Swollen glands pertain to the enlargement of lymph nodes found at the back of the head, armpit, groin, neck, under the jaw, along the chin, and behind the ears. A swelling gland is usually a symptom of infection, inflammation, or an abscess in the lymph node areas. The other glands that can be susceptible to infections are the parotid glands, tear glands, thyroid glands, salivary glands, and tonsils gland.
What are the Causes of Swollen Glands?
The lymph nodes play an essential part in fighting off infections, germs, and other foreign substance. However, when your immune system is weak, the germs successfully penetrate the body causing varied infections to materialize. The usual causes of swollen glands are the following:
- Mouth sores
- Ear infection
- Impacted tooth or abscess
- Flu
- Colds
- Tuberculosis
- Tonsillitis
- Certain cancers especially leukemia
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Gingivitis
- HIV
- Autoimmune disorders
- Skin infections
- Side effects of medication and vaccination
How Can I treat My Swollen Glands?
Swollen glands can be treated at home with simple and organic remedies that do not usually require expenses. Normally the pain and soreness disappear after two to three days even without treatment. However, the swelling will not disappear for a few weeks until the infection is totally healed. For management, you can take the following methods:
- Take plenty of rest. Most swollen glands are due to viral infection. To heal the infection, it would be essential for you take complete rest to allow your body to recuperate and for your immune system to fight off the microorganism causing the swollen glands
- Frequently drink lukewarm water with fresh juice of lemon laced with a teaspoon of honey.This solution is known to be effective in fighting off infection because honey has strong antibacterial properties while the lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, which is best for boosting the immune system.
- Lightly massage the swollen area with slight pressure application. The light massage will improve blood circulation to speed up the healing process.
- You can also treat the swollen glands and lessen the pain with alternate hydro therapy. Take two basins of water, one for warm water and the other for cold water. Get two towels and soak each of them on separate basins. Alternately apply hot and cold compress on the affected areas.