What are swollen lymph nodes in the neck? In early summer, parents often feel small “bumps” on their children’s necks in the shower and bring them to the doctor. What are those little “bumps” and do they matter? In most cases, those little “bumps” are enlarged lymph nodes. Causes Bacterial infections, viral infections, lymph node tuberculosis, allergies, tumors, or connective tissue diseases. Lymph nodes are important immune organs in the body and become enlarged in response to local or systemic infections temporarily. The lymphatic system of children is not well developed at birth and is most vigorously developed during the first ten years of life, especially during the early childhood period from 1 to 3 years old. Therefore, most lymph nodes are not easily palpable in newborns, while generally healthy infants and children can often feel single, soft or slightly hard, non-pressure lymph nodes as large as green beans to yellow beans on the superficial surface of the neck, under the jaw, behind the occiput, in front of the ear and in the groin, which is a physiological This is a physiological phenomenon. Since the neck is more exposed and the subcutaneous tissue of the skin is thin, they are more likely to be seen or felt in summer. Pathological conditions account for only a small percentage of the swollen lymph nodes in the neck found in everyday life, with the following main causes: In general, pathological swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck is caused by a local inflammatory reaction. In summer, babies are prone to prickly heat, especially in the head, and small “boils” may appear due to poor perspiration. When babies scratch with their hands, the bacteria lurking in the nails invade the baby’s body from the scratched skin and stay at the lymph nodes, which react and swell in order to resist bacterial invasion. At this time, swollen lymph nodes are found in the back of the head and neck, sometimes one, sometimes several; in early childhood, due to low immune function, babies are often prone to purulent tonsillitis, mouth ulcers, dental caries, etc. Swollen lymph nodes with local pressure pain can also be found in the jaw angle and chin; swollen and pressure pain in a single lymph node with fever and elevated blood test leukocytes is mostly purulent lymphadenitis; TB-induced Lymph node enlargement is bilateral and usually accompanied by symptoms of tuberculosis poisoning such as low fever, night sweats and weight loss, which is also called “scrofula” in Chinese medicine; lymphoma is a common malignant tumor in pediatrics, characterized by painless progressive enlargement of lymph nodes on one side, or accompanied by unexplained anemia and fever. Symptoms Generally speaking, if the lymph nodes are mildly enlarged, no more than the size of a pea, single or several scattered, soft, no pressure pain, no adhesions, and no other symptoms, the possibility of physiological enlargement is higher, and treatment is not necessary for the time being, but the changes must be closely observed. If they do not increase in size or gradually decrease in size, they can continue to be observed; if they increase in size or increase in size, they must be seen by a doctor. If the enlarged lymph nodes are larger and more numerous, especially in bunches, gradually increasing or rapidly increasing, adhering to the surrounding tissues, with enlarged lymph nodes in other parts (such as axillae), accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, anemia and emaciation, all of them should immediately go to the hospital for relevant examinations (such as tuberculin test and lymph node biopsy) in order to achieve timely diagnosis and treatment. There are some congenital neck masses that can easily be mistaken for lymph nodes and should be noted, such as sternocleidomastoid masses in congenital sloping neck, cervical ribs, thyroglossal cysts and gill slit cysts. Family management and treatment advice Family care: In summer, let babies prone to heat rash pillow with water, change the pillowcase often, and cut the baby’s nails often. Treatment recommendations Generally, no special treatment is needed, but close observation is required. Parents should not be overly nervous when it comes to swollen lymph nodes, as most of them are physiological or benign lesions, but it is best to seek diagnosis from a doctor to determine the cause and whether treatment is needed. If the swollen lymph nodes are caused by local infections of the head and face, upper respiratory tract infections, etc., the swollen lymph nodes will slowly subside after the cause is removed. There are many causes of swollen lymph nodes in the neck, some of which do not need to be treated for the time being but must be closely observed, and some of which require prompt diagnosis and treatment.