Pain in your neck to the side of your windpipe could be a sign of many minor conditions such as a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes or muscle strains such as whiplash or from bending over and staring at your phone too long. Rarely, pain in the front of your neck beside the windpipe can be a sign of a heart attack.
Swollen lymph nodes
The lymph nodes closest to the throat are on either side of the neck. These nodes can cause a feeling of soreness when they become swollen or inflamed. Many illnesses and infections lead to swollen lymph nodes. Sometimes only one node in the area is sore, which can cause a sore throat on one side.
Call your doctor if you have neck pain that: Worsens in spite of self-care. Persists after several weeks of self-care. Radiates down your arms or legs.
One of the most common causes of a sore throat and neck pain is a bacterial or viral infection. This could be in the tonsils, the esophagus, or the trachea, and an infection will contribute to painful swelling in the neck and throat.
Your neck may feel tender in the area of the artery. The pain often goes up the neck to the jaw, ear, or forehead. Some diseases can cause carotidynia. Your doctor will check for those.
Sudden dizziness or loss of balance can indicate a TIA or stroke caused by carotid artery disease. This sudden dizziness can feel like the room is moving and often worsens with head movement.
Pain in your neck to the side of your windpipe could be a sign of many minor conditions such as a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes or muscle strains such as whiplash or from bending over and staring at your phone too long. Rarely, pain in the front of your neck beside the windpipe can be a sign of a heart attack.
Cervical lymph nodes are in the front, sides, and back of the neck. They are usually smaller than 1 centimeter in diameter. If they are bigger, this could be a sign of an infection or other health problem, such as: an ear infection.
There are many possible causes throat pain. Some include viral infections, bacterial infections, sinus infections, allergies, acid reflux, exposure to irritants, laryngitis, medical procedures, and throat cancer.
The rule of thumb is that you should start a more thorough medical investigation only when all three of these conditions are met, three general red flags for neck pain: it's been bothering you for more than about 6 weeks. it's severe and/or not improving, or actually getting worse.
Carotidynia is a rare pain syndrome involving the carotid artery. Its cause isn't known. People with the condition have sudden pain on one side of the neck. The pain occurs over the carotid artery, but can also radiate to the face.
Tightness in the front of the neck can occur as a result of allergies, inflammation, or infection. It could also occur in response to a digestive upset, such as heartburn or GERD. Some causes of tightness in the neck may go away without the need for medical treatment.
Tendinitis — Repetitive activities involving the neck or shoulder muscles can irritate the tendons in these areas. This can lead to tendinitis, which is a painful form of inflammation in your tendons. Tendinitis can affect the tendons near the front of your neck, which causes tendon and muscle pain.
The Vagus nerve and its branches to other nerves
Glossopharyngeal nerve. The vagus nerve and glossopharyngeal nerve control the muscles of the throat. Dysfunction can cause swallowing difficulties. The nerves serve to help drain blood from the brain into the carotid sinus into the carotid artery in your neck.
The glands can swell to more than a few centimetres in response to infection or disease. Swollen glands, known medically as lymphadenopathy, may be felt under the chin or in the neck, armpits or groin, where they can be found in larger clumps.
Neck (there is a chain of lymph nodes on either side of the front of the neck, both sides of the neck, and down each side of the back of the neck)
Abstract. Background: Hyoid bone syndrome is a type of faciocervical pain and occasionally concomitant clicking larynx that is caused by degeneration and/or elongation of the greater horn of the hyoid bone at the attachment of the stylohyoid ligament.
Where is the trachea located? Your trachea sits in your lower neck and upper chest, below your larynx. It is behind the notch at your lower throat, between the inside edges of your collarbones. In a diagram of your trachea and other respiratory organs, you can see the trachea between the top lobes of the lungs.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Stomach acids, fluids, or even food particles can travel from the stomach back up the esophagus to the throat. This irritates the lining of the throat, contributing to a sore throat, uncomfortable swelling, and even neck pain.
A carotid artery aneurysm is a bulge in one of the arteries supplying blood to your brain and nearby structures. Atherosclerosis is a common cause. Some people have no symptoms, but others have facial swelling, hoarseness or a throbbing lump they can feel in their neck.
Your carotid arteries are blood vessels that supply blood to your brain, face and neck. You have two common carotid arteries, one on each side of your neck: Left common carotid artery. Right common carotid artery.
Unusual, persistent neck pain
A vertebral artery tear may feel like something sharp is stuck in the base of your skull. If you experience such pain — especially if you also have stroke symptoms such as dizziness, double vision, jerky eye movements, unsteadiness while walking, or slurred speech — call 911 immediately.