Swollen lymph nodes: causes, what's normal, and the warning signs

Swollen lymph nodes — often called swollen glands — are small lumps that you can feel, most commonly in the neck, under the jaw, in the armpits, or in the groin. In the great majority of cases they swell because your body is fighting an infection, such as a cold or a sore throat, and they settle down by themselves within a week or two.

This page is general information to help you understand swollen lymph nodes and recognise when to get help. It is not a diagnosis. Swollen glands have many causes, so if yours don't settle or you're worried, see a doctor.

What are lymph nodes, and why do they swell?

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands that are part of your immune system. They contain white blood cells that help your body fight infection, and they swell when they are working harder — which is why swelling is usually a good sign that your body is doing its job.

When you pick up an infection, the lymph nodes near it fill with immune cells and become bigger and sometimes tender. A sore throat, for example, often makes the nodes in the neck swell. This is the same reason a cut on your arm might make a gland in your armpit swell. The swelling is a response to something else, not a disease in itself.

Where are lymph nodes found?

You have lymph nodes throughout your body, but the ones you can usually feel when they swell are in a few main places. Knowing where they are helps make sense of why one area might swell and not another.

The nodes you're most likely to notice are:

• In the neck (cervical lymph nodes), on one or both sides
• Under the jaw and chin, often with throat, mouth, or dental problems
• Behind or in front of the ears, often with ear or scalp infections
• In the armpits, often with arm, hand, or chest-area infections
• In the groin, often with leg, foot, or genital-area infections

Because the nodes "drain" the area near them, swelling often points to where the problem is. Swelling under the jaw on one side, for instance, frequently comes from a throat or dental issue on that side.

What causes swollen lymph nodes?

Swollen lymph nodes are usually caused by a common infection, and serious causes are rare. The most frequent reason is simply that you have a cold, a throat infection, or another everyday illness.

Common causes include:

• Colds, flu, and other viral infections
• Throat infections and tonsillitis, which swell the nodes in the neck and under the jaw — these are also the kinds of infections linked to tonsil stones
• Ear infections
• Dental problems, such as an abscess or gum infection
• Mouth ulcers and other mouth irritation — see our guide to canker sores
• Skin infections near the gland
• Glandular fever (a viral infection that can cause more widespread, longer- lasting swelling)

Less commonly, swollen nodes can be linked to other conditions, and rarely to something more serious such as cancer. That's why the pattern of swelling — how it feels, how long it lasts, and what else is going on — matters more than the swelling alone.

Can I treat swollen lymph nodes naturally at home?

There is no way to shrink a swollen lymph node directly — you treat the cause, not the node itself. Because the swelling is your immune system responding to something, the node settles once whatever caused it has cleared.

While an infection runs its course, sensible self-care helps you feel better:

• Rest and give your body time to recover.
• Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
• Use over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen if the glands are tender, following the instructions on the pack. (Children under 16 should not take aspirin.)

Be cautious with claims that a particular supplement, tea, or massage will "drain" or "cure" swollen glands — they treat the symptom story, not the underlying cause, and they can delay getting a real problem checked. Glands that come up with an obvious cold usually go back down within one to two weeks on their own.

What should I not do?

Don't repeatedly prod, squeeze, or massage a swollen node trying to make it go down — handling it constantly won't help and only keeps it irritated. Avoid relying on online remedies that promise to "shrink" glands, especially if it means putting off seeing a doctor about swelling that isn't settling.

Most importantly, do not assume a swollen gland is automatically harmless or automatically serious. The sensible approach is to watch how it behaves over a week or two and to act on the warning signs below.

When should I see a doctor?

See a GP if a swollen gland hasn't gone down within about two weeks, keeps getting bigger, or appears without any obvious infection to explain it. While most swollen glands are harmless, a few features are worth getting checked promptly.

Contact a GP if you have swollen glands that:

• Haven't gone down within about two weeks, or are getting bigger
• Feel hard, rubbery, or fixed in place (don't move when you press them)
• Are painless and have no obvious cause
• Are above or just below the collarbone
• Come with night sweats, a persistent high temperature, or unexplained weight loss

Seek urgent help — call NHS 111 or get an urgent GP appointment — if you have swollen glands and you're finding it very difficult to swallow or you have difficulty breathing.

These warning signs don't mean something serious is definitely going on — most swollen glands turn out to be down to a passing infection — but they are the situations where a professional should take a look. This page is background information and not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional.