swollen lymphnodes

is it possible irritate your lymphnodes and cause swelling if you poke at them?i was feeling at the one in my neck the other day and i couldnt stop poking at it and feeling it because i thought it was swollen-and now it definitely is.

i have no  pain what so ever.do lymphnodes hurt if the swelling is caused by a condition such as hodgkins,hiv or mono?

thanks.

[Jules77733]

It is possible to irritate lymph nodes by simply poking or palpating them, especially if this is done somewhat frequently. Nevertheless, it's best to have it checked out by a medical professional if you think it is, indeed, swollen.

Lymph node swelling as a result of most cancers (such as Hodgkins) is often painless for a long time since cancer is great at masking itself under the guise of your immune system--thus, your lymph nodes become swollen with cancerous cells your body doesn't identify as "bad", so there is no pain. Swelling of lymph nodes as a result of HIV, mono, and other infections tend to cause some pain or soreness. It's also important to note that cancerous lymph nodes generally begin as a single, isolated node or two, and the nodes are hard or firm upon touch. HIV and mono generally cause a widespread swelling of lymph nodes (inguinal, axillary, cervical, etc.).

I hope this helps!