Understanding Your Immune System

When you notice "swollen glands" under your chin, you're noticing an important part of your immune system.

"Glands" that swell and turn tender when you have an infection in your throat are actually lymph nodes. The swelling shows that your body is fighting the infection.

Your skin is a barrier against many infections, but once an invading virus or bacterium enters your body, your immune system forms the next line of defense, says the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The lymph nodes serve as fortresses, scattered throughout the body on a network of delicate vessels that carry lymph -- the fluid that transports bacteria, viruses, foreign matter and even cancerous cells to the lymph nodes for extermination.

The gray, fleshy lymph nodes lie under your armpits, in the head and neck, in the chest, in the abdominal area and in the groin. They range in size from a pinhead to a grape. The spleen is also a part of the immune system. Lymphoid tissue also is found in the bone marrow, thymus, tonsils, adenoids and appendix, the NIAID says.

The lymph nodes act as a filter, identifying harmful material and ridding the body of it. "Scavenger cells" in the nodes attack and eat bacteria and other invaders.

When you visit your health care provider, he or she will feel the lymph nodes under your chin or in your armpit, they're checking to see whether the nodes are enlarged, tender or too firm, all signs of infection. A very hard lymph node can be a sign of cancer or chronic infection.

The lymph flows to the nodes in vessels that act like ultra-thin capillaries or veins. Lymph comes from blood plasma, but it is more watery. It's usually colorless, but that can vary: Around the bowels, it looks milky -- a result of carrying fats.

Although you can get by without some lymph nodes, you need the immune system as a whole to survive the daily onslaught of infections.

An active, healthy lifestyle, including a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, will help your immune system do its job.

Krames Staywell

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