Why Do Lymph Nodes Swell Up When You're Sick?

Your lymphatic system plays an essential role in keeping you healthy, but how exactly does it work?
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The lymphatic system is incredibly important when it comes to maintaining a balanced amount of fluid around our bodies. Lymph nodes act like checkpoints around our bodies, constantly policing fluid taken from the blood to make sure everything’s okay.
The lymphatic system is a network of lymph vessels that also includes larger organs like the spleen, thymus, and tonsils, and one of the lymphatic system's main jobs is to drain fluid from the cardiovascular system and act like an emergency overflow channel.
And while that's the first job of our lymphatic systen, taking care of fluid balance. The lymphatic system also plays a supporting role in the immune system. And without our lymphatic system, our immune response would be entirely different.
In this episode of Human, Patrick explores what makes the lymphatic system so important, and dives into why our lymph nodes seem to only rear their ugly heads when we get sick.
#lymphnodes #lymphatic #humanbody #immunesystem #health #skeleton #seeker #human #science #physiology
Read More:
Lymphatic system
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...
“Your body's lymphatic system is part of your immune system, which protects you against infection and disease. The lymphatic system includes your spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and lymph channels, as well as your tonsils and adenoids.”
Lymphatic System: Facts, Functions & Diseases
www.livescience.com/26983-lym...
“The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. The primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a fluid containing infection-fighting white blood cells, throughout the body.”
The lymphatic system and cancer
www.cancerresearchuk.org/what...
“The lymphatic system is a system of thin tubes and lymph nodes that run throughout the body. These tubes are called lymph vessels or lymphatic vessels. The lymph system is an important part of our immune system.”
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This Seeker health miniseries will dive deep into the cellular structures, human systems, and overall anatomy that work together to keep our bodies going. Using the visual structure and quick pacing of Seeker’s Sick series, these human bio-focused episodes will give a new audience an inside look on what’s happening inside all of us.
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[@Seeker]

Hi Seekers, thanks for watching! For more on all things health and the human body, check out our playlist here: bit.ly/sk-health

[@gehadibrahim4205]

(the human heart in the glorious quran) science has recently proven that the human heart is as sentient as the human brain, if not much more, as it has its own form of intelligence. Not only this, but it has been proven experimentally that the human heart does influence the brain's thinking capacity, and hence its physical capability of accepting, comprehending and storing knowledge. It has also been proven that the human heart communicates with both the brain and the rest of the human body neurologically (through the nervous system), biophysically (through pulse waves), biochemically (through certain hormones), and electromagnetically (through energetic waves). The human heart's electromagnetic field is the most powerful rhythmic field produced by the human body. It envelopes every cell in that body, and extends out in all directions into the space surrounding it, as an important carrier of information. The recently discovered human heart -brain synchronization (or the so-called Cardiac Coherence) has become an established fact, proving that the human heart's activity influences that of the brain, and that the heart has its own form of intelligence. Cardiac intelligence can process information about its body as well as its surroundings. This takes place through an "info- energetic code" in the form of a profuse network of blood vessels and cells that serve as energy information gathering and distributing system, recently termed "the heart code" by Paul Pearsall. The human heart is mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an (132) times, Allah says in the quran "Have they not travelled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to understand and ears wherewith to hear? Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind". (Surah Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage): 46). And also says "Do they not then think deeply in the Qur’an, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?" (Surah Muhammad: 24). For the Noble Qur'an to spell out this fact more than 14 centuries ago is a living testimony to both its divine origin and the correct Prophethood of the noble messenger who had received it.

[@eddyvideostar]

To Seeker: Great video: Question: Does washing clothes by hand cause any dyes or toxins to enter the body through the skin, causing any weird sensations?

[@ishadow6044]

What about swollen lymph nodes in armpit

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Our lymphatic system is very fascinating, the fact that there's a micro universe that's constantly active inside us is pretty mind boggling

[@bananabreadguy7960]

Ah yes, fascinating.

[@SahilP2648]

Watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eITcoYiMa7aIhNk

[@overhaul-2428]

Dude you are everywhere. Who are you and what are you like?

[@jcalcantara3216]

Its you again...

[@jrrrrrrr4205]

This guy is just everywhere even im just curious about my health

[@rogerbalkissoon1044]

Great video. One thing to emphasize is that the lymphatic system doesn't have its own pump (like the heart for the cardiovascular system). The main pump or way of moving things through the lymphatic system is by moving skeletal muscle. In other words: stay healthy by walking and moving more throughout the day

[@littlewitchParker3]

Can I just say that I'm taking an online course about human anatomy & physiology and right now I'm finishing learning about the lymphatic system. Soon I will be taking the quiz so you made the video during the perfect time. Thank you! I will use this video to help me pass the quiz.

[@Seeker]

We are so happy to hear you found our video helpful! Good luck on your quiz, and if you're looking for more health and human body-related videos, check out our playlist here: bit.ly/sk-health and as always, thanks for watching!

[@springbok4015]

Where are you taking the course? I’m quite interested.

[@littlewitchParker3]

@@springbok4015 it's on Khan Academy.

[@Raceway.]

Stay safe out there everyone! Please wash your hands and stay home! We will get through it! 😌.

[@TheFatblob25]

This is absolutely fascinating... I had no idea there was an entire system of lymphatic vessels in addition to blood vessels. Makes so much more sense to me now.

[@ZeeshanAli-nh1in]

I absolutely love this series bcoz it shows us how complex our system are and how every organ perform their task it's amazing. So appreciate the Maker.

[@joeljimenez1570]

Hearing 3 LITERS made me happy. Thank you for using the metric system!

[@Ninth_Penumbra]

Excellent. More detailed than I was expecting & no dumbing-down.

[@dakshbadal7522]

Teens: I wanna die. Lymphatic system:

[@morkovija]

This was incredibly packed with knowledge and i thoroughly enjoyed scaling down the playback speed =)

[@bannanateam]

Lymph nodes may become an enemy when someone is diagnosed with the most hated disease, Cancer.

[@vit_armin]

nope, the body would never go against itself. It's always trying to self heal. allopathic medicine is the real enemy

[@bannanateam]

@@vit_armin there's partial truth in what you said. Alas, the body is not as smart as you think it is.

[@user-kd3ot8rx1r]

A great video to make simple and easy to understand the body system👍

[@shaminoranger8588]

That was a wonderful explanation! Thankyou so much.

[@Darkone342]

Love this series thank you

[@Noneblue39]

Thats neat to know that it’s more complicated! I noticed the neck lymph nodes often

[@constantin58]

This is amazing, i had no idea this system existed like that.

[@Butterfly-444]

I really enjoyed this! Thank you very simplified

[@bobenchorben]

Awesome video. Thanks!

[@khairilfaiz1914]

great video~ thank you

[@user-bc1sw6sk1w]

I'm watching this while having swollen lymph nodes and it's fvking painful when you have to sneeze, cough or trying to get up

[@meninsilau]

You could apply warm (±40°C) thing in that node to help immune cell to win the fight.

[@rishabhsharma7701]

I also have big swollen lymph , I m afraid that it is cancerous or not 🥺

[@ryanmiller5810]

@@rishabhsharma7701 update?

[@ryanmiller5810]

How do you feel?

[@Uraharakisuke10]

@@rishabhsharma7701 how r u

[@johncarlcrisostomo6004]

It's a relief thanks!

[@hazard1024]

When I was 15 my parents wouldn't take me to the hospital because we were broke. I had bumps all over me in a spider web. That was the most painful week of my life. No congestion no mucus just bumps and a headache. I pushed on one and it was excruciating. #1 most pain I experienced.

[@user-gd5yt2gn6r]

Thank you very much. good

[@h7opolo]

3:47 water snake, i've been thinking about that toy lately, funny you should mention it. 2:36 also, that valve/pump structure is bio-mimetical for an efficient device.

[@robbes7rh]

Is there anything more complex yet unified in purpose than the various systems of the human body? Amazing, for all animals, but ours a little more so.

[@sebastianelytron8450]

What does the lymphatic system say to girls it meets online? Send nodes

[@mranderson2048]

lmfao

[@Master_Therion]

Doctor: Your lymph nodes are tender? Patient: No, my lymph nodes are _on_ Tinder.

[@mpred8606]

my science teacher that acts almighty reads that out as literal nudes and we we're like huh? then she says yes it nude (with a high tone) and me and my classmates we're like😟😰😂 she's talking about wave nudes

[@macdietz]

Bwahahahahaha

[@beatpapes]

@@LoanLe-dz7uw not that kind

[@pugwodo889]

Longer videos! I hate when it ends 😅😭

[@YerSiNia14]

I like your explanation!!! I learnt something newwww

[@nouadhiboufishingforce8911]

Beautiful

[@aarondelgado3421]

This video is one of many educational videos that show that there IS a design behind the human body and thus, there is a designer behind this design. This designer is no other than our God.

[@Rovsau]

I'm nervous about your next episode.

[@ayubtimbe1778]

I like you bro you open and simple. Thanks😍

[@ciscoz313]

This dude is awesome

[@knightofcydonia1192]

Nice.

[@theblackairbender]

Can’t forget that breathwork to keep a healthy lymphatic system

[@nightuniverse8314]

Ear: Infection Lymph nodes: *Ahoy*

[@sdfkjgh]

4:46 "Oh, Mr. Belpit, your legs are so swollen."

[@CheapSushi]

The jokes, bunch of filler and meandering makes Seeker videos painful to me but the information, infographics, etc are worth it.

[@macdietz]

I learned so much from this video holy balls

[@herasean5720]

I suffered lymphadenopathy and got a surgery to move the lump two weeks ago... Now I am so curious about this organ

[@guytelfer1353]

At .54 in, the graph like animation of the immune system pointing out the nodes and vessels is part of the immune system, the red in the highlighted human figure is also part of the immune system because the lymphatic system is in the mucosal and it's everywhere, not to mention it's controlled by the hypothalamus, the lymphatic system includes the mucosal, interstitial, intercellular, plasma, glands(external and internal), nasal (internal and external), olfactory, reproductive, GITract, pericardial (heart and brain), myocardial( heart and brain), salivary excretions, autonomic activities, skin ect ect.. any important material feeding the system comes from lymphatic vessels that lead to r. Atrium and or r. ventricle , most important is it's the final filtration and routing of material that leave the heart any garbage wouldn't be sent to the r. Atrium directly considering the purists of serem is sent to the bronchials through the bronchial artery.

[@johnathanabrams8434]

So what can be done to control, utilize or manipulate the lymphatic system ?

[@lavishlavon]

*i had no idea...*

[@guytelfer1353]

At 1:16 , the lymph vessels drain into the bloodstream into the vena cava

[@RevJynxed]

We have built-in Tesla valves? Neat.

[@seungwonregisyang8984]

wait are veins more elastic than arteries??? i thought it was the other way around, because arteries have a thicker elastin wall.

[@dfnuniverse2198]

AWESOME ILLUSTRATION 🖤👌✅🤗

[@user-cm7ss2rj3r]

Sorry about my comment below....it was in response to an add that popped up in the middle!

[@byron_7774]

I fell asleep outside while pretty drunk I got bitten by hundreds of mosquitos and other critters so much that my head swelled up a bit now the swelling went down but a couple of my lymph nodes are swollen around the neck thats completely normal right? My body's just fighting off the bacteria and germs from the bites? If they don't go down im going to hospital.

[@senthilkumar7341]

Please upload Lipoma Details

[@KaiseruSoze]

you should show some pictures of tonsil stones :)

[@sayhello2u]

Now i know why doctor was checking around throat. yeah ihave tonsile problems.

[@mrniceguy4277]

I'm about to graduate and get a Master's degree in Immunology. This video is just excellent.

[@RakaZet]

gluck

[@LoanLe-dz7uw]

clonesavegir.link/zo9zpQsFEOcc

[@Shadow77999]

6:35 hah, just like the military vehicle

[@dutchyluciano8932]

My lymph node are swollen around my groin but I heard it’s from inflammation and I’m just getting over costochondritis but I can’t lie , I’m kind of nervous ... oh and stay off google 🤦🏽‍♂️it’s the worst

[@danajay85]

So how do you treat it

[@Master_Therion]

4:45 Some people don't like edema, but I think it's swell.

[@mauz791]

Dammit

[@robinbucur1766]

4:31 Veins are NOT more elastic than arteries. It's the other way around. It's logical really. Why would veins be more elastic when arteries are the ones subjected to severe changes in pressure due to the pumping of the heart (systolic and diastolic pressure).

[@bbd121]

I did not know that. But I'm not a doctor, so... yeah.

[@LuckyCoinFrog]

HOW DID YOU?! I asked this question yesterday!? My Lymph is swollen under my ear and it hurts T_T

[@skyfrost1345]

LuckyCoinFrog same

[@samanthathefuturesoldier3407]

What about ones behind your ears

[@picklerick6654]

Your gut has a balanced amount of fluid around its body.

[@skulluckid4390]

Wonderful and amazing how some older therapeutic holistic practices could help manipulate the lymphatic system and nodes to recover from poor efficiency (i.e. jin shin jyutsu), even in areas where science had no previous knowledge of (i.e. the brain, thanks to Seeker for reporting this discovery).

[@rokdergamer2923]

0:52 could you give it back to me?

[@aaronramsden1657]

More graphics would be nice, while he explains what's going on

[@wotuwant201]

Oh

[@carterh2699]

Funny opening because my feet and other parts swell up ridiculously after I get sick, and it sucks, feels like I’m getting stabbed constantly in those spots

[@JohnComeOnMan]

This chap is fighting early-onset moobage.

[@pnksounds]

best fix fir that is a ton of exercise

[@NGC-catseye]

@John No Way. He’s just super buff. If he took his shirt off we would know for sure.

[@LoanLe-dz7uw]

clonesavegir.link/fVSkbevAq0Ac

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

Because of BPAs in plastics we drink water & soft drinks from mimic estrogen (especially the hops in beer), GMOs in the food we eat is literally poison, growth hormones in meats that make people gain weight excessively.

[@alec7572]

Watching with very swollen lymph nodes on my neck

[@Anilkumar-uy6eh]

How is it now

[@user-my6kq7zd4g]

name one disease process that benefits from the Lymphatic system working properly Avatar image

[@alexdg7755]

I miss Trace so much

[@moedalgarny]

human body is like..univers 😐 wow

[@earlbeden8946]

Why did you not mention thee Glymphatic system?

[@YetMorePlaying]

You can tell my body is fighting some nasty strep throat, I have two golf balls under my jaw.

[@DonMarzzoni]

Short answer: Evolution. Just saved you 8 minutes of your time.

[@mistyaaa]

I had a swollen lymph node in my neck for about 3 weeks. I couldn't figure out why it was happening. It would flare up and go back down again. Didn't eat anything out of the ordinary. Does it have any connection to the corona virus? Anyone experience this? It has gone back to normal size now.

[@spirituallyconscious7774]

How big did it get?

[@mistyaaa]

@@spirituallyconscious7774 Probably the size of a brussels sprouts. It hasn't come back since.

[@spirituallyconscious7774]

@@mistyaaa How long did it take for it to shrink? And did you take any antibiotics?

[@mistyaaa]

@@spirituallyconscious7774 I didn't take any antibiotics. It took about a good month for it to go away.

[@abhilashkrishnan1693]

Ah... Experiencing it just now.. It's about 2 days only.. It's summer time and extremely hot here in East India. I am also looking for the reason for this. I recall having very less water to drink for two days, as our water filter needed repairs. Lymphatic system has link with water. Do you recall anything that may be the culprit?

[@yodamaster757]

I shouldn’t have had breakfast while watching this

[@robinbucur1766]

You could have just compared lymphatic vessels to veins, since they, unlike arteries, do have valves. Just saying.

[@lucasliam8238]

Sick people with cold sores “ don’t worry we can drink from the bottle we are already both sick”

[@philsophkenny]

🤯

[@yibyobs]

And I believe lymph can save the world...

[@beowulf2772]

My lymph nodes always swelling

[@WVU.STEELERS.CELTICS]

Same, freaks me out all the time. The one in my left jaw is always swollen

[@1Animeculture]

It simply means your immune system is working very well. But if they keep being swollen there could be an infection somewhere. I had a wound on my finger at some point and i noticed the lymph node closest to were the one in my armpit and it was swollen alot. At first i thought it were an awkward pimple but later i knew it was because of said wound

[@WoutieX]

@@WVU.STEELERS.CELTICS Mine on right jaw is always swollen.

[@WVU.STEELERS.CELTICS]

@@WoutieX Gives me comfort that I'm not the only one with the problem I just wish I knew what it was, it being cancerous is my biggest fear because it's been happening for a super long time, years of time. I'm never sick when it happens either, I have decent allergies if that would cause it but I have no clue.

[@olivermj69]

Same

[@santhoshwagle9857]

i am not a theist but i can't imagine that this much complex system was developed on is own.... i really can't get my head around...

[@mohammedzaid9806]

You can't even imagine what brought the energy into universe when it can neither be destroyed nor can be created or what caused the perfect balance between matter and antimatter resulting in matter rich Universe . Science is one of the forms of understanding universe not the ultimate truth . I find it funny when a science student laughs at Religious person because he is following something which he hasn't seen , irony is that the science student believes many theories which no one have witnessed

[@santhoshwagle9857]

@@mohammedzaid9806 exactly... Be it science or religion, one should question everything, apply his mind and should be aware that nobody knows exactly what the truth is.... Shouldn't believe everything blindly...

[@rautiramanrajak6502]

Can you make this video in hindi plzzz plzzz plzzz

[@andrewcox8807]

The answer is yes. When you’re sick enough.

[@theykilledjoel1496]

DIDNT GRADUATE HIGHSCHOOL BUT I KNEW ALMOST ALL THIS READ BOOKS EVERYONE U CAN MAKE YOURSELF SMART. You can teach yourself carpentry, coding, mechanics from reading and practice learn skills learn a language become an interpreter

[@JulioVargas-ok5st]

When do the lymph nodes stop swelling

[@nickolasjeffrey5866]

Don't some animals like lungfishes, amphibians, reptiles, and flightless birds have lymphatic hearts but we humans don't have them

[@johnsaltzohuigin6660]

If you don't wash between your toes they'll swell up in your hip.

[@k.a.p.x3642]

So like a Tesla valve

[@KJ-ue9mx]

Mines is 4cm rn

[@acemanhomer1]

Don't do a b!tch move, and I won't do a snitch move.- Macrophage #1

[@user-cm7ss2rj3r]

Please tell my why I can find this online for £8? and on Amazon for £20.00 if your original price is £169.00? mmmm

[@publicserviceannouncements2103]

I'll give this presenter a pass for now, good presentation and calm but upbeat voice. But Ive got my eye on you Seeker!

[@the_hanged_clown]

4:02 if you grew up in the 90s you should know you look like a chubby Tim Allen on his way to becoming Santa in that shirt

[@sarikatimmi]

sillies out there saying the urinary tract was the drainage system

[@_lux_aeterna_]

💯✅👍😷

[@BikeIsLife4EverGG]

cool shit

[@CorbiniteVids]

I am simple guy. I click for handsome man, stay for fun facts

[@tz2159]

Tt

[@TheTheiceking]

yea, no shit...