Has anyone ever seen or felt large lymph nodes on their child when there are no obvious signs of illness? My 6yo son has a VERY LN on his neck, more toward the back of the neck, not so much the ones up under the chin.
He isn't sick outwardly, and he has had a tendency toward large ones before, but never this big.
We have seen his ped for them before, and they never completely go away, but usually reduce to the size of a large corn kernel. This one has me a bit concerned. I will be making an appt for him in the morning, but wondered if anyone else's kiddos have these often, and of this size?
He does seem to be starting seasonal (maybe grass) allergies, and I thought this might be one cause?
Thanks!
Yes, they appear after fighting an infection, and can last for up to 9 months. Usually I could not pin point exactly what infection causes them.
Are you sure that it is a lymph node? I only ask because I had a pea sized cyst in my neck for years that I thought was a lymph node but was a benign cyst.
My son had one pop out at school at recess and they though he had damaged his neck playing on the playground equipment it was so huge. He had no symptoms, but when they did a blood count, his white blood cell count was twice as high as normal. He did a bout of strong antibiotics and an antibiotic shot at the docs and there was noticable improvement within 24-48 hours. It was at least 2" long by 1" wide and stuck out quite a bit, at least 1/2". It was freaky big.
The purpose of the lymph system is to help trap invading particles...
" Lymph nodes act as filters or traps for foreign particles and are important in the proper functioning of the immune system. They are packed tightly with the white blood cells called lymphocytes and macrophages."
They are often a sign of infection, so it could also be a response to allergies or a sinus infection that he may be battling.... They can also stay enlarged for quite a while after the infection.
Best bet is to contact your physician.
Wow although my post would have been slightly different, I could have posted this today about my almost 6 year old! However, she was diagnosed with Swimmer's Ear on Friday and symptoms of that include lymph nodes. I did also call the pediatrician to let them know (they said as long as they are not super tender to the touch) but I am wondering if maybe he does have some sort of illness that is undetected? Inner ear infection, perhaps? My daughter has two of them - one on the front of the neck and one on the back below her hair line.
