You can check your lymph nodes by pressing gently with your fingertips in a slow, circular motion over specific areas of your body where nodes sit close to the skin’s surface. The main areas to check are your neck, armpits, and groin. A healthy lymph node is generally smaller than 1 centimeter in diameter (about the size of a pea), feels soft or rubbery, and moves freely under your fingers when you press on it.
Where Lymph Nodes Are Located
Lymph nodes cluster in predictable spots throughout the body, but only a few groups are shallow enough to feel through the skin. The three regions you can reliably check at home are:
- Neck and jaw: Nodes sit under the chin (submental), along the jawline (submandibular), down both sides of the neck (cervical), and just above the collarbone (supraclavicular).
- Armpits: A group of axillary nodes fills the hollow of each armpit.
- Groin: Inguinal nodes run along the crease where your leg meets your torso.
There are also nodes behind the ears, at the base of the skull, and at the inner elbow, though these are smaller and less commonly checked. Nodes deeper in the chest and abdomen can’t be felt from the outside at all.
How to Check Your Neck
The neck contains the most lymph node groups you can reach, so it’s the best place to start. Use the pads of your index and middle fingers (not the tips) and press with light to moderate pressure, making small circular motions. You’re feeling for anything that rolls under your fingers like a small marble.
Work through these areas in order:
- Under the chin: Tilt your head slightly forward to relax the tissue. Press upward into the soft area beneath your chin.
- Along the jawline: Walk your fingers from the chin back toward the angle of your jaw on each side. The submandibular nodes sit just below the jawbone.
- Down the sides of the neck: Follow the line of the large muscle that runs from behind your ear to your collarbone. Deep cervical nodes lie along this path. Check both the front and back of the muscle.
- Behind the ears and base of the skull: Press along the bony ridge at the back of your head and behind each ear.
- Above the collarbone: Feel in the hollow just above each collarbone. Any palpable node in this spot is considered abnormal regardless of size, so pay attention here even if nothing seems large.
Compare both sides as you go. Swollen nodes from a common infection like strep throat typically show up in the front of the neck and feel tender to the touch.
How to Check Your Armpits
Axillary nodes are easier to feel when the muscles around your armpit are relaxed. Raise one arm and rest your hand on the back of your head. With your opposite hand, reach into the hollow of the armpit and press gently against the chest wall using a circular motion.
Work in rows: start high in the armpit, then move your fingers along the upper inner arm, then down the chest wall, and finally along the inner edge of the armpit closest to your body. You’re covering the full space where nodes sit around the armpit’s borders. Then switch sides and repeat with the other arm.
How to Check Your Groin
Inguinal nodes run along the crease of your groin, where your thigh meets your lower abdomen. Lie down or stand with your weight shifted off the leg you’re checking. Using two or three fingertips, press gently along that crease in a line from the outer hip toward the inner thigh.
It’s normal to feel small, pea-sized nodes in this area, especially if you’ve ever had a cut, blister, or infection on your leg or foot. Groin nodes can be slightly larger than nodes elsewhere. Nodes up to 1.5 centimeters in the groin are generally considered within normal range, compared to the 1-centimeter threshold that applies to most other locations.
What Normal Nodes Feel Like
Most of the time, you won’t feel your lymph nodes at all. When you can feel one, a healthy node is small (under 1 centimeter), soft or slightly rubbery, and slides easily under your fingers when you press on it. It shouldn’t hurt.
Nodes that swell because of an infection tend to be tender, somewhat firm, and freely movable. They often appear on one side and grow quickly over a few days. This is the most common reason you’d notice a swollen node, and it usually resolves on its own once the infection clears.
Characteristics that stand out from this pattern are worth paying closer attention to. A node that feels rock-hard, doesn’t move when you push it, or is painless and keeps growing slowly over weeks is behaving differently from a typical infection-related node. Nodes that are matted together (feeling like a clump rather than individual bumps) also warrant a closer look.
Size Thresholds by Location
Not every area of the body uses the same size cutoff for what counts as abnormal. As a general guide:
- Most locations (neck, armpit): Over 1 centimeter is considered enlarged.
- Groin: Up to 1.5 centimeters can be normal.
- Inner elbow (epitrochlear): Anything over 0.5 centimeters is considered abnormal.
- Above the collarbone (supraclavicular): Any palpable node here is considered abnormal.
These aren’t precise measurements you can make at home, but they give you a sense of proportion. A node that clearly feels bigger than a small grape, or one that’s significantly larger than the same node on the opposite side of your body, is worth monitoring.
Symptoms That Add Significance
A swollen lymph node on its own is extremely common and usually harmless. What changes the picture is when swelling comes alongside certain systemic symptoms. Three in particular raise the level of concern:
- Unexplained fevers above 38°C (100.4°F) lasting more than a month
- Drenching night sweats that recur over several weeks
- Unexplained weight loss greater than 10% of your body weight within six months
These are known as B symptoms in cancer staging systems, and their presence alongside enlarged nodes can point toward lymphoma. That said, these same symptoms also show up with infections and autoimmune conditions, so they’re a reason for medical evaluation, not a diagnosis on their own.
When Swelling Lasts Too Long
Lymph nodes that swell from a cold, sore throat, or minor skin infection typically shrink back to normal within two to three weeks. The general clinical threshold for concern is a node that remains enlarged, or continues to grow, for four to six weeks without an obvious cause. At that point, further evaluation usually involves imaging (often an ultrasound, which can measure the node precisely and assess its internal structure) and sometimes a tissue sample if the imaging raises questions.
Nodes that appear suddenly, grow rapidly over days, and come with fever and tenderness almost always reflect an active infection. Nodes that grow slowly, painlessly, over many weeks follow a different pattern. Both deserve attention if they persist, but the slow, painless pattern is the one more likely to prompt additional testing.
Tips for a Better Self-Check
Check both sides of your body and compare. Asymmetry is more informative than absolute size, since some people naturally have palpable nodes that have been there for years. Do your self-check when you’re healthy so you learn your own baseline. That way, if something changes, you’ll notice it. Use a mirror for your neck exam so you can see visible swelling, not just feel it. And keep your touch gentle: pressing too hard can push right past a small node without noticing it, and firm pressure on a tender node is unnecessarily painful.