Medical Questions » Glands Questions » Question No. 419
| Question: | What are the glands in your neck? Mine keep coming up and getting sore every time I get a cold. Is this normai? |
| Answer: | The ' glands' in the neck are really lymph nodes. They are collections of millions of infection-fighting white cells held together by a network of fibrous tisstie. They are scattered throughout the body, but dense concentrations of them occur at vital areas to prevent infections from entering the main part of rhe body from the arms, legs and throat.
The arms and legs are more likely to be injured than the trunk, and therefore more likely to be infected, and the nose and throat are the body openings most commonly invaded by viruses and bacteria. This is why concentrations of lymph nodes in the neck, armpit and groin are so critical to our wellbeing.
All these lymph nodes, in different parts of the body, are joined together by an incredibly fine, intricate network of tiny tubes called lymph ducts. Waste products caused by the work and activity of tissue in all parts of the body, including the arms and legs, move along these lymph ducts, which slowly grow larger as they join up, and finally empty into a large vein near the heart. The wastes are transported rhrough the bloodstream to the kidneys and liver for final disposal.
It is quite normal for lymph nodes to become swollen and painful when you have an infection, as they are doing their job of destroying the viruses and bacteria that are causing your infection. If they don' t settle in a couple of days, they may need some assistance in the form of antibiotics, to finish the job.
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