Swollen lymph nodes collarbone after flu shot

Overview

What are lymph nodes?

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands throughout the body. They are part of the lymph system, which carries fluid (lymph fluid), nutrients, and waste material between the body tissues and the bloodstream.

The lymph system is an important part of the immune system, the body's defense system against disease. The lymph nodes filter lymph fluid as it flows through them, trapping bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances, which are then destroyed by special white blood cells called lymphocytes.

Lymph nodes may be found singly or in groups. And they may be as small as the head of a pin or as large as an olive. Groups of lymph nodes can be felt in the neck, groin, and underarms. Lymph nodes generally are not tender or painful. Most lymph nodes in the body cannot be felt.

What causes swollen lymph nodes?

Lymph nodes often swell in one location when a problem such as an injury, infection, or tumor develops in or near the lymph node. Which lymph nodes are swollen can help identify the problem.

• The glands on either side of the neck, under the jaw, or behind the ears commonly swell when you have a cold or sore throat. Glands can also swell following an injury, such as a cut or bite, near the gland or when a tumor or infection occurs in the mouth, head, or neck.
• Glands in the armpit (axillary lymph nodes) may swell from an injury or infection to the arm or hand. A rare cause of axillary swelling may be breast cancer or lymphoma.
• The lymph nodes in the groin (femoral or inguinal lymph nodes) may swell from an injury or infection in the foot, leg, groin, or genitals. In rare cases, testicular cancer, lymphoma, or melanoma may cause a lump in this area.
• Glands above the collarbone (supraclavicular lymph nodes) may swell from an infection or tumor in the areas of the lungs, breasts, neck, or abdomen.

Common sites for swollen lymph nodes include the neck, groin, and underarms.

When lymph nodes swell in two or more areas of the body, it is called generalized lymphadenopathy. This may be caused by:

• A viral illness, such as measles, rubella, chickenpox (varicella), or mumps.
• Mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus), which results in fever, sore throat, and fatigue, or cytomegalovirus (CMV), a viral infection that causes symptoms similar to those of mononucleosis.
• A bacterial illness, such as strep throat (caused by the streptococcus bacterium) or Lyme disease (a bacterial infection spread by certain types of ticks).
• Side effects of phenytoin (Dilantin), a medicine used to prevent seizures.
• Side effects of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination.
• Cancer, such as leukemia, Hodgkin disease, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which develops after a person contracts HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). This virus attacks the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight off infection and some disease.
• Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection.

How are swollen lymph nodes treated?

Treatment for swollen glands focuses on treating the cause. For example, a bacterial infection may be treated with antibiotics, while a viral infection often goes away on its own. If cancer is suspected, a biopsy may be done to confirm the diagnosis.

Any swollen lymph nodes that don't go away or return to normal size within about a month should be checked by your doctor.

How long will lymph nodes remain swollen?

Lymph nodes may remain swollen or firm long after an initial infection is gone. This is especially true in children, whose glands may decrease in size while remaining firm and visible for many weeks.

Credits

Current as of: May 4, 2022

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Elizabeth T. Russo MD - Internal Medicine

• COVID-19
• Infectious Disease

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If you’ve recently been vaccinated for COVID-19 and notice a lump in your armpit near the site of the injection, don’t get alarmed. It’s likely a swollen lymph node which occurs in up to 15 percent of people, both women and men, following vaccination, says surgeon Thomas Heck, MD.

Lymph nodes can become swollen following any shot or vaccine, explains Dr. Heck. “It usually happens two to four days after being vaccinated. It’s a normal reaction, so I would caution you not to become alarmed.”

But do contact your doctor for advice, he suggests.

If you get swollen lymph nodes as a reaction to the vaccine, it’s likely they’ll go away on their own within a few weeks. Dr. Heck says, “There’s nothing you can do to make them go away more quickly. It just takes time.”

If You’ve Had Breast Cancer

Swollen lymph nodes can be especially alarming, but no less likely to be serious, if you’ve had breast cancer. As a breast surgeon, Dr. Heck says “I’d still want to examine any breast cancer patient who develops a swollen lymph node, just to be sure it’s not a sign that the cancer has returned.” If you’re a breast cancer survivor who has not yet been vaccinated, Dr. Heck suggests you get the vaccine in the arm on the opposite side of your body from the cancerous breast. “That way, if your lymph nodes become swollen, it will help your doctor to better determine the possible cause.”

If you’ve had cancer in both breasts, Dr. Heck recommends you get the vaccine in your thigh instead of your arm.

What NOT To Do

“Don’t skip the vaccine because you’re worried about swollen lymph nodes,” Dr. Heck emphasizes. “I recommend that everyone get the vaccine.” 

And, swollen lymph nodes or not, please don’t let the virus or vaccine delay your annual mammogram, he adds. “The vaccine, or swollen lymph nodes, won’t change the image of your breast tissue during a mammogram. If you want to wait a few weeks after your second vaccine to get your mammogram, that’s fine. But definitely don’t skip it!”

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See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.

Sources: Thomas Heck, MD, Gem City Surgeons; WKYC News

• breast cancer
• Coronavirus
• COVID-19
• COVID-19 vaccine
• lump after COVID-19 vaccine
• lump in armpit
• mammogram
• Premier Health
• swollen lymph nodes after vaccine
• Thomas A. Heck. MD