About 4-5 weeks ago, the lymph nodes on my neck were swollen. It caused me so much pain just to move my neck. I also sometimes experienced sharp pain around my collarbones and a bit below them. One night, I was breathless and couldn’t complete my sentences, but it went away the next day. Just last week, they have shrunk, but I can still slightly feel them there. Around the same time my lymph nodes swelled, I developed a mild cough and constant tickling in my throat, so I was thinking that I was coming down with a cold. However, I didn’t show any symptoms except the cough.

Now, I still have the mild coughing. Sometimes I wake up at night coughing. It’s also pretty bad for a minute when I wake up in the morning. Two days ago, I woke up twice from chest pain; it felt like someone was squeezing really hard in the middle of my chest or something. I’m not sure how long it lasted though because the next thing i knew, my mom woke me up. I think I might also be a bit breathless during the day and I guess I’m also feeling a bit tight-chested.
-mta41

Answered by: Maria/MDHealthForum.com Team

The lymphatic system interacts with the blood circulatory system to drain fluid from cells and tissues. The lymph, or fluid in the lymphatic system travels through lymph nodes where foreign particles are filtered. The lymph nodes are very important for the body’s immune system because they produce antibodies and cells that fight infections. During periods of illness, these cells become active and fight the disease.

Lymphadenopathy - swelling of the lymph node, could be a reaction to an infection or may also be due to abnormal cell proliferation in non-infectious conditions such as Hodgkin’s disease. If infection is the underlying cause, the nodes are usually painful and tender to touch- just like what you have experienced, it may also be accompanied by other symptoms like fever and sore throat. The area where the lymph nodes are swollen sometimes gives a clue in identifying which disease is causing the symptom. Swelling of lymph nodes in the neck (cervical lymphadenopathy) is usually caused by viral and bacterial infections. Patients with infections such as pulmonary tuberculosis, scarlet fever and pharyngitis experience this type of lymphadenopthy. Even if you’ve noticed that the swelling has decreased, you still have to be examined by a physician to find out what has been causing your respiratory symptoms: chest tightness and prolonged cough. Chronic cough is commonly experienced by patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. To identify the cause of prolonged cough, doctors usually request for posterior- anterior and lateral chest x-rays. Diagnostic procedures to evaluate lung function may also be ordered. Tuberculin skin test and sputum culture may be done in addition to standard chest x-rays if your doctor would suspect tuberculosis; procedures will all depend on your doctor’s assessment. This blog entry is based on general information. Only your physician can give you the exact diagnosis based on reported symptoms, physical examination and test results.