A 32-year-old member asked:
What are the causes of extremely painful groin lymph nodes?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Michael Milleranswered
Wound care 37 years experience
Monitoring Centers: The lymphatic system absorbs and carries things too big to go into the arteries and veins like bacteria eaten by white cells and digested food. A lymph node "tastes" the lymph to see if anything bad is there like bacteria, viruses, cancers, etc. When it detects a problem, it alerts the immune system and enlarges in response to the inflammation they create when they react. They may be painful.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 31-year-old member asked:
What size are the lymph nodes in the groin?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Michael Milleranswered
Wound care 37 years experience
All small sizes: Lymphatic system absorbs/carries things too big to go into the arteries/veins like bacteria eaten by white cells and digested food. Lymph nodes "taste" the lymph for anything bad like bacteria/viruses/cancers, etc. When it detects a problem, it alerts the immune system and your body reacts. They enlarge in response to the inflammation they create when they react. They shrink when all is well.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Can you feel lymph nodes in your groin?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Michael Milleranswered
Wound care 37 years experience
Monitoring Centers: Lymphatic system absorbs/carries things too big to go into the arteries/veins like bacteria eaten by white cells and digested food. Lymph nodes "taste" the lymph for anything bad like bacteria/viruses/cancers, etc. When it detects a problem, it alerts the immune system and your body reacts. They enlarge in response to the inflammation they create when they react. They shrink when all is well.
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 19, 2013
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