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.

When to see your GP

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 or computerised tomography (CT) scan, and/or 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:

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. You will normally just need to drink plenty of fluids, rest and relieve the symptoms at home using over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

See your GP if your symptoms don't improve within a few weeks.

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

Click on the links above for more information on these conditions.

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.