The cause of most neck pain is strained or sprained muscles, ligaments, and tendons. First-line therapy is rest, ice, heat, pain relievers, and possibly limited use of a neck collar.
A study found that a lump in the neck was the most common early symptom of throat cancer due to infection with the oral human papilloma virus.
The key factors to minimize the risk of a heart attack or stroke are body weight, diet, exercise, stress control, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
A promising experimental surgery to combat high blood pressured failed an important test. The treatment, called renal denervation, is for people with high blood pressure that does not respond adequately to medication.
Experts recommend that everyone 60 and older get the vaccine for shingles, a painful rash caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus. The vaccine is safe, but can be costly if not covered by insurance.
In a study, most children with concussions felt better within 2 weeks. But some emotional symptoms that did not show up at first were among the most lasting, the study found. The study included 235 children and young adults who were diagnosed with concussions in an emergency room. They answered questions about symptoms regularly during the next 3 months, or until symptoms went away. When they first went to the ER, children’s most common symptoms were headache, fatigue, dizziness and taking longer to think. The symptoms most likely to develop later included sleep problems, frustration and forgetfulness. Symptoms that lasted longest were irritability and sleep problems (a median of 16 days each). Next came frustration and poor concentration (14 days each). One month after injury, nearly 25% still complained of headache.