How to Know When to See a Doctor for Painful Lymph Nodes

Your lymph nodes filter out bacteria and viruses from your body. Lymph nodes are located throughout your body, with the largest located under your arms, in your neck and in your groin. When lymph nodes are painful, it is a sign that you have some type of infection which the nodes are trying to fight off. The type and severity of the infection and the presence of accompanying symptoms determines when you should see a doctor.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Know When Painful Lymph Nodes Don't Require a Doctor

1. Check to see if the lymphs nodes in your neck are swollen. The lymph nodes in the neck (just under the bottom of the back of the jaw) are the closest to the surface and so are the most prominent. When the nodes are less than about 1 inch in size, they are working as they should.

2. Note whether the lymph node pain appeared suddenly. Sudden onset of painful lymph nodes is usually caused by a bump to the area around the nodes and does not indicate a serious illness.

3. Review your recent medical records for drugs that may cause temporarily painful, swollen lymph nodes. The vaccine for typhoid fever and the anti-epilepsy drug phenytoin can cause benign pain.

See Your Doctor When Signs of Serious Illness Arise

4. Feel the painful lymph nodes to see whether they are soft or hard. If the lymph nodes do not give when touched, they are losing their battle with some type of infection and should be evaluated by a doctor.

5. Obtain a rough measurement of the painful lymph nodes. Nodes that are swollen beyond about 1 inch in size signal a serious infection that the body is not fighting effectively.

6. Examine the color of the skin above the lymph nodes in the neck for discoloration. A pink or red color indicates an infection that is not under control and should be reported to your doctor.

7. Look for other symptoms such as fever, weight loss, tiredness and night sweats accompanying painful lymph nodes. These can indicate very serious conditions such as lymphoma and cat-scratch fever, so you should immediately let your doctor know.

Tips & Warnings

• Always report painful lymph nodes to your doctor if you have HIV. Painful lymph nodes in HIV-infected individuals can signal that the infection is getting worse.
• Know that after fighting off an infection, your lymph nodes may take up to a month to return to normal size.

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