What Does A Matted Lymph Node Feel Like

Swollen lymph nodes usually occur as a result of infection from bacteria or viruses.

What does a matted lymph node feel like.

Lymph nodes that are around 1 2 inch or bigger aren t normal. This includes things like athlete s foot and sexually transmitted infections. I got it checked when it first came up and the doctor said it was small and nothing to worry about and i forgot about it and recently i scratched rhe area and felt it again for the first time in a little while and i noted the size and texture hadn. Lymph nodes are small bean shaped glands that help our bodies fight infection and cancer as part of the lymphatic system.

I ve had one pea sized sometimes slightly smaller than a pea node in the posterior cervical area for coming up on three years after a flu like bug. The skin over them should not be red irritated or warm. Lymph nodes are oval shaped organs found in numerous parts of the body. The lymph nodes that you got to worry about however are going to be the ones that are matted that are large more than say maybe a half inch around and they don t move very well.

Cancer cells can travel through the lymph system after breaking away from the initial tumor leading them to the lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes in the groin could be due to many different conditions including infections of the lower body. Your lymph nodes also called lymph glands play a vital role in your body s ability to fight off infections. Swollen lymph nodes rarely indicate cancer according to the merck manual home edition.

What is classed as rubbery or matted lymph nodes. In fact among those patients who present with enlarged lymph nodes less than 1 percent have cancer. A fluid called lymph consisting of water white blood cells damaged cells bacteria proteins and fats travels through the lymphatic system and the damaged cells and bacteria are filtered and removed by the lymph nodes. A group of nodes that feels connected and seems to move as a unit is said to be matted nodes that are matted can be either benign e g tuberculosis sarcoidosis or lymphogranuloma.

They shouldn t feel hard or rubbery and you should be able to move them. How do they feel and if their matted does that mean lots close together answered by dr. Infections are the most common cause of swollen lymph nodes particularly upper respiratory infections and infections in the tissues close to the affected.