"Neck pain can be caused by many factors, including high cholesterol and uric acid levels. Because the causes are different, the pain conditions experienced will certainly be different. Pain that is a sign of high cholesterol occurs because there is a buildup of fat in the neck blood vessels. Meanwhile, pain in people with gout arise due to high levels of purines.
Neck pain is pain that appears in the neck, either in the back, right, left or front area. Generally, neck pain occurs due to pulled neck muscles, pinched nerves, or calcification of joints due to disease. Usually, neck pain is not a serious condition, because it can heal by itself in a few days.
However, if neck pain lasts a long time with varying intensity of pain, you must be vigilant, OK? Because it can be a sign of symptoms of certain diseases, such as cholesterol and uric acid. I think this is the explanation for neck pain due to these two diseases!
Neck Pain Due to Cholesterol and Uric Acid, What's the Difference?
High cholesterol can indeed be marked by the appearance of pain in the neck. This happens because of the accumulation of fat in the blood vessels of the neck, so that blood circulation becomes not smooth. The accumulated fat will turn into plaque and narrow the surrounding blood vessels.
Meanwhile, in people with gout, pain in the neck is caused by a high purine content. When levels are too high, purines will accumulate. Purines that accumulate are then channeled through the blood to certain areas of the body, one of which is the neck. Because of this, symptoms of gout appear in the form of discomfort in the neck
Symptoms of Pain in the Neck to Watch Out for
The intensity of pain in the neck can range from mild to severe. The pain can be described as being pressed by a heavy object, stabbed, or throbbing which causes discomfort. Worse, the intensity of the pain can get worse when a person is doing activities, such as lifting, turning his head, looking down, or when he is accidentally touched.
Pain in the neck does not only interfere with activities, here are the symptoms of neck pain that you need to be aware of:
- Headache.
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck area.
- Pain in the face and shoulders.
- Pain in the upper or lower back.
Handling needs to be done if pain in the neck occurs due to injury. Not only that, treatment needs to be done when the pain gets worse or doesn't improve after taking pain relievers. When this happens, you can check yourself at the nearest hospital to find out the cause of the neck pain you are experiencing.
Home Remedies To Treat Neck Pain
If it is not caused by a certain disease, pain in the neck can heal by itself within a few days. However, when you encounter a series of symptoms, treat them with the following steps:
- Use a comfortable pillow. When symptoms appear, do not use a pillow that is hard and too high. We recommend using a pillow that can follow the shape of the neck and head.
- Stretch. Neck stretches can be done by moving your neck up, down, right, left, and turning your head. These movements can stretch stiff neck muscles.
- Compress neck with ice. When symptoms appear, you can compress the sore neck with ice cubes wrapped in a cloth. For maximum results, you can do it as often as possible.
- Avoid sudden movements. When your neck hurts, try to avoid sudden and violent movements to reduce the pain.
- The last step that can be done is to massage the neck area that hurts. You can relieve pain by doing gentle massages to make the muscles more relaxed.