Swollen glands
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
- theyfeel hard or dont 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 tohelp 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 theswelling and tested).
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
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.
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 theyfeel hard or dont move when you press them you also have a sore throat and find it d
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
Less common causes of swollen glands
Less often, swollen glandsmay 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 illnessthat causes distinctive
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 atype of cancer affecting the white blood cells, such as non-Hodgkin lymph
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