What do normal lymph nodes feel like?

[BrokenGirl]

What do underarm lymph nodes feel like?
I've just been freaking out a bit all day, comparing my 2 armpits and I can feel the nodes in one armpit a lot easier than the other?
If a lymph node is swollen is it very obvious? Does it feel hard? How big should it be? Can you see swollen nodes just by looking at the skin?

I'm trying my best not to freak out cause I've seen people here go down the lymph node road and it truly is horrible.

Just looking for some advice and other people's opinions....

[Fishmanpa]

Let's just say it would be apparent something was off. Stop poking and prodding! You're making something out of nothing and ultimately, you'll end up with nothing.

Positive thoughts

[sportboy]

All my lymph nodes are hard. May be because I'm really muscular but I can see my nodes in my armpits and back. My nodes are smaller in neck and head and really big in groin area.

[DREAMER05]

My armpit lymph nodes swell up every month when I PMS (due to breast tissue that extends there). Particularly under one arm.

I've also had one or two swell up occasionally and they go back down. If you still notice it in a few weeks then make an appt with your doctor. No biggie! I also have permanently swollen lymph nodes in my neck from when I had mono nearly ten years ago. I've had them checked out by the doctor and it's totally normal.

[BrokenGirl]

I'm starting to get obsessed about this now and it's annoying and stressing me that I'm getting sucked into the lymph node saga.
I don't even know if what I'm feeling is a lymph node or something else. That alone is frightening me. And if they are nodes is it possible that they can be very findable in one armpit and not the other?
I know we are not symmetrical but I would have thought that if you can feel nodes in one armpit then they would feel more or less the same in the other one.... Or am I completely wrong? One thing is for sure - I'm no doctor!

[Fishmanpa]

I'm starting to get obsessed about this now and it's annoying and stressing me that I'm getting sucked into the lymph node saga.
I don't even know if what I'm feeling is a lymph node or something else. That alone is frightening me. And if they are nodes is it possible that they can be very findable in one armpit and not the other?
I know we are not symmetrical but I would have thought that if you can feel nodes in one armpit then they would feel more or less the same in the other one.... Or am I completely wrong? One thing is for sure - I'm no doctor!


Let's just say it would be apparent something was off. Stop poking and prodding! You're making something out of nothing and ultimately, you'll end up with nothing.

Positive thoughts

[BrokenGirl]

I appreciate the previous responses but I just can't get this out of my head.
In my left armpit I can feel a lump, possibly 2 or 3 close together, I'm not sure.
And it's only the very odd time I can feel something similar in my right armpit and it's never as big. How do we know if something is a lump that needs to checked out asap or if it is one or two normal lymph nodes?
My head is wrecked from this. I don't want to go running to the doctor if I'm being silly. I just don't know what to do.
Has anyone been in a similar situation or have advice on what they think I should do.

[BrokenGirl]

There's no improvement today in the way it feels. If anything I think it feels a little bigger.
I've made an appointment with the doctor and I'm going on Friday. This is really getting to me. I just don't know if I'm being crazy and overreacting or not. My husband thinks I'm mad but he's the complete opposite to me when it comes to HA.
I'm just so scared for Friday that she'll say we need to look into it further, or even come back in a month and we'll see if it's changed. She's a new doctor as well so that's no helping me either.
I can't believe I'm so stressed again about health. I'm beginning to think I'll always be like this until finally I'm told some bad news......

[DREAMER05]

How long have they been there?

[BrokenGirl]

How long have they been there?

I only noticed them about a week ago so honestly I don't know.
I was feeling around in my armpit in a way that I never feel it. I check my armpits and breasts every month but I put my hand up behind my head when I do that. And if I do that now I can't feel them. It's only if my arm is out and my hand is on or near my hip I can feel them, if that makes sense.

[Limeslime]

Hi!
I know this is an old post but if OP is still around, can I ask if you ever got closure on this? I have an identical problem right now!
A little, round, movable lump under my armpit which I think is probably a lymph node. If it is, then it’s not a swollen size, but worried as I don’t know whether or not this needs checked out
We’re bombarded with breast cancer campaigns that say all lumps in breast and undrarm should be checked out but I don’t wanna waste my doctors time (again) if this is just a friendly little lymph node

[Clarice1]

I have large, small lymph nodes all over my neck (and under one arm). Normal lymph nodes can feel like a lot of things.
In my case I had a round moveable lump under my arm which was scanned and was a normal reactive node.
If it makes you feel any better I had cancer in my lymph nodes in my 20s and they did not feel in any way the way you describe - they were absolutely huge and stuck, did not move at all and were not circular, it is kins of hard to explain but I just KNEW something was up, I'm fine now by the way! (well apart from health anxiety lol)

[BrokenGirl]

Hi!
I know this is an old post but if OP is still around, can I ask if you ever got closure on this? I have an identical problem right now!
A little, round, movable lump under my armpit which I think is probably a lymph node. If it is, then it’s not a swollen size, but worried as I don’t know whether or not this needs checked out
We’re bombarded with breast cancer campaigns that say all lumps in breast and undrarm should be checked out but I don’t wanna waste my doctors time (again) if this is just a friendly little lymph node

Hi, I just came back to the forum today as I've been good for months with my HA but unfortunately it's back again.
But that lump or whatever i was feeling in my armpit was absolutely nothing.
I went to the doctor and wasted her time as usual.........