Hello everyone!

First off I should apologize if this has been done before or if i'm crossing the line with this, but there are so many threads popping up about lymph nodes and it seems to be an extremely common trigger for health anxiety.

I was one of these people and while my general anxiety levels are still extremely high, the lymph node panic has calmed down after looking at the facts.

Since a lot of people seem to be struggling with this, I thought it might be a good idea to compile some useful information about what lymph nodes actually do and why the worst scenario is almost certainly not the most likely. Please bear in mind that like most here i'm not a doctor and any changes to your body should be checked by a medical professional, this is simply to try and prevent people from falling down the rabbit hole regarding this very common complaint.

So...what are lymph nodes?

Without going into too much detail, lymph nodes (sometimes called glands) are the body's defense system against disease and infection. When you get sick, injured or otherwise have a nasty in your body, the lymph nodes are there to get rid of it. They trap the nasty stuff and dispose of it with white blood cells. When this happens, the lymph nodes swell up.

Swollen lymph nodes are your body's way of telling you "Hey, I caught a nasty thing going around here but don't worry, i'm dealing with it." or if you wish to see it in a humorous way, it's the equivalent of a bouncer at a night club. "Sorry mate, can't let you in with trainers."

So...what is actually causing them to swell?

So now we've established why they swell, what kinds of things can cause it? Obviously the thing every HA sufferer jumps to is "Oh no, what is this? Something is wrong here!"

But...the likelyhood of it being anything sinister is rather slim when you consider how sensitive these lymph nodes can be. You may not even be feeling unwell, perhaps a dry scratchy throat is all it takes for that little nodule on your neck to pop out and say hello.

Infection, injury to muscle/skin/bone, colds, flu, anxiety, tooth and gum problems...I think you see where i'm going with this.

"But Mindprison!" I hear you cry "How do I know if my glands are swollen because of something serious? Should I google and tick off my symptoms?"

NO! I know the temptation might be there but please do not google ANY medical condition because you'll terrify yourself. Google cannot diagnose you, WE members at NMP cannot diagnose you and you cannot diagnose yourself, none of us are doctors! If you have concerns, see your doctor and place your trust in them. I cannot stress this enough, you must put your faith in your doctor, they went to med school for a long time and they know what is normal and what isn't.

The doctor isn't concerned, but I am!

Some of you may be at this stage. You've seen your doctor but you've already worried yourself to the point of despair, certain that you're about to receive some bad news.

"There's nothing to be concerned about, give them time and they'll reduce in size."

Probably not what you wanted to hear, right? You were probably hoping the doctor would gasp and immediately confirm your suspicions. Instead he recommends you get some rest and not touch them.

I can probably guess the thoughts in your head now. "You hear about misdiagnosis all the time, this must be one of them!" or "Nothing to be concerned about? But I looked it up and..."

This leads to the rabbit hole. You poke and prod at the nodes which only irritates them more and can lead to them becoming permanently swollen (shotty). This in turn causing you SEVERE anxiety to the point you begin to feel every little ache, change and niggle in your body. This only fuels your catastrophic thoughts that you must have something seriously wrong with you. You start googling frantically for hours every day, seeing new afflictions that you've tricked yourself into believing you have. You become frustrated because the doctor isn't taking you seriously and now...no matter how much reassurance you get, you're stuck because you can't believe a word the doctor tells you, no matter how many tests you go for you simply cannot believe that you don't have something wrong with you.

But...you DO have something wrong with you. You have health anxiety. And that comes with its own host of physical and mental symptoms. So you see...you DO have something wrong with you, but you're so focused on the thing that you DON'T have that you aren't getting help with what you DO have.

Reassurance does not work, I can promise you that. Until you cure the underlying problem which is your Health Anxiety, you will NEVER be satisfied with the reassurance of doctors, family, friends or even forum members. Sure, you might feel better for a few days...but then you feel a bump and...*gasp* "I knew it...something is wrong!" and so the cycle begins anew.

It's not all doom and gloom

I shall bring this very lengthy post to a close by clarifying a few things. To anyone who is going through this problem or indeed, any health anxiety problem, I have these words for you.

I understand. You might think I don't, but I truly do understand. Lymph nodes kick started my health anxiety after having no problem with it for 8 years. I'm in the biggest rut i've ever been in all because of my health anxiety...but i'm getting help. And that's the important part, you NEED to get help because waiting too long only allows the seed to be sown in your mind and before you know it, you've wasted years worrying about nothing.

I in no way intend for anything written here to cause upset, harm or feel like they're being judged or made to look like their problems aren't being taken seriously. I only want you to learn from my experiences and my mistakes so that you don't have to go through the mental torment that I have over the last 8 months.

Just remember that somewhere out there, there is always someone who understands and cares. I know with all my heart that this community we have here truly cares and is rooting for every single one of you.

Apologies for the long post but I sincerely hope that someone can find some comfort in my words and I hope anyone in the dark finds the light soon!

Oh! And please feel free to add to the thread or let me know if any of my information is inaccurate or inappropriate, I tried really hard to put my thoughts down but I really don't want to find out that something I said wasn't right or could be a problem :(

All the best