Learn how to clean a puncture wound, check tetanus protection, watch for infection, and know when urgent care or emergency care is needed.

Shoulder Pain: What the Location May Mean Shoulder pain can originate from the joint, rotator cuff tendons, biceps tendon, ligaments, bursa, cartilage, bones, muscles around the shoulder blade, or nerves traveling from the neck. Pain can also be referred from the heart, lungs, diaphragm, gallbladder, or upper abdomen—even when the shoulder itself is normal. Location…

Eye pain with contact lenses can be minor irritation or a sign of an eye infection. Learn what to do first and when to seek urgent or emergency care.

Neck Pain: When to Worry Neck pain is extremely common. It may appear after sleeping in an awkward position, spending hours at a computer, lifting something heavy, or making a sudden movement. Most uncomplicated cases come from irritated muscles, ligaments, joints, or other soft tissues and gradually improve with movement, activity modification, and time.[1] However,…

Thunderclap Headache: Why Sudden Severe Head Pain Is an Emergency A thunderclap headache is a severe headache that begins abruptly and reaches its maximum intensity in less than one minute. People may describe it as an explosion, a sudden blow to the head, or the “worst headache of my life.” It may begin during ordinary…

Headache Red Flags: 12 Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore Headaches are extremely common. Dehydration, lack of sleep, stress, viral illnesses, sinus congestion, migraines, and muscle tension can all cause head pain. But sometimes a headache is different. A headache that appears suddenly, is unusually severe, occurs after an injury, or comes with neurologic symptoms can…

Knee pain is extremely common, but not all knee pain comes from the same problem. Where the pain occurs—at the front, back, inside, or outside of the knee—can provide important clues about what may be causing it. Pain around the kneecap after running may have a very different cause from sudden pain behind the knee…

A stuffy nose, facial pressure, headache, and thick nasal drainage can make it feel like you have a sinus infection. But having sinus symptoms does not necessarily mean you have a bacterial infection—or that you need an antibiotic. Most cases of acute sinusitis, also called acute rhinosinusitis, are caused by viruses, often following a common…

An ear infection can cause significant ear pain, pressure, muffled hearing, fever, or drainage from the ear. Although ear infections are particularly common in children, adults can develop them too. But “ear infection” does not describe just one condition. A middle ear infection, medically called acute otitis media (AOM), develops behind the eardrum. An outer…

A dry cough is a cough that does not bring up noticeable mucus or phlegm. It may feel like a tickle, scratch, or irritation in the throat and can range from an occasional nuisance to repeated coughing spells that interfere with sleep, work, or daily activities. Dry coughing is common during and after respiratory infections,…

Chest pain that becomes worse when you take a deep breath can be frightening. Sometimes the explanation is relatively straightforward, such as a strained chest muscle after coughing or exercise. Other times, however, pain associated with breathing can originate from the lungs, the tissues surrounding the lungs, or even the heart. Doctors often use the…

A sore throat can make swallowing, talking, eating, and even sleeping uncomfortable. When it happens along with a high temperature, many people immediately suspect an infection. But what does it mean when your throat hurts and you do not have a fever? A sore throat without fever is common, and there are many possible explanations.…