hello, i think i have a swollen lymph node but its been there for over a year now. It started when my boyfriend gave me a hickey back in march 2010. I thought it would go away but it hasn t. However, it sometimes shrinks (but i could still feel it under my skin) and on other day it goes back to its swollen size .
Dear I can understand your concern. I would like to inform you that lymph nodes are the site for killing of infectious agents. So if there is any infection they need to work more and more and in response they get enlarged. As the infection subsides lymph nodes also decrease in size. They have a normal size and may be palpable normally also. This size vary for different groups of nodes. For example size of 1 cm is normal for lymph nodes around neck and size of up to 2 cm is normal for inguinal lymph nodes. They are also increased if there is any lymph node malignancies etc. In my opinion if you think it abnormal and is increasing in size or painful then you should consult to your physician for expert opinion. Hope this will help you.  If you have any other concerns please feel free to message me.  Thanks for contacting Chat Doctor.