Glands - swollen; Lymph nodes - swollen; Lymphadenopathy

Lymph nodes are present throughout your body. They are an important part of your immune system. Lymph nodes help your body recognize and fight germs, infections, and other foreign substances.

The term "swollen glands" refers to enlargement of one or more lymph nodes. The medical name for swollen lymph nodes is lymphadenopathy.

In a child, a node is considered enlarged if it is more than 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) wide.

The lymphatic system has two main functions. Its network of vessels, valves, ducts, nodes, and organs helps balance the body's fluid by draining excess fluid, known as lymph, from the body's tissue and returning it to the blood after filtering it. Some types of blood cells are also made in the lymph nodes. The lymphatic system also plays an important role in the body's immune system. Infection, even a trivial infection is, the most common cause of swollen lymph nodes. Let's look at a cut section of a lymph node to see what happens. Afferent means towards. Afferent lymph vessels bring unfiltered fluids from the body into the lymph node where they are filtered. Efferent vessels, meaning away from, carry the clean fluid away and back to the bloodstream where it helps form plasma. When the body is invaded by foreign organisms, the swelling sometimes felt in the neck, armpits, groin, or tonsils comes from the microorganisms trapped inside the lymph nodes. Eventually, these organisms are destroyed and eliminated by cells that line the node walls. Then the swelling and pain subside.

The lymphatic system filters fluid from around cells. It is an important part of the immune system. When people refer to swollen glands in the neck, they are usually referring to swollen lymph nodes. Common areas where lymph nodes can be easily felt, especially if they are enlarged, are the groin, armpits (axilla), above the clavicle (supraclavicular), in the neck (cervical), and the back of the head just above hairline (occipital).

Swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, fatigue and headache are some of the symptoms of mononucleosis, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It is generally self-limiting and most patients can recover in 4 to 6 weeks without medicines.

The lymphatic system is a complex system of fluid drainage and transport, and immune response and disease resistance. Fluid that is forced out of the bloodstream during normal circulation is filtered through lymph nodes to remove bacteria, abnormal cells and other matter. This fluid is then transported back into the bloodstream via the lymph vessels. Lymph only moves in one direction, toward the heart.

Lymph nodes produce immune cells to help fight infection. They also filter the lymph fluid and remove foreign material, such as bacteria and cancer cells. They can become swollen from inflammatory conditions, an abscess, cancer, and most commonly from infection. Common areas where lymph nodes can be felt include the groin, armpit, behind the ears, back of the head, sides of the neck and under the jaw and chin.

Lymph nodes play an important part in the body's defense against infection. Swelling might occur even if the infection is trivial or not apparent. Swelling of lymph nodes generally results from localized or systemic infection, abscess formation, or malignancy.

Considerations

Common areas where the lymph nodes can be felt (with the fingers) include:

• Groin
• Armpit
• Neck (there is a chain of lymph nodes on either side of the front of the neck, both sides of the neck, and down each side of the back of the neck)
• Under the jaw and chin
• Behind the ears
• On the back of the head

Causes

Infections are the most common cause of swollen lymph nodes. Infections that can cause them include:

• Abscessed or impacted tooth
• Ear infection
• Colds, flu, and other infections
• Swelling (inflammation) of gums (gingivitis)
• Mononucleosis
• Mouth sores
• Sexually transmitted illness (STI)
• Tonsillitis
• Tuberculosis
• Skin infections

Immune or autoimmune disorders that can cause swollen lymph nodes are:

• HIV
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

Cancers that can cause swollen lymph nodes include:

• Leukemia
• Hodgkin disease
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Many other cancers may also cause this problem.

Certain medicines can cause swollen lymph nodes, including:

• Seizure medicines, such as phenytoin
• Typhoid immunization

Which lymph nodes are swollen depends on the cause and the body parts involved. Swollen lymph nodes that appear suddenly and are painful are usually due to injury or infection. Slow, painless swelling may be due to cancer or a tumor.

Home Care

Painful lymph nodes are generally a sign that your body is fighting an infection. The soreness usually goes away in a couple of days without treatment. The lymph node may not return to its normal size for several weeks.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your health care provider if:

• Your lymph nodes do not get smaller after several weeks or they continue to get larger.
• They are red and tender.
• They feel hard, irregular, or fixed in place.
• You have fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss.
• Any node in a child is larger than 1 centimeter (a little less than half inch) in diameter.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your provider will perform a physical examination and ask about your medical history and symptoms. Examples of questions that may be asked include:

• When the swelling began
• If the swelling came on suddenly
• Whether any nodes are painful when pressed

The following tests may be done:

• Blood tests, including liver function tests, kidney function tests, and CBC with differential
• Lymph node biopsy
• Chest x-ray
• Liver-spleen scan

Treatment depends on the cause of the swollen nodes.

References

Tower RL, Camitta BM. Lymphadenopathy. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 517.

Winter JN. Approach to the patient with lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 159.

Version Info

Last reviewed on: 1/29/2022

Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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