If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustained a whiplash injury, you may have sought the professional services of a car accident attorney. While a whiplash injury is painful in itself, your other preexisting medical conditions can compound your pain even more. Here are three uncommon reasons for an increase in whiplash-related neck pain and what you can do about them:
GERD
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD, is a digestive disorder that causes heartburn, coughing, throat clearing, and sometimes a feeling as though there is a lump in your throat. GERD can also cause referred pain to the neck, and when this happens, old cervical, or new whiplash injuries can "act up." According to the Patient Education Center, the feeling from GERD or acid reflux disease often extends from the lower end of the rib cage to the root of the neck.
To help minimize GERD-related neck pain, take your prescribed acid blocking medications, avoid trigger foods such as citrus fruit, peppermint, dark chocolate, onions, coffee, and hot peppers. Also, avoid cigarette smoking, limit your consumption of alcohol, maintain a healthy weight, and sleep with the head of your bed elevated so that irritating stomach acid is less likely to migrate up into your upper digestive tract.
Asthma
Asthma and other chronic respiratory conditions can also worsen the pain from your car accident injuries. Asthma can cause severe coughing and wheezing episodes, and when this happens, you may be utilizing muscles that you normally do not use. Because of this extra muscle movement in your upper chest area, you may experience radiating neck and shoulder pain.
To minimize asthma symptoms, use your rescue inhaler as ordered by your physician, drink plenty of fluids help thin out viscous mucus so that it is easier to expel, and take your corticosteroid medications if your doctor has prescribed them. These medications will help reduce the inflammatory response in your lungs and may also help relieve your whiplash pain.
Food Allergies
Food allergies, along with seasonal allergies and hay fever, can lead to the release of mast cells or other inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines. When these are released in to your bloodstream, it can trigger a systemic inflammatory response.
This reaction not only worsens sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose symptoms, it can also cause pain in your muscles and joints. If you suffer from allergies and notice that your whiplash pain is getting worse, make sure you take your antihistamines or other allergy medications as prescribed by your health care provider. Once your allergies are under control, body-wide inflammation will subside as well, easing your neck pain.
If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustain a whiplash injury, speak to a car accident attorney (like those at Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC). If the other party is found to be at fault for the accident, you may be awarded monetary damages for your pain and suffering.
Share23 August 2016
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