When neck joints irritate the sympathetic nerves, the body reacts with a mix of head, eye, and heart-like complaints that can feel scary yet look normal on scans.

Dull neck ache is the starting point. It spreads upward, wrapping the back of the head like a tight band.

Vision then blurs. One moment the screen is sharp, the next it smears. Bright lights feel glaring, and pupils may seem uneven.

Ears ring or fill with pressure, as if landing in an airplane. Some hear their own pulse whooshing at night.

Dizziness flashes on with quick turns. The room does not spin, but you feel light, spacey, and grip the counter to stay steady.

Heart flutters or races even while seated. A cuff check shows normal beats, yet the chest thumps and you break into a cold sweat.

One hand swells or turns patchy red and white. Temperature swings between hot and cold, and fine finger moves feel clumsy.

Stomach churns or throat tightens, making you sigh often to “get a full breath.”

Sleep stays light; every position feels wrong, and a pillow that once helped now hurts.