Prevention is related to the cause. If a person gets cut or injured, careful cleaning and care of the wound may prevent a swollen gland. Safer sex practices can help prevent cases due to syphilis or HIV . Routine childhood vaccines can help prevent some infections, such as rubella . Many cases, such as those due to cancer or autoimmune disorders , cannot be prevented.
Diagnosis begins with a history and physical exam.
This may be all that is needed to make the diagnosis. In other cases, further testing is needed. Blood tests are commonly used to help figure out the cause. A blood test called a complete blood count, or CBC , can help figure out if an infection or blood cancer is present. Imaging tests, such as a chest x-ray , can help diagnose some infections and cancers.