A 5-year-old child may develop lymphadenopathy during illness - in fact, the gland can swell to twice its normal size. Bacterial infections and viral infections can lead to swollen lymph nodes. Although swollen lymph nodes are not contagious, they are usually symptoms of a communicable condition, such as a cold, which may require your child to miss school. If the swelling persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as a fever, please contact your doctor.
A health doctor is examining a sick boy. (Photo: oneblink-cj / iStock / Getty Images) Lymph nodes are all over the body. You can feel the neck, groin, armpits, behind the ears, the back of the head, and the lymph nodes below the chin and lower jaw. As the art of the p-immune system, they help protect your child from viral and bacterial infections and other foreign substances. "Swelling glands" usually refer to swollen lymph nodes. If the patient is a 5-year-old child, those tumors that are more than 0.4 inches in diameter or approximately nickel are considered to be swollen.
Causes
Lymph node enlargement is a symptom of your child's immune system against infection. In many cases, the gland on one side of the body may be larger than the corresponding gland on the other side. When the gland is swollen to between 0.5 and 1 inch, this is usually a symptom of a viral infection. Bacterial infection is a more likely cause when the gland is more than 1 inch in diameter. Common respiratory infections in children often occur with glands that swollen in the neck.
Nursing
If your 5-year-old child has swollen lymph nodes with a cold, sore throat, fever or other signs. After the infection, she can return to school once other symptoms disappear. If symptoms persist, certain infections, such as ear or skin infections, colds, flu and abscesses, may require treatment. Two to four weeks after the end of the infection, the lymph nodes will return to normal size.
Warning
A swollen lymph node in a 5-year-old child may also indicate a serious condition such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or cancer. If your child is seriously ill or has difficulty breathing and is having difficulty swallowing or drinking, please contact your doctor immediately. Other conditions require immediate medical attention, including a fever of more than 104 degrees, no fever after two hours of treatmentThere are any signs of improvement; the lymph nodes increase rapidly within a few hours; and the skin on the glands is red. Do not squeeze the swollen nodes as doing so may affect their ability to retract. If the node is more than 1 inch in diameter, call your doctor.
