What may increase your risk for problems from your neck symptoms?

Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.

Conditions

  • A problem or condition that has been present since birth (congenital defect)
  • Previous injury
  • Previous surgery to neck area

Lifestyle choices

  • Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
  • Drug abuse or withdrawal
  • Smoking or other tobacco use
  • Sports activities, such as:
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Contact sports, such as football
    • Golf
    • Gymnastics
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Trapshooting or skeet
    • Weight lifting
    • Wrestling

Medicines

  • Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, heparin, and ASA
  • Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
  • Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
  • Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
  • Radiation therapy

Diseases

  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Arthritis
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Down syndrome
  • Hemophilia
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
  • Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
  • Inherited bone disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Lupus
  • Malnutrition or an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Osteomyelitis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Scoliosis or curvature of the spine


Author: Jan Nissl, RN, BSLast Updated: October 3, 2007
Medical Review: William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine
H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine

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