What could swollen lymph nodes and sore throat be a sign of?

Infection: Lymph nodes help to remove toxins in your body. They will enlarge with infection, toxin exposure, cancer, some autoimmune diseases. There are also other, less common, causes. The most likely cause of your combined symptoms is a throat infection or allergy causing sinus drainage

Check for strep: One key thing not to miss for a new sore throat with lymph node swelling is strep throat. It can present without fever or white patches, especially in adults. It will go away without treatment, but then you may develop rheumatic heart disease or other complications if it is not treated within 10 days from the start of symptoms. So get a rapid strep test (70-90% acc.) and/or culture (100% accurate