Enlarged lymph nodes most often indicate that the inflammatory. The function of lymph nodes is to filter all fall within the circulatory system components. And when the lymph nodes get pathogens, it begins the active work of the lymphocytes that kill harmful bacteria. If the number of bacteria is high and they continue to proliferate, and increases the number of lymphocytes nodes begin to grow, to become inflamed, red skin over them, painful sensations appear.Inflamed lymph nodes are always great, it hurts to touch, a person can rise fixed temperature and General malaise. Red skin over the lymph node indicates that a purulent process – sometimes the human condition is deteriorating, begins chills, fever, etc. If the lymph node is enlarged, but not hard, no pain and the General condition is not broken, it is a sign of the functioning of the lymph node. This happens when the disease proceeds without severe toxicity or illness has passed. Some time later, the lymph node becomes normal size.Often the reason for the increase of lymph nodes is an infectious disease, less cancer. Inflammation of the lymph nodes can be a symptom of ordinary sore throat or SARS, or severe illness (leukemia, lymphoma, etc.). In children, the lymph nodes become inflamed more often than adults. In very young children some lymph nodes slightly increased in size and may protrude above the skin surface – it can be an individual characteristic of the child. But if the inflammation is pronounced and the size of the lymph node is more than two centimeters, then it is a sign of a serious defeat of the body.If the body's chronic infection lymph nodes do not hurt, but slightly increased in size. They can stay after a viral or bacterial infection, as well as in the transition of acute diseases into the chronic stage (chronic tonsillitis, for example). Lymph nodes can become inflamed after vaccination, but after a few weeks they will not reach their initial sizes. Sometimes taking certain medicines become the cause of increase of lymph nodes (in people with hypersensitivity to drugs).