Question

Can a person’s lymph nodes hurt?

Answer 1

The lymph nodes are also known as a lymph gland. We are able to understand that lymph nodes are present all over the body, and there are around 450 of them present in an average adult body. It is responsible for keeping the body healthy as it is a crucial part of our immune systems. Lymph nodes along with other lymphatic vessels form white blood cells, who are responsible for protecting the human body.

Complete answer:
Yes lymph nodes can hurt if they are swollen, it is a condition called lymphadenitis. But before knowing how they swell we need to know the real function of lymph nodes. Our body has its own way of fighting diseases; this function is performed by our body’s immune system. We must be clear that an important part of our immune system is the lymphatic system.

The lymphatic system is made up of different vessels like our spleen and lymph nodes. When the spleen detects some microorganism which is harmful to our body like virus or bacteria, they with the help of lymph nodes together create the white blood cells who are the real fighters in our immune system.

Now that we have seen the function of lymph nodes, it will be easier to understand how they swell. Since lymph nodes are linked to all parts of our body so when they detect an infection due to virus or bacteria, they tend to swell up, that is grow bigger. So if lymph nodes hurt, it is because it has detected an infection ranging from a minor throat infection to even deadly diseases like cancer. The inflammatory nodes also prove that the body is fighting against your sickness as it swells up.

Note: We know that a person’s appendix is quite useless, but even though it has no particular function, a shocking fact is that it is actually there in our lymphatic system. So our appendix is the part that fights the infections near our intestines. Before the bacteria enters our intestine, the appendix with its lymphoid tissue, is capable of destroying microorganisms. It is also a place that can store the good bacteria which is necessary for our bodies.