Is it possible to measure lymph nodes at home

[Thelegend27]

So today my anxiety has been up about my lymph nodes so I felt of them and the way I was sitting made them extra palpable so I took the opportunity to try measuring the nodes and I was a little surprised, what I did was pinch the node between my fingers and I took my fingers kept them in the same position and out them up to a ruler and got nearly 3 cm, now I didn't really get concerned because I know this isn't a accurate way of measuring and also there's skin fat and tissue between my fingers and the node so it seems like it would measure bigger this way, seems the only way to measure is through imaging like ultrasound which revealed a few months ago that my nodes were less than 2 cm.

[Gary A]

You really need to stop this.

No, of course you can't measure your lymph nodes, that's absurd.

[swajj]

OMG just stop torturing yourself.

---------- Post added at 17:24 ---------- Previous post was at 17:22 ----------

You started a thread saying how much it has helped you reading and posting here. What am I missing?

[axolotl]

This forum is not going to help you if it's just used as a way to articulate and dwell on your irrational thoughts about lymph nodes. Of course you can't measure them with a ruler! Any why would you want to?

Some reassurance is helpful temporarily, sometimes knowing others are in the same place mentally is useful, but you need to start working out how to best reduce the anxiety. The subject of your fear is arbitrary, it's no different to those who obsess about "testing" themselves for ALS or examing every bowel movement.

Have you spoken to a doctor about this irrational anxiety?

[Fishmanpa]

You posted a thread thanking folks for their help. Unfortunately, we're clearly not helping :( Reassurance and in fact any reply is clearly feeding the dragon here and, if you've actually read some of my replies, you wouldn't even have asked this question! As others have said and I have said previously, please seek professional real life help for your anxiety.

Positive thoughts and peace out!

[korega]

I had a lymph node that a did a similar thing to you. Measured it with a ruler and fingers. Was getting numbers like 2.5 to 3cm or more. Got an ultrasound and it was actually like 0.6cm. The technician was like "why exactly are you here?" I told them i measured them myself at home, she looked at me like I was a mad man and tried to stifle a laugh. Then she asked "do you test yout own blood too?"

[Thelegend27]

I just asked a simple question why does that bother some of you? If you don't like my threads just ignore them. NMP has helped me a lot but I never said I was cured, I still have anxiety. Some days are bad some are good.

[bin tenn]

Your thread isn't ignored because, as absurd as it may be, these people just want to help you see how deep your anxiety is, in hopes that you'll seek the help you need

[Gary A]

I just asked a simple question why does that bother some of you? If you don't like my threads just ignore them. NMP has helped me a lot but I never said I was cured, I still have anxiety. Some days are bad some are good.

And it will stay that way until you stop utterly obsessing over your lymph nodes.

[axolotl]

Thing is this is a forum about anxiety, most prople here are anxiety sufferers, and they will give you advice about anxiety, not top tips about how to prod your nodes. Stopping obsessing and posting about them is the best advice I can give, if you don't want to take that advice up to you, but don't be surprised when people don't indulge you.

[Fishmanpa]

What you fail to see (or more accurately, you anxiety doesn't want you to see) is that this isn't helping you. It's allowing you to indulge your fears and feed your anxiety by posting fears and seeking reassurance over and over on the same subjects. Unfortunately that's not a positive. Your post history affirms this.

As has been said, the people here are trying to help you see the depth of your anxiety. Being forthright and blunt, while not always tea and sympathy or pleasant, helps you to look in the mirror. It's not always pretty but sometimes it's needed to help you see.

I sure hope you're beginning to open you eyes and seek the real life help which is so obviously needed.

I suffer from real life physical issues that can put me six feet under. Living in fear, obsessed with imaginary illnesses is doing that to you above ground.

Positive thoughts

[M00nlight]

So today my anxiety has been up about my lymph nodes so I felt of them and the way I was sitting made them extra palpable so I took the opportunity to try measuring the nodes and I was a little surprised, what I did was pinch the node between my fingers and I took my fingers kept them in the same position and out them up to a ruler and got nearly 3 cm, now I didn't really get concerned because I know this isn't a accurate way of measuring and also there's skin fat and tissue between my fingers and the node so it seems like it would measure bigger this way, seems the only way to measure is through imaging like ultrasound which revealed a few months ago that my nodes were less than 2 cm.

If I stretch my neck out I can feel my node a lot easier.. when I first found it I tried to measure it the same way you did. I'm not sure that's accurate tho, when I relax my neck the node feels much smaller. I'm just trying to accept it's part of me now.. for all I know it's always been there to that size I just never had a reason to feel that spot before that day. I've weaned my self off from touching it and it's helping my anxiety... and suddenly all the other symptoms I was feeling are going away. I don't have cancer and neither do you :yesyes:

[Thelegend27]

I completely understand that it gets frustrating when someone submits thread after thread about the same thing. For me I don't submit threads here just when my anxiety is up, I just like to discuss things that contribute to my anxiety because it helps me mentally to know I am not alone and that if I'm in a hard spot I can come here and talk to people who are in the same situation, I understand that I do not likely have cancer, and I also understand that my worries are probably a waste of time, but given all the facts at times I get down and start letting my imagination and my half knowledge of lymph nodes get the best of me. I am no doctor but I treat myself as of I am, as if I know that my lymph nodes are something serious but that's what happen when you read information that you do not know much of anything about you start assuming that the information you're reading applies to your situation. And the internet tends to contradict itself, some say lymph nodes should be smaller than 0.5 cm and other say they should be smaller than 1 cm and then you got people saying they should be smaller than 2 cm and then there's the sites that say length really has no significant value and that's its the width that they look at. So you see the internet can be a very confusing place and that's what drives a lot of us here, despite doctors telling us we are fine we still trust the internet search results more than our doctors own words as of our doctors would really turn us away if they seen something suspicious. Again I'm sorry to be the way I am and I will limit my threads unless they are necessary.

[swajj]

Limiting your reading is where you should start.

[PASchoolSyndrome]

The internet does not have a medical degree. Stop reading.

[MyNameIsTerry]

The more I have read lymph node threads, the more I've come to the conclusion that, like many HA thread, logic is out of the window.

Do you know how to examine a lymph node? Do you know why a doctor manipulates the area when he/she does it? Doctors have guides on how to examine lymph nodes (you see them on charity cancer support websites, the big ones, for those who really need to monitor themselves for possible red flags when in remission) and there is a clue in how when they check the ones in your neck, they start bending your head. They do this because they need to properly examine them, unlike how anxiety sufferers seem to do it.

Without taking the first step to read such a guide, which I wouldn't condone for HA sufferers anyway as you aren't objective if you are doing this for a start, you will get it wrong. Your measurements won't count for anything.

The only person able to properly examine a lymph node has been trained & observed and licenced to do so. We haven't. At the most, we can look out for possible inflamed ones AND then we do the next step - ask the doctor. If he/she can't find anything inflamed, or diagnoses it as something that needs no further investigation e.g. infection, then thats where it should be stopping. The only people who don't are HAers.

You've got an obsession-compulsion cycle going on here. Measuring them is just par of that. As with ALL such cycles, compulsion feeds obsession. Thats why it's so important to eliminate it.