Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Lymph nodes

October 5, 2010 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

I have had a small swollen lymph node on the left side of my neck for years, is that bad? My blood work is fine, the doctor says it's not bad, so what is it then?

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Dear questioner,
this is really not a problem. If the blood is fine and the lymph node has remained so small for years, there is really nothing to worry about.
I will try to explain what it is in a very simplified way.
When foreign material enters a lymph node with the lymph (allergens, bacteria, fungi, viruses, foreign substances), it swells up, tries to hold everything here and sends special white blood cells (lymphocytes) to fight the intruders. Once the battle is over, the lymph node shrinks back down and disappears. Usually. Sometimes, it may have taken a hit during the fight and cannot shrink back down. Then it remains more or less large. See it as simply an immunological scar, nothing more.
I hope this helps you understand a bit better. Best regards, R. Berg